We started under clouds on Wednesday. Big - and grey - and looming - and groaning.

I remember looking up actually - on my way over - I really do remember doing that - looking up and frowning - and I remember saying - "look at them clouds".

It's not every day you get treated to that kind of insight, folks. Oh no it isn't!!!!

Quite proud of myself, I was. And so I wandered the rest of the way to our starting point, and honest as honest can be, if it hadn't already started pouring and pouring by the time I arrived, I'd have said - "eh, watch out, folks, just look at them clouds".

Anyway! Enough of this silliness!

We started under clouds and under cover on Wednesday, huddled for our catch-up-musings and evening-tide greetings. Before we headed out and into a quite blissfully serene post-downpour Greenwich Park, up some hills, down some roads, and over to the Bridge in East Greenwich.

Met by Ruth, we were there to dig. A soil bed - home to much colour and life over the past few summers - is in need of a little repair and revitalising - and we were there to empty it for that to happen.

Our group weeded and raked and dug and shifted, and we ended our 40 minutes a good chunk of the way into the bed.

And it was a special evening for marking on Wednesday, because the wonderful Andy, who has been splashing his kindness and intelligence around the GoodGym and Greenwich communities since 2017, was here for his last (if only for a little while!) session before his adventure moving North to Rossington. Andy, thank you for all you've given - you've become a friend to so many in our group and we're going to be waiting excitedly for your updates, news, and photos over the coming weeks and months :)

Thanks everyone - thanks to Ruth for welcoming us so warmly (as she always does) to the Bridge - and see you all soon :)

On Wednesday, 10 Goodgymers headed to Shrewsbury House for a spot of Spring cleaning.

Did anyone else spend their entire childhood thinking it was pronounced “clean film”? Probably not. Would have been a good pun for this report if so. I did think of other things during my first 18 years, for the record.

We began with a game called, I believe Green Monster (Can we check this? - Ed) and involved chasing each other with a roll of cling film, like an army of angry chefs chasing escaped chicken drumsticks.

Then it was a choice of Sandy Hill Road, which your dutiful correspondent is currently stood on, under someone’s garage escaping the Friday night rain, and what described as up hill and down dale, just without the down dale bit. We chose the latter and were treated to quite stunning panoramic views of London. We also passed Andy’s very lovely house. Beautiful windows. And we’re delighted he’s still with us before his adventure to the North. Speaking of adventures, it was a warm welcome back to Alex after his Canadian travails.

Legs suitably jellied, we got into Shrewsbury House and marvelled at the amount of things happening in one place. Quiz question: which of these was NOT flyer’d on the notices board?*

Cougar Ju-jitsu Yoga Psychic Wednesdays Immersive theatre Bopping Bunnies Chemigram workshop (Sounds like a medical procedure - Ed) Gong bath Fencing Tai chi Ballet Quilting

Quite simply the most varied and amazingly diverse community centre one could imagine. Your could quite happily spend a zombie apocalypse there learning new skills.

Cleaning and dusting was the name of the game, so we got to work making the place spick and span. No sweeping things under the carpet. Toilets left clean as a whistle. No one fluffed their lines as every nook and cranny was given a clean bill of health. A clean sweep, you could say. (Is this enough cleaning puns? - Ed)

Another one bites the dust (obviously not - Ed). Onto the next. Enjoy your coronation festivities (or ways you’re escaping it, depending on your views).

PS: the evening ended with top chocolate treats. Perfect reward for a good evening’s work. Thanks to our Raleigh overlords.

*If you expected the answer here, you clearly weren’t paying enough attention. But a Chemigram is a form of experimental art, in case you were wondering.