Hit the mound running

Two tasks; two fantastic teams.

We gathered by the lock-up at Mile End Park's Art Pavilion just after 7 to meet John, one of the best task owners in town.

The brief? To dig over two planters on The Mound and clean the pond.

It sounded like a pleasant way to pass an hour on a sunny Monday evening, but 90 minutes in, boy, were we glad we skipped the gym.

John headed up Team Pond who, armed with pond nets and rakes, headed over to the pond behind the Pavilion to clear it of weed and all other debris. Wet, mucky and laborious: this was not for the faint hearted.

Meanwhile Team Tulip, headed by Jo, made their way up to the large planters on top of The Mound. "Just a little dig over, and then pop them in," John had breezily said of the last of these Spring bulbs. Well. With fewer forks that we would have liked, not to mention the solid terrain​, this was a workout-and-a-half. We called for reinforcements from the Pond Posse and the team worked solidly for 70 minutes, getting the grass shifted, the soil turned, and the bulbs planted

At 8:33, the last remaining GoodGymers, Grit and Rohan, were glimpsed accompanying John to return the tools along Clinton. Way to go, folks.

A brilliant evening all round, and a special shout-out to our Dave, who tonight hit his 100th good deed. Great to see you, Dave; hope to see you soon :)

Next week, it's Bank Holiday Monday, so Our Big Task falls on a Saturday, when we'll be heading to Tower Hamlets Cemetary Park to commence Operation Cow Parsley. You snooze, you lose.

Until then