After the pizza party at Horseden, 4 goodgymers walked to the new urban garden that was nearby. All mudded up, they walked through massive water puddles and mud again to reach the garden which we have attended several times. Today was a big day as it was covering of the polytunnel : would we see the end of the tunnel? Upon arrival, we were surprised by the number of CIC volunteers who already erected the plastic over the metal frame, but there was still loads of work or fun. It was slip and slide in the beginning as soil was very muddy as loads of clay in this area and that doesn't mix up with plastic sheets like we discovered when you have running shoes full of mud : check outSteph Ducat trainers!! Paul can confirm as he had a close look at the soil...he went down, but was not hurt. The 4 goodgymers helped Joseph and the CIC crew pull on the massive plastic sheet and attach it down to wooden fixings with screws. It was slip and slide the session and the trainers were getting heavier and heavier with the clay that was collecting all sorts like the woodchip. Sevan , Mohamed and Paul started moving timber from the shed to the polytunnel. Then it was time for a break with hot drinks and lovely food.

Second session with Feeding Ealing CIC this afternoon with crafting the polytunnel. But as usual it was time to eat some lovely food. Paul wanted to try the Biryani, but they realised no rice...only veggies. After a short break the 4 goodgymers went back to the polytunnel with some slightly different tasks. Mohamed, Sevan and Paul went to the shed to move massive pieces of decking all the way to the new polytunnel until they had to move the ones that the CIC crew started painting earlier on in the day...painted cells!!! They had to be careful to avoid having paint all over them. Steph Ducat on the other hand went to help Joseph and a few CIC volunteers finish the fixing of the side of the polytunnel. At 430 PM, the team called it a day as getting dark, cold and as the plastic covering the tunnel was completed apart from the doors and the timber all safe in a dry area. All the runners had very heavy shoes...full of mud and clay.

Monty the Mouse felt run down on Saturday morning. The sense of fatigue stuck with him throughout the afternoon. Was it the freezing weather outside? Or maybe too much of Joseph's cherry-infused grappa Monty had found at Horsenden Grape and Honey Farm? Monty felt quite cosy in his lair inside a pile of woodchip at the farm - until the strangers arrived.

The strangers were no strangers to the Grape and Honey Farm - maybe apart from Mohamed, who came to the site for the first time. Sevan, Steph Ducat and Kash had been visiting the farm in the past, to support Feeding Ealing and Heston Lions in creating a new urban garden in Greenford.

Today, Joseph, who manages the project's activities, had a new task for the four helpers: saving Joseph from slipping on the muddy slope leading to the community garden! How? By spreading woodchip on the paths, of course! With four wheelbarrows (and only one with a flat tyre), forks and shovels the GoodGymers attacked the heap that they didn't realise had been Monty's winter quarters.

Under the dry and wet layers of shredded bark, bay leaf, pine trees and other loose woody material, the GoodGymers discovered plenty of logs! Was Joseph and the Lions short-changed on woodchip? Or was it delivered with a shred-it-yourself clause? Who knows! The pieces of wood were quite a shock when hit with a fork, so the team proceeded cautiously. Apart from the logs, Mohamed, Sevan, Steph and Kash revealed the very sleepy Monty emerging from the woodchip. He didn't look awake and energetic and didn't even bother running away from the GoodGymers. Luckily, he was safe with that gang. On the other hand, a ginger cat has been seen on the site. Watch out, Monty!

The GoodGymers covered with woodchip not only the muddy patches of the path but all the walkway towards the would-be polytunnel and the space in front of the construction. Next month we will be back at the Feeding Ealing site to help Joseph cover the polytunnel frame with its key element - a plastic sheet - sign up join us now - we'll need all hands on deck to make it happen!

GoodGym Ealing were raising the stakes today at the new Feeding Ealing site in Greenford. The stakes in question were marking out the locations of polytunnel poles that they'd measured out last month and they were now being raised to dig holes where the real, metal poles would be placed.

For some, they were experienced hands with constructing polytunnels and for others it was their first time. Today's jobs didn't need any polytunnel expertise though, only how to use a spade. Eight arches would need 16 holes to hold the each end of an arch. Polytunnel architect Joseph had made a start on the corners, so there were only 12 more intermediate pockets to excavate.

Joseph works with imperial measures, with everything being in feet and inches, so he gave the team a shock when they asked about the hole depth.

"How deep do the holes need to be?" - Gus
"30" - Joseph
"Inches?!" - Sevan
"No, centimetres" - Joseph
"Oh, phew!" - Sevan

Twelve big holes doesn't sound too hard, unless you're digging London clay soil which is heavy and sticky. Spades struggled through the dirt, trying to scoop the space out. One thin, saw toothed spade - Joseph's prized possession - was the perfect tool for the job, able to slide through the dirt and slice tree roots. It was much in demand.

Despite the hard going, the team used their muscles and determination to dig 11 and a half of the required pockets, only being stopped on the last one by available time and some really thick roots.

As a thank you for their huge efforts, task owner Jatinder gave everyone a Diwali treat at the end of the task. Everyone was offered a box of freshly made Indian snacks to take home as well as some samosas to nibble with the full volunteer group.

After a 20-minute walk to Horsenden Grape & Honey Farm following their previous task and pizza social, Steph, Sevan and Kash encountered a closed gate and an ominous feeling that the weekly session at the new urban garden was not on. Yikes!

A quick phone call solved the gate problem as Joseph, the owner of the neighbouring, vineyard arrived faster than a fire engine would! And he was not alone. A black dog was accompanying him.

His name is Merlin. He's absolutely magic!

Joseph had been planning to meet Jatinder from Heston Lions Club to discuss organising the future work at the Feeding Ealing urban garden in the afternoon. But he couldn't let the GoodGymers down. He dropped his brandy-making halfway and came over to open the tool shed and give Steph, Sevan and Kash a task.

What kind of task do you want to do today?
Something useful.

Joseph had something perfect for the occasion. He was going to measure up the ground and mark the outline of the polytunnel with bamboo stakes and string. But even with the magic of Merlin, that task seemed like too much for one man and one dog.

The GoodGymers, having already dealt with creating lines over the soil earlier in the morning, were up for the job. Like it or not, it appeared that the session was going to elevate them further towards the status of polytunnel gurus - the probably not fully deserved reputation they had been slowly building in Ealing.

Joseph announced the desired polytunnel dimensions: 42 feet long and 24 feet wide. Steph and Kash scratched their heads - just as you would expect from people coming from countries using the metric system. Joseph's measuring tape was feet-friendly, so the units weren't such a big deal after all. After finding out where the four stakes at the edges of the polytunnel base should be, Joseph and the GoodGymers put the stakes in the ground and attached a string to each of them. Then came the time for the final verification of dimensions by measuring the distances between the edges of the rectangle on the ground diagonally. One of the diagonals was only 1 inch off, which Joseph considered a brilliant result.

You cannot even imagine how helpful that was! I wouldn't have done that on my own - Joseph.

Before leaving, the GoodGymers levelled out a little bit the heaps of soil left behind by the rotivator, then put stakes along the longer side of the rectangle, six feet apart. The last task was to tie a string across the rectangle to connect the stakes.

Just before Steph, Sevan and Kash set off, Jatinder arrived with a tasty selection of samosa, methi paratha and aloo paratha. Yum! It was a new treat in the Horsenden area and maybe a magnet for signups for the November task!

After a well deserved lunch break at Horseden Farm, Kash and Steph Ducat walked around 2km to go to Feeding Ealing CIC for more hard labour. Pioneering a new urban garden : Goodgym Ealing have had a few sessions and it's taking shape....so we will probably see or help with a new polytunnel. Today was continuing with getting rid of the rubbish in the soil, but also digging up bricks, concrete and other materials. The skip was full agai with general rubbish, but today we had loads of bricks and concrete pillars to dig out and put on the side as this will be used in the foundations of the hut 🛖 that will be built. Kash even had time to do some ironing...not shirts or shirts but the bags 🎒 😃. Good gym session for the 2 goodgymers. Joseph was impressed with the job done today by the volunteer's....your are Bricking Fantastic.