Briars and poses

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there was an allotment site tucked away down a littery lane. Now these allotments were a thing of beauty with plenty of flowers, and fruit trees, and chirruping birds. The sun shone, the river didn't (often) flood, and the allotment holders were happy.

But ill-fortune befell some of the plots, and land was abandoned. In the place of flowers and vegetables grew a large hedge of thorns. Every year the brambles grew higher and thicker, 'til at last the abandoned plots were covered and hidden, and not even the greenhouses and swings could be seen.

Rumours abounded throughout the land of how beautiful a place stood behind the thicket of thorns down the littered lane. It was said that flowers had once bloomed with abandon and palm tree fronds would rustle in the breeze. After some years there came a group of intrepid souls who were not afraid, and thus it came to be that one fine Sunday morning in January a fearsome army of GoodGymers met outside the Redbridge Household Waste Recycling Centre (oh yes).

Armed with secateurs, and thick gloves, and loppers they toiled tirelessly under the blazing sun (as blazing as it gets in January) to vanquish the brambles and return allotment plots 204 and 275 to their former glory. For eons (2 hours) they battled thorns and brambles, ruthlessly weeded and pruned, and discovered such treasures as crutches, broken glass and rusty chairs beneath the thicket of thorns. As the sun passed high noon the GoodGymers retired from the fight for the day, retreating to refuel and tend their wounds (a few minor bramble snags - nothing worthy of the accident book!). Undefeated and undeterred they will surely return to continue the battle another day.

Now we hope that plots 204 and 275 meet their perfect gardener and live Happily Ever After.

Welcome to GoodGym Thomas and James. Good to meet you both!