Un-Potting Saints of Greenwich | Uprooted and Barn-ett door bolted.

With Sarah convalescing after a particularly over-exuberant trick-or-treating session the previous night, Vickie and I were left in charge. (Be afraid. Be very afraid.)

Saints or Sinners?

Now, All Saints Day is a day to remember souls departed. And one of our own regulars, George was departing as well. Don't worry, he's not dying (but then again aren't we all, really), rather George is moving to Islington. (Although, to my mind, anyone north of the river is pretty much dead to me.) Please give George a cheer here to wish him well.

(Apologies to GoodGym: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Newham, Redbride, Tower Hamlets and Westminster - I am sure you are all wonderful people.)

GEORGE!!! Isn't a UNESCO World Heritage site enough for you???

As always in Greenwich, we do the slow creep round the circle saying our name..., number..., and favourite... This week, feeling bitter and hurt, I tweaked it a little - name..., number... and one thing we dislike about North London!!! Answers ranged from the Central Line, Spurs to just being generally more north.

(Again apologies to GoodGym: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Westminster - I am sure your boroughs have much to recommend them.)

As well, sinner Christian had returned to the group after a long absence. He was a sight for sore eyes. But the sore eyes were on him, as he didn't have his contact lenses in. Ha.

St Sebastian, Patron Saint of Athletes

In this country, I think All Saints Day doesn’t get the same recognition as Halloween does so I sought, in the warm-up, to readdress the balance by introducing a game called Patron Saint of...What??? It was a matching game. I gave out slips with either a Saints' name on it or an occupation. Saints had to run around and find their corresponding occupation. When people thought they had found their pair they had to run over to Vickie and myself and check if their were right. If they were a correct pair they were out of the game. If not, they had to drop down and do 5 burpees, and get back in the game. Confused yet? Everyone else was.

On starting the game, it was evident very quickly it was not working. Everyone slowly just clumped together in the middle looking perplexed. Admittedly, I had chosen some of the more obscure Patron Saints. For example, St Malo. Patron Saint of Pig Keepers. So, if you lose your pig, pray to St Malo. Sage life advice as any.

On reflection, most people in the group probably didn't share my pious Roman Catholic upbringing. Hmm.

So, with no-one warmed-up (amazing), we did some quick dynamic drills. I introduced footballers taps - alternate ankles touches, alternate knee touches. We then added a few extra moves including a spin and clapping our hands above our head, so by the end of it we had a killer dancer routine. Try it at the weekend gang and let me know how it goes down, badly I expect.

Tonight we went back to the lovely Bridge Community Centre, in the East Greenwich Plesaunce. Enclosed by park walls, it can take on a sinister atmosphere in the dark. Unperturbed, the group got stuck in to clearing out the bothy and doing some unpotting. We were done in no time, so like Made in Chelsea, we staged some scenes for your entertainment. Sam acted cleaning a plant pot with great vigour.

To add some peril, we did some calf raises and plyometrics, on a bar, in the kids' playground as we waited for the others to finish. And as always Ruth and Raeleen treated us with squash and biscuits. We had been good.

Being the first Wednesday of the month, the fitness session was the Greenwich 1k Time Trail. As a special honour, we bestowed the Greenwich red cape on George. The cape is normally reserved for those reaching 50 good deeds but we decided to make an exception. In folklore (as started by Ben Cooper), the wearer of the cape is blessed with great strength and wisdom, and it also gives the wearer a slight aerodynamic edge!

Vickie was doing the stopwatch on her phone. But she was in a race with her own phone as the battery was dying, so there might have been some invention with some of the times: 3:30!, 4:00! Mmm. 5:45?, 2:10?, 8:05?

In the Time Trail, we had a twin-off, for first place, and like in birth Steve just pipped Alex to the line.

There was great surging by everyone to the finish. Adding little burst of speed into your running can help you pick up the pace with tired legs.

Unfortunately, not many of my photos came out well. They look like screenshots from the TV show 'Most Haunted'! bBut you all looked saintly in my eyes.

Vickie provided the Greenwich Goodies - as stolen from some five years old - and some of us went to the Old Brewery for some food and to toast George off.

George and I once talked about definitely defining the best burger in Greenwich. I hope one day we will fulfill that dream.

George all the best, and thanks for all your contributions. You have been a great asset to Greenwich with your jovial sense of humour, and hopefully some of your Greenwich blue blood with rub off on some of the GoodGym boroughs north of the river. ;-)

(Final apologies to GoodGym: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Westminster - If you are literate, then I am hope I haven't caused any offence.)

Next week, after her wild, fueled sugar rush, Sarah will be back. And it is also St. Castorius's saint day as well! (Although, let's just forget all about the saint thing.)