When the Paint(er)s Go Marching In

Another two-task night

A well prepped, two-team Tower Hamlets GG crew braved the melting Monday night to head out to two very different tasks this evening.

I delightedly led the team heading to the Cranbrook Community Food Garden, where we were booked in to paint vegetable beds, in preparation for some very important report pics due to be taken this week, as well as the centre’s summer fete at the beginning of August. Task owners Janet and Eileen greeted us, well prepared with paint, trays and brushes, and precise instructions for what and where to paint. Working in two small teams, the runners had soon covered a lot of painting ground, with over two beds completed by the time 8pm came around.

Becky J, in the meantime, led The Splinter Group (thanks for the team title, Leanne) to an alternative heavy lifting task around the corner at Weavers Adventure Playground. Task owner Alex had prepared a large pile of wood and the team soon set about separating the good wood from the bad wood (for anyone else unsure of what constitutes good and bad wood: Bad = split, has holes; Good = has potential. When cleaned, can be chopped and turned into benches and other playground furniture). Good wood went to…you guessed it, the good wood pile; bad wood to the skip (sad face). The heat and heavy lifting proved to be a non-issue but some luck-chancing spiders got a little close for comfort nearly putting the runners off their stride. But they ploughed on and soon created a pile of good wood ready for Alex to transform into playground furniture (which we’re secretly hoping we’ll be invited back to get involved with…).

It’s a booty-ful summer for sure

Both groups congregated at Cranbrook shortly after 8pm for a glue-tastic few minutes. I ignored the runners groans as we proceeded to motor from one move to another, finishing with the single leg bridge, at which point, karma intervened - I sprung up, post-demo, back on fire, only to discover I’d demoed the exercise lying on a small bed of stinging nettles (note to self: when the group suggest moving the exercise area to more appealing, softer-looking terrain in future, follow recommendation).

BIG thank you’s, and welcome’s

Thank you to our tremendous task force, in particular Becky J for: leading The Splinter Group task, taking pics, writing the Weavers’ report, coming up with this week's pun, and for passing on her newly-acquired good-vs-bad-wood knowledge. Thanks to Leanne for back-marking both runs; naming The Splinter Group; for helping to plan the evening, and for her safe-running wisdom. Thank you to Bryon and Chris for helping navigate The Splinter Group route.

And a huge hello and great, big GG welcome to first time runner Louise! Was great to have you join the team - let’s hope this’ll be the first of many runs together - and thanks for the hard work in the heat. Hello and welcome back to lovely Lizzie. Thank you for your smiles and enthusiasm, and all the hard work - please come again soon? And what a massive treat to be joined by Nurjehan from Haringey (who really seemed to know her painting stuff) who was such a friendly addition to tonight’s team. Please, please join us again soon!

Onto next week

Next week, we’ll be shining the spotlight on our emotional fitness (as well as sneaking in a tiny tempo run) with decorating and meditating at Parkview. Sign up here!

In the meantime, thank you for all for another great, fun, truly productive Monday night, with mission(s)-accomplished big time. Can’t WAIT to do it all again next week. In the meantime, have a really fabulous week.