Don't get your knitters in a twist!

This evening we were invited to help with a mammoth woolly task - yarn bombing Maidenhead! There was also some celebrating to be done thanks to Anita and Nicola doing epic numbers of good deeds - hurrah!

Some of us met at Braywick Leisure Centre and walked and ran together to the town centre for the task. Others made their way directly from home. We all felt lucky not to be rained on after a wet afternoon. We congregated in Brock Lane and started celebrating Anita's 100th good deed straight away by doing 100 reps of a mix of fitness actvities - 10 squats plus 10 jumping jacks plus 5 burpees, and so on until we got to the magic number.

We then met task owner Anne Briggs from the Craft Coop and Michelle Johnson, the crafting mastermind who has been coordinating the yarn bombing project, and they briefed us on the task:

An army of knitters and crocheters (including some GoodGymers - well done Sheila, Gillian, Clare, Nicola, Amanda and Hannah!) have been furiously crafting pom poms, fish, granny squares, hearts and a scarf for a cold giraffe and our job now was to hang some of the decorations in the Nicholson Centre and at the High Street Methodist Church. The decorations will help brighten Maidenhead for the Town Show, which is taking place this Saturday, and more decorations will be added in the run up to Christmas. The yarn bombing is in memory of Deborah Jones, who founded the Craft Coop and Town Show, and who sadly passed away in the Spring.

Being such a big group (thanks in part to much anticipated cake perhaps...), we made light work of the task and were finished in record time. The decorations looked really colourful and we enjoyed lots of interest from passers by as we worked.

Then the evening became less about 100 knitters, and more about Anita's 100 - it was time for cake!

Anita's 100th good deed actually happened on the 22nd of August. She kindly suggested we wait to celebrate until I got back from holiday (she knows how much I like cake!) We were also spontaneously celebrating Nicola's 50th good deed, since she sneaked in loads of good deeds while I was away. These two GoodGymers both bring so much to our community and should be really proud of their achievements.

As is becoming customary, we'll finish the report with a poem to welcome Anita to the 100 club.

Congratulations Anita!

You’ve earned your angel wings.

Less than a year you’ve been with us,

But you’ve achieved amazing things!

Anita is caring and modest,

And she always works really hard.

She’s often at the vaccination clinic

And she’s weeded many a yard.

She’s expert at watering the allotment,

The poster girl for New Thrift Wood.

She’s painted half the fences in town

And she’ll walk for miles to do good.

She would rather not run or cycle,

Anita is not in a hurry.

It means she can bring her smart handbag

And carry her home-made curry!

Yes Anita is a fantastic chef

Creating feasts with minimal fuss.

Remember the stunning Ferrero Rocher cake?

Anita you are really spoiling us!

Anita has a pet name for her husband

‘Santosh the Great’, so sweet huh?

But no offence Santosh, we know someone greater

She goes by the name of Anita!