Super Nature film.. Super nature Reserve and super goodGym runners doing some good!

We gathered in the foyer of the Phoenix Cinema and welcomed two new GoodGym recruits—big shout-out to Edward and Neeral on their first session!

The Phoenix also gave us an emergency bundle of leaflets to distribute for Super Nature, a film celebrating the natural world, showing at 2pm on Saturday 5 September, followed by a Q&A with director Ed Sayers. The Phoenix is an important charitable community cinema, so please support it if you can. Find out more and book here⁠ https://www.phoenixcinema.co.uk/PhoenixCinemaLondon.dll/WhatsOn?f=634449

After warming up outside, we numbered up by sharing the television programmes that influenced us as children—from Teletubbies and Bagpuss to Star Trek.

We split into two teams and delivered all the leaflets along a nearby road before setting off at a good pace for the two-kilometre run to Glebelands Local Nature Reserve.

Glebelands is one of the last surviving parts of old Finchley Common and is a Grade I Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation. Its clay soil holds water, feeding natural springs, streams and seasonal ponds. These support rare wetland plants and wildlife, including great crested newts. It may look like a small patch of rough woodland, but it is one of Finchley’s most precious natural spaces.

Although the ground looked dry, subsurface water and mud meant that we couldn’t do the planned clearance work. Instead, we split into pairs for a litter pick and found a surprising amount of rubbish, particularly around a concrete structure that seemed to act as a litter magnet!

With our bags full, we headed back—an enjoyable evening supporting both our local cinema and an important local nature reserve.

It was great to be able to host a table at the annual Coppetts Wood Festival this year - the site where Paul signed me up to Goodgym for the first time two years ago. This time we had a small table with flyers, though back then Paul had the full TinyForest layout, with calipers and everything.

Richard joined me for the first couple of hours, and we started in Goodgym fashion, helping Sue the Willow Weaver put up her marquee in record time. The band started playing and people arriving, so we set to spreading cheer and chatting to passersby. Richard then set off to do some training for a marathon, and I stayed for the long haul, then helped Sue pack down her marquee and the Coppetts Wood Conservationists with their tables and stalls.

We started this one from the artsdepot. Brilliantly, no one got lost and went to the Phoenix Cinema, or brought more than they could carry - at least, no one we knew about. 5 Goodgymmers gathered - regulars Beattie and Rachel arriving first. Was great to see Rupesh, who joined us for the first time in a while and will be getting stuck back into missions. Subham finished the set, running from Finchley Central to join us, arriving ready to go.

We warmed up a sunny patch outside the artsdepot, then we set off on a 2km run to the Porters Way entrance to Coppetts Wood. We were met by Julian, one of the Coppetts Wood Conservationists, along with Filip and Chloe for their second session this month - they'll be earning their free t-shirts in no time!

Julian introduced us to the history of Coppetts Wood and their volunteer group - who meet for 3hrs every Sunday at 9am at the entrance off Porters Way. More labour welcome, if you're free - details here.

Then we trekked through the wood to the North Circular for our clean up, and found our first challenge: a dumped motorbike. This had been removed by volunteers once before, but magically found its way back into the woods, so we removed it again and reported it. Then we scoured the bushes and undergrowth, picking most cans and bottles from inside the fence. We hauled out a discarded roadworks barrier and before long we'd hit our time limit, so we stored our stash by the sign and reported it.

Then, given our unusual end point, Rachel and Beattie found a bus to take them home, while Subham, Rupesh and I ran back through to the Colney Hatch Lane entrance, taking the scenic route. A glorious run through soaring woodland flowers and darting birds, after which, Rupesh headed home eastwards, while Subham and I completed the circuit back to North Finchley for a pint, with Filip and Chloe walking to meet us.