Garden Variety

11 hardy folk braved the drizzle today for the final GoodGym run of January and our final chance to hit a collective 1500 good deeds as part of our January challenge. Joining the crew were first timers Jules, Rachael, Orin and Sally. A very warm welcome!

Actually, the weather had cleared up by the time we set off as a big group on our journey uphill to Caxton House Community Centre. On arrival Rose greeted us and showed us to the garden at the back where a variety of tasks were awaiting us.

There was a playhouse to be broken up, there was a sandpit to be emptied, there were branches and stalks to be lopped and chopped, there was weeding to do, there were tables and chairs and various other bits and bobs to be smashed to bits, there was rubbish to shift and there was sweeping up to do. Highlights included hardman Steve kicking in a pallet and hardwoman Caitlin ripping a chair to shreds with her bare hands.

We got stuck in for a good half hour. Of course, we stopped for a biscuit. A cookie, actually. Nommity nomitty nom nom.

For the trip home we divided into two groups: Steve led a faster run while Simon took a small crew who did a bit of technical work and played a game of Secret Surges. Well, it was Secret Surges Plus. In Secret Surges Plus you call out two - or maybe even three - numbers rather than just one. This was totally Simon's idea and he didn't steal it from Sally.

So January's over and a lot of people are glad about it. Obviously these are those dull types that don't do GoodGym. However, in the spirit of the moment we asked everybody what their favourite month was:

• Simon: February. It's my birthday month and also pancake day

• Ryan: February. Also birthday month

• Lisa: February. Chinese New Year Time!

• Jules: December. It has Christmas followed by New Year

• Caitlin: September. You get to do everything you forgot to do in the summer

• Orin: June if he's in California cos the weather's nice. May if he's in Islington cos erm .. is the weather nice in May in Islington?

• Steve: March. His birthday is in March. In fact, it's on the first day of spring. He's also off to California in March

• Lucy: June. She goes on holiday in June and what's not to like about that

• Sally: April. Another birthday month. It's spring when things start getting warmer. There's Easter Eggs and daffodils and memories of school holidays

• Rachael: December: Christmas cheer and everybody's chilled out.

• Graham: July cos it's barbeque time and you get to wear shorts.

So, February wins it. Why not celebrate the first day of February by joining us tomorrow to clean some windows. Word on the street is there'll be some Geroge Formby choonz. Go on, get down.

See you soon,

Simon