A big thank you to Lucy for hosting the Mindful Street Wisdom event at Brunswick Centre!

A group of eight came together to explore and discover the world around us through a more mindful lens.

It was a lovely opportunity to pause, reflect and share meaningful takeaways. During our wrap-up, we explored how consciously shifting our attention can help us notice the little things we often overlook in our busy daily lives.

The biggest lesson? Slow down, look closer, and find wonder in the ordinary.

A wanderful reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful discoveries happen when we simply take our time and pay attention.

Thank you, Lucy, for guiding us on this thoughtful and inspiring journey!

Wendy at Incredible Edible Barnet organised another amazing beanfeast and Goodgym sent three people over to help out, join in and fill up on beans (if we weren't already). Cherian arrived early enough to help set up tables, so earns an extra-special mention, while Rupesh and I made sure everything was safe to eat.

The event had games with bean bags, bean counting and a range of excellent card games promoting sustainability designed by Dave from Sense Making (who also worked with us on air quality monitoring a year or two ago). And did I mention the beans to eat? There were four dips to try and rate your favourite, plus four or five bean stews and, finally, about eight different bean-based cakes - flans, muffins, balls, flapjacks and cake-cakes - many using chickpea flour.

By the end of it, we were all fairly stuff and there was extra to take home, so we stuffed ourselves some more.

On a warm and sunny Sunday morning, which felt just as if it was still summer (in October!), six GoodGymers from all across London descended on Parliament Hill School to lend Claudia, Nick and Adam hand in the amazing garden transformation.

Matt and Richard used their DIY skills to build a new compost bin, making use of discarded pallets. Michelle and Cherian took hose pipes to water recently planted hedges. Sevan, after an episode of cutting back a monster cluster of brambles, got back into his speciality - scything. Kash got acquainted with a slasher and lost herself in a very satisfying bramble bash.

What a rewarding morning, full of claiming bramble-ridden ground and building new things, it was!

Five of us — Cherian and me from GoodGym, plus three of the regular Stephens House & Gardens volunteers — got stuck into a fairly substantial job at the Friday morning gardening session.

Our task was down in the Dell, where an area of around 30 square metres needed to be completely cleared of grass. We first marked out the triangular-shaped plot and then set about removing the turf.

Armed with sharp spades, shovels, rakes and a wheelbarrow, we gradually stripped the whole area back to bare soil. It was pretty physical work, so the occasional pause for a chat in the lovely sunshine was very welcome.

As often seems to happen at Stephens House, the subject of celebrities came up — helped along when one rather well-known face happened to stroll past us. He shall remain nameless, although he’s known for playing a particularly London character!

Gus supervised proceedings, briefly considering getting involved before deciding that watching the squirrels in the trees was a much better use of his time.

After about two hours, we’d cleared the whole area and left it ready for the next stage of the project.

Then it was back for the traditional and very welcome tea and cake. (happy birthday, Alan! )

Another satisfying morning helping the regular volunteers look after this wonderful community garden.