Stefanie (plus Greg) and Ben dropped into the Shakespearean Garden in Platt Fields Park to help set up for their National Open Garden Scheme open day and Fallowfest 🌳🍃🌱

Aided by the garden volunteers, we successfully managed to clean and dust down 49 chairs for the seating in the human sun dial square, where a harpist was playing for part of the day.

We managed to set up some of the plant stall, borrow several tables and benches from MUD for use on the cake 🎂 stall and the sketchbook stall, put up 3 gazebos plus a big marquee along with Gavin from the council, and generally help out to ensure the site was ready for a flurry of visitors at 11am 🎪

There was also a mobile piano 🎹 shed that needed moving into place that was played throughout the day.

At the end of the day, while England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 were playing in the Euro final against Spain 🇪🇸, there was also some clear up to put gazebos away, benches and tables folded and stored, and the chairs put back under cover for another day.

Sounded like a popular and successful event from Kattie with the cake stall sold out and a busy event. Happy to help out for a local, community-run group 😀

Good session with Smithfield Garden Club, clearing lots of litter from an area near The Wheatsheaf in Northern Quarter 🚮

Welcome to Tyla for the first time, joining a bumper group for a rare Wednesday night task.

Louise and Phil were in charge with Robert, landlord at the Wheatsheaf, also lending an able hand. We got bag rings, gloves, bin bags, a makeshift sharps bin, and brooms with dustpan to do a loop of the area.

Some notable collections:

• battery 🔋
• mattress 🛏
• hoover
• various clothing 👖
• lots of broken bottles, glass, cans

We also trimmed one of the communal beds and had an introduction to the amazing work the local group had done to develop the area, including some of the planted areas that were looking good 🌳🌱🍃

Stefanie, Peter, and Ben made the trip to Gorse Hill Studios for another task as part of their Green Rooms project. We joined Katie, Duncan, Lisa, and Rebecca from Gorse Hill Studios.

This evening we were at the Studios to continue in the outside area. Our task was to plant 10 hedge trees and another taller Aralia elata 🌳🌱🍃

With the soil still dry, stoney, and full of rubble and 20+ year old crisp packets, the going was tough with deep and wide holes needed. Looking like a scene from Holes, we used forks to loosen up the soil and spades to dig out as much earth as possible. In addition, the tree roots needed releasing from their compact tangle to encourage growth, not an easy task.

After a couple of hours, copious biscuits 🍪 and a cup of tea 🍵 , we managed to break the back of the task with ALL the trees planted and looking splendid in the evening sunshine 🌞 We topped up with compost and generously watered, hoping the stormy weather this week will keep them well hydrated.

We cleared up and said our farewells. I'm still astounded we got all of them planted so strong effort 💪

On a balmy June Monday evening, 5 GoodGymers collected 10ish bags of discarded litter and waste.

Stefanie, Sam, Pavel, and Ben strolled from St Peter's Square via the Bridgewater Hall canal path to Hulme Park, collecting all sorts on the way:

• bottles, cans, drinks cartons 🥫
• vapes, air pods 📢
• cardboard packaging 📦
• takeaway waste 🗑

With 4 full sacks collected, and some litter hotspots identified, we met Gaynor in Hulme park, sporting her GoodGym t-shirt for the 1st time 😀

We made a loop around Hulme park, having a go on the swing and impressed with the relative lack of litter given the warm picnic-friendly weather. We did find a suitcase, some more clothing and empty money bags in the park, plus other litter, while keeping to the shade given the heat 🥵.

Litter bags were collated, location saved, and will be reported (some again) to Keep MCR Tidy for collection.

Good stroll and litter pick in the sun 🌞