IN THE BAG

Monday evening, Patriot Square. Fresh-faced, firm-bodied individuals assemble in a bedroom at the Town Hall Hotel, and discuss the best way to spend the next 2 hours. We agree unanimously: let's nip over the road to the Hollybush Estate, let's lend a hand in the community centre garden, let's show those leaves who's boss! And then let's go for a run.

At Hollybush we are greeted by Margaret, who equips us with head-torches, gloves, and garden waste bags big enough to hold a small car. The weather is on our side: the rain has stopped and the wind has died down. We start raking and lifting leaves with child-like enthusiasm, and we hadn't even started putting the leaves in the compost bin and jumping up and down on them yet. No hedgehogs were harmed in the having of this fun.

It was all over too soon and we paused to admire the emerald green lawn - once again visible now the leaves were gone - and thank Margaret for having us, before dashing to London Fields.

Tom had been exceptionally motivating all evening and he must have been in a good mood, because he now let us have a lovely 10 minute run. That was it, a heartwarming 10 minute loop of the park, working just hard enough to be able to speak words not sentences. We were only distracted by all the leaves.

What a refreshing evening. And the troops were home in time for 'SAS: who dares wins' on the telly.

Rose