This blustery Monday evening saw us heading to a brand new task in Limehouse.

Fitness first

Starting with a short fitness session outside the café, GoodGymers joined one-by-one enjoying the use of the outdoor furniture for seated leg lowers, tricep dips and a most effective hamstring stretch.

And so to the task…

The Royal Foundation of St Katherine is a retreat centre and ‘urban oasis’ in Limehouse, established by Queen Matilda in 1147.

Task owner Larry, previously of St Leonard’s Priory Park, is heading up the project to transform a disused space around the popular Yurt Café into ‘a monastic-inspired garden of reflection with herbs, sensory plants and new seating.’

Our task tonight was to dismantle the planters, pot up trees and shrubs - and fill the skip!

GoodGymers wasted no time in putting the PPE to good use. Armed with sturdy gloves, protective eyewear, hammers and screwdrivers, several teams headed to the planters to start the dismantling.

A task requiring a bit of strength, plenty of strategic thinking and a fair amount of patience, the GoodGymers made good progress. Removing the sides of the planters, examining the wood, sorting debris, no sooner had they finished one planter, they headed over to the second.

Meanwhile a second team were tasked with digging up a larger planter towards the end of the row; salvaging some trees and shrubs, re-potting them and moving them carefully to one side.

It was a hive of activity: sifting through dozens of objects from surplus plant pots, coconut shells to well-established snails, the team worked continuously until after 8.

Finishing with a final few frenzied trips to the skip and a discussion on the optimum spot for our last pic, we concluded it had been an excellent night.

We return to the task next month, with a two-part task to help Larry blitz the clearing project in time for the redevelopment!

Next week...

...Meanwhile, next week sees us heading to the Cranbrook Community Centre, for some more leaf-clearing and other gardening tasks.

Until then.