12 goodgymers assembled to help the Northfield allotments team prepare the petrifying pumpkin trail for locals. We were planning to help out for 3 hours, but after little over an hour we'd checked off all the tasks on our list to great applause. Many hands really do make fright work!

We started the morning by moving the marquee/gazebo (not table) into position and getting the tables out. A mega cleanup mission then commenced as we wiped numerous tables and chairs to get them "allotment" clean. We then got the tables and chairs into position, hung up the pumpkin decorations and popped some lights into the portoloos. A small but mighty team went on a side quest to fill any pot holes along the path with woodchip.

As we finished in record time, we headed to a local coffee shop to refuel. Some of us came back later to make the most of our complimentary entry and refreshment kindly offered by the Northfield allotments team for our efforts.

On Friday afternoon, Brent Meadow, already fenced off, was quietly humming with anticipation ahead of the wave of noise scheduled to hit it the following day. The air was hot and still, just as it was warming up for the Hanwell Hootie festival on Saturday. It was the last chance to help the organisers make the event a success, and four GoodGymers made their way to the meadow.

It was the first session for Bee, who arrived early and, together with Kash, helped clean the pallet furniture and decorate the volunteer tent with peace signs. Bee was excited to get active outdoors and pleased by how welcoming everyone was. Great to have you on the team, Bee - we hope to see you back soon!

James and Harvey arrived at the same time as another wave of Hootie volunteers flooded the tent, and the GoodGymers quickly concluded there were too many people for everyone to have a job. They were swiftly recruited into the “health & safety department” to secure potential trip hazards and help make sure festival-goers could dance, wander, and enjoy the Hootie safely, ideally without any unexpected acrobatics along the way.

Bee and James used the classic red & white barrier tape to secure any pieces of metal sticking out around the fence, then returned to tape off the perilous guy ropes at the Terry Marshall Academy stage.

"That looks like barbershop signs!" - Harvey.

Harvey and Kash, in the absence of enough barrier tape for both two-person teams, were given yellow, blue and pink ribbons to turn into warning signs around the guy ropes at the main stage. Making bow ties and coordinating colours, they transformed the ropes into a creative expression of the dangers of tripping over while having too much fun.

"That tent is like a maypole!" - Bee.

With the safety of the festival-goers ensured, the team disbanded. Maybe we'll see them enjoying the Hootie on Saturday, or helping to wrap up after the big day at the Sunday session.