Having already completed 2 missions and 2 hours of tutoring between us, Samia and I met up on Ham parade on this blustery Saturday afternoon to help with the take down and clear up at the monthly Farmers’ Market.

After the disappointment of missing out on marquee erecting this morning, Samia was very glad to help with dismantling not 1, not 2.....but 3 marquees! Although I’m surprised they let us anywhere near the other two after the state the first one ended up in - bits of metal and material sticking out here there and everywhere! It was definitely already on its last legs before we touched it though, honest......

After helping to load up the van with chairs, the gazebos (both fully functioning and broken) and various boxes, our work was done and we headed off to enjoy the rest of the bank holiday weekend!

Wait a minute, the gazebos are already up! The chairs are out, tables up - some elves had been hard at work and done everything before we arrived! KEEN!!

But, the keen bean elves had left our speciality for us: BUNTING!

So we got straight to it, unraveling it, looping and threading it over and around the gazebo frames and lampposts, and ensuring that Caroline got her usual monthly "putting up bunting at Ham Parade Market" photoshoot done.

All done!

NB: all runners were happy (actually, enthusiastic) to be called "little piggies" for the purpose of the run report...

Time to flip reverse it!

Having helped to set up this morning, we returned to un-do the morning's efforts - but not until we'd finished hearing the live band's set. We took down the new gazebo sides and then folded them like linen. Trying to pun-it-up, we pondered about folding-related puns and realised that there were three of us. THREE FOLD! Not satisfied at that, we also realised that we were also each on threefold achievements: Rob on his third community mission of the day, Hannah on her third community mission, and Samia on her third good deed of the day (having visited her coach earlier). THREE FOLD, THREEFOLD! What's that, nine?!

You couldn't cube our enthusiasm though, as we moved from folding to gazebo-downing and weight-shifting. And Rob also fitted in some colouring in... Job done!

It's a well known fact that nothing keeps a GoodGymer away from a mission. Whatever the weather, whatever the task, whatever the time we will be there to help! In fact, we are such a committed bunch that we will even come out on our birthdays, for a bit of Saturday morning chair chucking. Happy Birthday Laura and well done for remembering the badge Caroline, we are certainly getting good use out of it! As well as the above duo, Claire, Rob and Samia met on the grassy bit for 8am(ish) and set to work setting up the mini gazebo along with a very precise bit of chair chucking. It was all HAMds on deck. When the gazebo was up, the sides needed to go on and of course the never ending birthday bunting, which went up and down, round and round, over and under, through a tree, down the tree and back into the gazebo, until we finally reached the end! Next up was the kids area and setting out all the arts and crafts. We all agreed that it wasn't Guy Fawkes night, mother's day was so last week and it was way too late for valentines cards, but as there were no Easter pictures we settled for some season neutral options. Along with colouring pens/pencils and the cross stitching section, (only £2 a go) and the table cloths this section was now complete. Well PARADE team. Samia met with the real Jean Jeany, to discuss a future mission later in the year, which we hope to get on board with without too much Van Damage... Another successful set up mission done, see you at the set down, 2pm not 3!

A week ahead of International Women's Day, Kate, Hannah and Samia decided to show Ham what women can do, turning into gazebo machines!

It was like a gazebo taking-down hurricane sweeping along the Parade, one by one pushing the weights aside, pushing pins in, shortening the legs and walking the frame in. Next!

Gazeb-it or not!

We were all gazebo'd out, but not ones for resting, we got bunting folding whilst brainstorming puns (punting?!) and then returned to tackle the wonky, clonky gazebo from this morning (or whatever we called it!). After taking it down, we got some more bonus weight training with carrying the tables, chairs and 13kg weights back to the van.

Job done!

Awesome work Hannah on your first GoodGym good deed, it was great having you join us today!

We arrived to help set up Ham Parade Market and got stuck in unloading a van. Laura tried out a new career of directing traffic, perfectly dressed in her high vis for it.

We then put up a giant, cranky, lanky, wonky and very stubborn gazebo, with Kate almost doing a Mary Poppins, being lifted into the air after being instructed to put all of her weight on the broken corner We persevered and the gazebo is currently standing, with tables and chairs that we also put out beneath. After carrying the weights back, we were good to go.

We shall return later to see if it's still standing!

Stop, wait a minute! We thought we were done but then we got trusted with additional tasks: putting up bunting (harder than it sounds, apparently) and Samia's mobile task of carrying tables and boxes to a van. Matt branched out to attach it to a tree and has now ticked putting up bunting from his bucket list!