When the yew hits your eye, like a big cherry pie, syca-more-ay

6 runners beat the heat by running 6km to help out the shaded Westbury Banks Nature Reserve.

The Tottenham Green Pools had all the doors thrown open to let the air in when we arrived. Big cheers to Jai and George who came along for the first GGH run, despite the heat! And welcome back to Ollie, who fulfilled my prediction to Jai by turning up at exactly 7:02pm.

After some dynamic stretches, we warmed up with a game of shoulder tag, which was declared as draws all round, with somehow only Dave losing. Then off we ran through Downhills Park and Lordship Rec.

When we arrived, we were greated by another volunteer from NextDoor, who volunteered to take our group photo.

There was a new and really interesting ask awaiting us. A biodiversity survey. Or counting all the trees on this patch of land. These roadside patches of semi-wild land can be a real haven for nature.

We split into two groups, and plunged into the undergrowth, armed only with a plant identifying app, and got counting.

Team East End

small spruce trees 4

elms 3

horse chestnut 1

sycamore 1

Team West End

Sycamore 4

Elderflowers 7

Cherry 23

Hawthorne 4

Pear 1

Plum 2

Unknown 2

Apple 2

Ever green oak 1

Copper beech 1

& Sycamore saplings 23

These sycamore saplings are in danger of taking over the land, so we spent a few more minutes uprooting them, before it was time to leave.

On the return leg, we took part in the GG Olympic 1k dash, round Downhills Park.

According to my haphazard time keeping the results were:

1. 3:43 George
2. 4:23 Jai
3. 4:32 Ollie
4. 5:20 Sophie

& the Salvador Dali award for excellence in the field of GPS art handwriting goes to Cathy!

Despite our tired legs, we still ran back to base, and finished with those all important stretches.