This very fine Saturday* 11 of us arrived at Mycenae House, some after already volunteering or running at one of the Parkruns, or swimming or just successfully rolling out of bed, hey we don't judge and it's all an achievement on a very fine Saturday.*

We joined the Friends of Mycenae Gardens who were busy getting on with planting over 400 tree whips by the dead hedge which we've spent many a day building up. We got to work, digging, planting and stamping (and playing hide and seek) and soon they were all in place and it was time for cake.

AND Today was a very special day because it was Johhny's 50th and a bit birthday...Aka his 60th 🤫. Which is particularly exciting because he will shortly get free travel, eye tests and all sorts of discounts now that he's gracefully moved into the 'Seniors' category. But it's only a number - there's nothing senior about Johnny other than the wisdom and life experience he carries with him, not to mention his many good deeds! So very fitting that after the task we enjoyed coffee and cake together to celebrate our lovely friend.

A great morning with an amazing group of humans - thank you all!

Tomorrow we have litter picking in Charlton

Wednesday we have a run to Dee's Nursery to help out in the garden.

And next Saturday it's Gardening at the Hospice in Bexley.

Until next time!

Rachel

*(not fine, not sunny, just grey, grey forever grey but let's pretend we experienced some finer weather just for a moment, please 🙄)

7 GoodGymers weathered the heat and the hills to make a wonderful difference in Waterlow Park!

High up in the heights of North Camden sits a very special green space – Waterlow Park's meandering pathways are filled with trees and flowers – and it's a blissful haunt for everyone who's lucky enough to know about it.

Our fabulous group – of Alison, Jackie, John, Lydia (on their first good deed – welcome!), Steve, and Tom – assembled next to a wheelbarrow filled with spades, forks, and clippers.

The task was a classic for GoodGym – a good ol' dig-up + re-use.

Jackie, John, Steve, and Tom grabbed forks and energy and made miraculous work easing oodles of flowers from a patch that will soon be replanted!

Meanwhile, Alison and Lydia prepared a new patch (watering and digging holes) and then planted the recently dug-up flowers!

In short thrift, one patch was cleared and tidy, while another was prepared and planted. This team made the heavy work look light.

Thank you, everyone!

Eight of us congregated at Charlton House this Wednesday for a new task at Brooklands Primary School!

After sharing tales of a tasty meal that we'd recently cooked (and distressing those who had yet to have their dinner) we set off for our 4km run as reliably informed by Cat's first Strava session, whoop whoop! She's properly getting ready for the big half, innit? We enjoyed a windy road through Morden College (sorry Tom, Darryl informed me it's Alms Houses, not a private school so that saves you a bit of research) and arrived a little out of breath to meet Khai at the school.

Here we had lots to do moving woodchip and soil across the playground into the new planters. And boy we had a good old gawk at the lovely facilities these kids get - there was a little jealousy in the group remembering some of our primary school "playgrounds" in comparison to this amazing space!

We got to work shoveling woodchip into kiddies wheelbarrows and giant wheelbarrows and anything we could find to move it all to the new planters and once that pile was depleted we got to work on the soil, managing about 15 barrowfells and filling one planter. That's a bigger piece of work and no doubt we will return to it another session. 40 minutes of back breaking work later, we called it, and it was time to run back over the heath with an inspired tour from Darryl on some beautiful local gardens that quite a few of us didn't know about. And then came the even more beautiful sight of the Green Goddess at the standard to which we staggered in for one or two pints and what happened in the Green Goddess stays in the Green Goddess. Suffice to say, therin, a shattered ego is all that remains of the tragic tale of Tom's brown suit.

Next week we have a river run and litter pick . Until next time!

There's a distinct odour to gardening in April...

...some people call it mulching...

...others call it preparing the soil...

...but that's not what it smells like...!!

This lovely group - of Andy, Helen, Steve, and Tom - got the full farmyard experience on Tuesday!

Working in the twilight-lit Listening Space Garden (which is gorgeous) in Kentish Town, this group worked with the lovely Jo and Sarah to give the flower and tree beds what they wanted...

..the heavy bags displayed words like mushroom mix and extra special mulch but they didn't smell like either of those things...

...as the bags were cut and poured, and as the 'mix' and 'mulch' was spread, a distinct aroma caught in the breeze...

...call it poop or muck or manure... it was unmistakably new for Camden!!

Thank you, everyone! Your work will give life and nourishment to this very special green space!!

Tonight's task was a special one! Back to Stepney Bank Stables and our fabulous host had some great tasks for us including cleaning the bridles, grooming and massaging the horses, preparing snacks for their supper and giving their home an early spring clean. Pampered ponies - you wouldn't get a better, more relaxing, spa experience at a Champneys!

We had 3 new people tonight - Weronika, Iline and Elena joined us for their first ever mission and Tom made the switch from Greenwich to Newcastle, joining us for his first Toon-based task! It was great to welcome so many new people.

Special shout out to Tom, Jack and David who got themselves ready for their close up with ITV news who were filming us tonight - fingers crossed our fellas get their 15 minutes!