Painting the (Harlesden Town) Red…… or Cream

This week the task took us back to our old friends Harlesden Town Gardens for one more week because……. THE PAINT HAD ARRIVED!!! Woo hoo. So off we went to begin painting the surrounding walls, brightening the place up ready for the long summer evenings of enjoyment. Goodness, gracious, great walls of..... Magnolia

Delighted to see some familiar faces and welcoming first timers Sadhana, Nicole and Tess the group were in high “White”-spirits on this warm and beautiful Monday night. Then to everyone’s surprise...... Pritesh arrives?!?!?!? Not that Pritesh is not welcome at Brent, but the crazy boy had run a night marathon not 44hours before the session!!! & cycled to Willesden too. Coach Ellie, who was feeling the nerves start to kick in for London Marathon on Sunday, had to give her head a wobble after that one!!! What an inspirational guy, we are so lucky to have in our midst x

After the grouping we dashed over to Harlesden Town Gardens where we were greeted by Bob and the epic painting job ahead. There are a total of 46 wall panels that must be painted but tonight we will be happy if we complete 3. A work in progress that will be our summer project suits us fine!! The gang set to work.

Peter being the tallest shot straight up the ladder, managing to paint half his face in the process, while Claire managed the particularly random music selection Ellie had provided this week, highlights being Uptown Funk, Spandau Ballet – True followed by Michael Jackson – Man in the Mirror, unveiled as Ellie’s secret Marathon Mix of guilty pleasures… cringe.

As the majority of the group got into the painting Ellie, Nicole and Tess got stuck into some serious raking, which was followed by tag teaming in for painting shifts and plant watering supported by the 9 local kids who found us to be fascinating and magical…… in particular Sadhana and Dan who showed them how to water veggi's in a most scientific way, their parents watching on in glee as they willingly helped us graft?!?!?

At the end of the task as quick as we’d arrived, the GoodGymers were gone in a flash, bobbing and weaving the streets once more to make it back to Uffington Road, adjacent to the sports centre for the final fitness drills of the night.

“Out of Puff-ington Road” soon became the sight of a charging mass of red tee runners, jogging down and sprinting up, completing 5 reps and tempo charges to boot. An incredible effort as the night drew to a close.

The night in summary: • Pritesh – The Superhuman, jelly-legged man. • More Paint on Peter • Dan & Sadhana the Pied Pipers of the compost heap • Hills HILLS HILLLLSSSSSSSSS no more hills pleeaaassee.

All in all, a fantastic night of laughs, triumphs, fun and inspiration.

See you next time for more Monday fun with Brent GG. xxx