Eleven Goodgymers came along to tonight's task for our 9th birthday. What a great turnout!

We were back at Box3Education, helping transform their unit in Bexleyheath Mall into a community space. Walking through the closed mall to get there was a little surreal!

Professor Levi met us and we soon got started with painting metal shelving units, and there was a lot of them!

We got stuck in with brushes and rollers, being super careful not to get paint on the nice floor. (Thankfully there were industrial wipes available to mop up drips!). While we worked there was lots of talking and banter, with a few jokes and hot drinks thrown in!

I noticed some black paint on my GoodGym top... I only had my-shelf to blame!

The session flew by and it was time to wash the painting gear and make our way out of the mall.

We then headed to the nearby Wetherspoons where Lisa and Graham had secured a large table for us.

The evening continued with food, drinks and more chatter, plus a chocolate Connie Caterpillar cake complete with candles and a rendition of 'Happy Birthday To Us'! Nine years of doing good and social fitness in Bexley - that's a brilliant milestone!

A great night was had by all, thanks for coming everyone. Here's to the next year!

The days are gradually getting longer and we were super lucky with a nice mild Wednesday evening for tonight's task. After a quick warm up and exchange of our favourite things about spring (cue lighter nights & pretty flowers) outside Woolwich station, 1 2 goodgymers made their way uphill, walking, running and cycling, to Dee's Childcare, one of our regular task locations, where adventures awaited us in the huge outdoor space.

Past tasks have involved everything from hanging Christmas decorations to constructing mini-roundabouts, slides and stages. Today's task started with the perfect puzzle being sprung on us: deconstruction of a damaged trampoline & install of a replacement. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the pieces simply did not fit together well enough, so plan b involved making the area safer with boards & barriers to block the pit. (watch this space for future tasks once new parts arrive!) There was also time for some wedding (oh no sorry, let's blame autocorrect: weeding... but one ring at a time here...) and sweeping amongst the borders made up of recycled plastic bottles.

A swift downhill run and a ten minute interval training challenge completed our session. A very warm welcome to Vicky on your first task- lovely to have you with us! Thanks all & see you soon 😊

Next week we've got some outside jobs at St Richards. This weekend Bexley have their 9th birthday celebration and task, gardenjng at the hospice on Saturday and on sunday we have westcombe woodlands. And all the usual parkruns of course!

Yes, its another Musically-inspired GoodGym report...🎼"But Goodgymers are all around me & so the good deeds grow... 🙂"

The last Wednesday of the January Challenge dawned like the recent pink skies over the Charlton area, and 11 Goodgym-ers awoke to pass the time until tonight's task. 🎼Workin 9-5 helped with that, and soon 6.45 rolled around, time to 🎼Run the World...or at least to St Richard's Community Church in Charlton. Our task this evening was based in the back garden area of the church, continuing our valiant battle against the ever-present weeds in the area. All while trying not to get 🎼Blinded by the Light (of the many head-torches). The recent rain had helped soften the ground a little, making pulling up the weeds that bit easier, and it wasn't long before we had a veritable stack of vegetation. A quick dig over with the 🎼Ace of Spades and our work was done.

Great work all & a warm welcome to Alina on your first task!

Next week we're meeting at Charlton House for some weeding at Charlton URC.. On Saturday as well as the ususal Parkrun volunteering, we have litter picking in Sutcliffe Park.

Until next time!

I have been taking part in the Big Garden Bird Watch for quite a few years now.

As usual this year the birds did not behave and show up when I needed them to!

In 2021, the Covid lockdown time, my Uncle and I (who was in my bubble) sat, 2 metres apart, for an hour in my conservatory expecting to record the usual finches, robins, sparrows and variety of tits that visit the feeder. But nope. Nothing. Niche. Nadda. No visitors. It was raining but that was the allotted time so we went ahead.

2 photos of the garden with no birds for context. 😁 (taken last summer)

This year I saw one small great tit hop in the feeder and that was all. But just as I was about to conclude the hour a huge heron took to the sky from a garden two doors down. They have carp in a big pond and he was no doubt stalking those. They are thankfully covered in tough mesh to protect them. Should I fib and say it landed? The rules state that you can’t record a sighting unless the bird actually lands in your garden. So another year of frustrating non sightings of my garden friends.

But I shall be back next year. Even if just to sit, still my mind, relax and think of nothing else for an hour.