The Real Estate Bulbs

9 Runners ran 5k to plant 500 bulbs for a housing estate garden.

For the last run of 2013 a team of 9 hackney runners braved the rain for a last minute challenge to plant 1000 bulbs on a local estate.

With the estate being only 1.5miles away it was a brisk run there giving us over half an hour to try and plant as many bulbs as possible. The lovely residents at the Yorkshire Grove estate greeted us with trowels and gloves so that we could get stuck in!

"Plenty of groans"

Giving our legs and glutes a good work out as we squatted and dug through the mud to plant the bulbs there were plenty of groans each time we stood up! You never would have guessed we are all in the prime of our lives!!!

"Trowels aloft"

With a couple of sacks of bulbs planted along one edge of the football pitch and the rest saved for a community planting day this weekend we posed trowels aloft for a photo and ran off into the night with the promise of a festive drink in the pub to keep us going!

This was the last run that myself and Lauren will be leading with Ade returning in the New Year. It has been great fun seeing the other side of GoodGym and great to get to know everyone a bit better!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Jasmine Morris

It had been pissing it down with rain all day and didn't look like it was going to let up. A hearty gang of dedicated Christmas runners assembled at the lovely Coffee if my cup of tea who'd left their chairs down for us this time.

The brilliant Jasmine led the run again tonight, confidently leading us out on time and up towards our new destination. The school we were supposed to be visiting had cancelled and she'd amazingly found at short notice an estate in Stoke Newington that had 1000 bulbs that needed planting.

"Harder than it sounds."

We arrived at 7.25 and set about planting the 500 bulbs we were presented with. We aimed to cover one side of the square - a stretch of about 100 metres needed planting with bulbs which had to be 10cm beneath the ground. Harder than it sounds. Amir and Merce, new to GG Hackney, got stuck in alongside regular David while stalwarts Aimee and Lauren worked with Helen and Phil at some pace.

We worked until 8pm on the dot at which point Jasmine got us moving again - gratefully the estate gardeners thanked us for our efforts and invited us to come back to see the daffodils in spring.

"politely declined"

After all the crouching it took a it of time to warm our legs up again, by which point Jasmine's offer of a longer route home was politely declined and we headed back to the cafe with promises of an after run drink.

After some free-style stretching it was home/ pub time. Lovely end to year one of GG Hackney.

Ivo Gormley