HEN is a wonderful residents' association in Tottenham that has taken really good care of the surrounding streets. Our task was to show them even more love!

An actual treasure map!

When we arrived, task owner Matt was ready with a wheelbarrow loaded with everything we needed: rubbish bags, paint and paint brushes. Due to childcare responsibilities he wasn't able to join us but had already sent a map through showing where we were to go: a series of planters made from wood, green metal barrels and blue metal barrels. Dave was excited about the map.

Mutiny!

Very quickly, run leader Sarah was sacked from navigation duty and Dave took over. One by one, we found the planters. Wooden planter first, no need for paint or weeding, but there was a bit of litter to pick up. We found our first blue metal planters under the railway bridge. The planters were still beautiful and had managed to get through summer's heatwaves thanks to careful watering by residents, but the metal planters were starting to develop rust spots. Asan and Yann set to painting them with anti-rust paint. One of the planters had a rubber rim that had been dislodged, so Sarah and Dave slipped it back into place.

Treasure!

Then it was down the alleyway and around the corner to the next set of planters, where there was a surprise in store for Asan: a book he needed for his course! These planters were green so no paint was required due to a shortage of the right shade of green paint, but we gave them a quick tidy and litter pick.

Finally, it was back up and across the main road to paint and tidy a couple more blue planters.

We returned to Matt's with two full bags of rubbish and smiles on our faces.

5 Goodgymers showed up at HEN street association for a second round of neighbourhood tasks. Dave and Asan set to trimming branches from a tree using a really long telescoping pole and shears. Forget the need for a ladder when you have an instrument like that to work with! Further up the road in a back-garden Sarah , Paul and Mark got to work disassembling a large trampoline that filled most of the space. Good progress was being made when the heavens opened and dropped a truly biblical amount of rain. Nothing though was going to stop our Sarah! Whilst Paul and Mark sheltered in a garden shed, Sarah tightened her cagoule and kept on working. The rain eventually stopped, the tasks were both completed, and as the team left the sun began to peak through.

HEN is a residents' association covering Hartham, Elsden and Newlyn Roads in Tottenham. This was a new task for us, and we were warmly welcomed by Matt, who had a few tasks for us to help prepare for their upcoming street party.

First up there was hair: Matt produced a hedge trimmer and before you could say "short back and sides" Mark had got to work on an overgrown hedge across the road, where until recently the association's longest-standing and much-loved resident had lived. Around the corner, resident Sophie had a barnet of Marge Simpson proportions for Mark to tackle. Finally, James had a go at executing a mullet for a resident who is currently injured and unable to cut his own hedge.

Of course, the streets will not be ready for the party without a bit of makeup. Matt showed us a couple of areas that have been tagged by people with a demonstrable lack of talent. James and Helen got stuck in with paintbrushes and a tin of grey paint, with Sarah providing moral support (eg "you missed a bit"). These are now blank canvasses, and Matt has plans to stencil them in the future.

Matt has promised to invite us to the upcoming HEN do, while both he and Sophie said they may join us on a run one day soon.

There were more reasons for celebration tonight too - Sarah and James' recent birthdays, and James' tenth good deed. Great work team.