Shear delight at GG tonight as sixty Saffron saplings get sorted

What a glorious evening - at last no cold wind nor driving rain nor dark and miserable conditions - just warm with blue skies and high wispy cloud.

And there was no better place to go than Saffron Acres Community Heathland.

We welcomed back Rhea, who came to our very first run way back last August but has not been able to make it again until now. And first timer Amber who has recently moved back to Leicestershire after a time away in Notts.

Jim and Lindsay led the way with Rhea showing good early pace to keep up and chat.

Amber and Nicola seemed to hit it off straight away and spend most of the trip chattering away while Jen, Frank and Lee had a good old chat in front of me at the back.

Mel was coming off the back of the 26 mile Moonwalk in London and Stu nursing an injury so both travelled by car to the task and opened up the gates for when we arrived.

Arriving at 6:35 our task was to spend the next half hour in the Heritage Orchard trimming the grass around the base of each of the fruit trees then making a mulch "doughnut" as JIm decribed it to keep the weeds down and the roots moist.

The team got stuck in and by the close of play we had completed nearly sixty and made a significant dent in the huge pile of mulch. I strongly suspect that we would have been happy to stay there in the sunshine all night but, cars to pick up, homes to go to etc so we locked away the tools, locked up the site and headed back.

4 x 60 second fast bursts were the mainstay of the fitness task followed by a couple of further short fartleks then a mile warm down jog back to base.

I walked the last 400 with Amber who was suffering the effect of a recurring ITB niggle but hopefully some rest and ice will sort that out. When we arrived at base Lindsay had taken the initiative to get on with the stretches.

And the sun shone throughout - great job everyone - see you next time