Go on, sieve it some stick

10 runners used their Saturday morning to run a mile and help local project Growing Support to sort heir compost and start laying a new path to make their gardens more accessible.

We met at Roll for Soul where we were surprised to see the weather man had got it wrong, it was not raining. Take that Met Office, the power of GoodGym wins again. After welcoming our tourist from the big smoke Danica, a quick warm up and a chat about Richard becoming Bristol's answer to Arnie from Junior we set off through the stalls in Queen Square preparing for the Harbourside Festival. There was no time to have a go on the inflatable slides, we had to bounce and get to Somerset Square in Redcliffe.

When we arrived the ever smiling Markey met us with his gardener in residence Qi. He explained our task for the day and as Fi arrived he led us down to the shed to collect the tools. After a short time we were underway. A couple of splinter groups took on the task of removing the sticks from the bags of compost that needed to be removed from the mulchables. The others had a grate time working the compost through some homemade sifters built by the Growing Support team. They were really smart creations using an old table, a clothes dryer and fishing line.

The teams worked hard and showed their caring side by saving hundreds of snails by stacking them carefully in a safe area away from the action (see the photos, there was even a ladybird atop of one mini beast totem pole). Nick was our cavalry for the day and was soon sticking it to the compost with the rest of them. Halfway through Markey called us for some refreshments. He is an absolute legend and brought a kettle, tea, coffee, squash, swiss rolls and coconut rings. Leading by example I made myself a brew but the rest were sticklers for the task and took some coaxing away from their jobs for nourishment.

Food eaten the rest of the time was sugar fueled and the stickers soon finished their work and started digging a new path. Meanwhile the compostellas sifted faster than ever in a blur of hands comparable an overexcited crowd of people riding horses tying to gain the attention of someone with a ghost behind them by waving their gloves in the air. By the end we had smashed it. Markey and Qi were well chuffed (that one's for you Irena).

After the very short trip back to base we stretched and saluted all involved for their sterling work. Snails saved, compost sifted, sticks stuck and paths paved. It was one highly successful morning and we certainly deserved our lunch.

See y'all again soon,

Gary