Another lovely evening — warm, dry, and clear skies… perfect weather to spend indoors, naturally. GoodGym Stockport crew was back at it again: Mandy, Hazel, and Ben did their usual sprint to the shop like a team of overly enthusiastic DIY superheroes.

The mission? Assemble the big steel cupboard and the shelving rack like seasoned Amazon-flat-pack veterans. 😁 Ben arrived bright and early and dove straight into the steel cupboard. Meanwhile, Mandy and Hazel tag‑teamed the shelving rack. As everyone knows, with DIY furniture the real work is not the assembly — it’s the archaeology dig through tiny screws, cryptic diagrams, and the eternal philosophical question: “Is that Part C or the other Part C?” 😅 But the trio — plus another helpful volunteer — conquered the puzzle with the confidence of people who have absolutely, definitely assembled this kind of thing before. The new units slotted perfectly into the shared shop, and the team got cracking on sorting the mountain of bits and bobs.

A rare and morale‑boosting cameo appearance from Laura (escaping the depths of peak work‑swamp season straight from the office) added an extra spark to the evening. ✨🎉

Then, as the team stepped back and admired their handiwork, they had a collective epiphany: The shop had zero breathing room. Like, turn sideways and hold-your-breath levels of tight. So naturally… they went FULL makeover mode. Furniture was shifted. Tools were relocated. At least one person probably used the phrase “Let’s try it over there.” And in the end? The space transformed from “cramped chaos corner” to “actual functioning workshop.” What If? was genuinely stunned — mostly because this was not on the to-do list, yet somehow became the star of the evening. Everyone can now enjoy their tea in the cosy WhatIf? cafe. ☕🍪 Unexpected? Absolutely. 👊 Successful? Totally. 👏 Chaotically inspiring? As always. 🙌

📸 Ben, Hazel

What a glorious day for litter‑picking in Hazel Grove — a soft launch of Spring that had everyone wondering whether to pack sun cream or still keep the gloves on!

After signing up to GoodGym Stockport back in 2022, Melanie finally made her triumphant debut at her first GG session. She hopped on a bus from the nearby village of Disley, Hazel warmed up with a casual ~4 km stroll, and Ben… well, Ben did what Ben does: arrived via his usual epic long run. All three landed perfectly on time to meet the lovely crew of Hazel Grove Mutual Aid. 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

The task took the team across the parking areas around Hazel Grove Library, Hazel Grove Clinic, the neighbouring residential streets, and a stretch along the A6. In just 1.5 hours, the trio managed to fill around 20 bin bags with assorted plastics, suspiciously well‑hidden beer bottles, and all the usual bramble‑dwelling treasures. Ben and Melanie even bravely emptied a former postbox that has been lovingly repurposed as… a dog‑poo bin. Truly heroic stuff. 🙌

It was a light, chatty Sunday mission for Melanie, Hazel, and Ben — the perfect blend of fresh air, friendly nattering, and the occasional “Wait, is that another beer bottle?”. They got to know Melanie properly: how she found GoodGym online while searching for a community that supports both mental and physical well‑being, and how delighted she was to finally join in. She left with a smile (and hopefully no bramble scratches), declaring she’ll be back for more GG Stockport adventures once the days grow longer, lighter, and a little less… wet. Good job and welcome, Melanie! 👏✨

The session ended a group picture taking and a promise of future collaborations. 🤝🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

📷 Ben, Hazel

Great to see Mrs L again to help tidy up the garden. This time it was to weed and clear the excess grass, while removing the moss and the big collection of leaves that had accumulated over the winter.

With a patio knife, secateurs, and trowel from MCR LOT plus a good hoe, broom, and shovel, I made steady work, first clearing the ivy and weeds at the front fence, before diligently collecting leaves 🍃 from any areas of the front garden space. As the rain 🌧 continued to fall, I removed a lot of weeds from the trench beds and borders, while also scraping away any moss, careful not to remove any of the poppies.

Mrs L seemed very happy with the work, and hopefully it will cheer her up after a tough winter.

After overnight rain 🌧, Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 285 was very muddy and riddled with puddles for participants to dodge or just go through. The leading runner fell over at least twice while taking the corners too sharply.

Divya was marshalling at the M60 corner (#4) as runners and walkers completed their 2 laps of the cow field. Ben was Run Director, briefing marshals, setting up, and processing the results.

430 participants completed the 5 km route with 22 excellent volunteers.

Three regular GoodGym posties — Ben, Mandy, and Hazel — took on round two of the Stockport post distribution mission, aiming to finish the 400 newspapers promised to Post Community News.

Ben, in true Ben fashion, ran from home to the task — a casual 8km warm‑up, because why not start your evening with a mini‑marathon? 🙌 With public transport being a bit of a circus this week, he may actually be onto something. Mandy also parked a good distance away so she could clock a few bonus miles. Clearly, nobody here believes in simply arriving at a task… you must earn it. Broken transport? We still carry on like first‑class mail. 👊

The final 100 papers were folded and delivered door‑to‑door within an hour. Miraculously, the weather decided to stop behaving like a moody ice bucket, giving us the nicest conditions we’ve had for GG winter sessions so far. Along the route, we spotted neighbours going all‑out in a friendly decorating competition. If you can’t match the poshness of the folks next door, you can at least compete in sheer creativity — or comedic value. Honestly, a perfect strategy for making new friends… or confusing them. 😄

After finishing the round, the team went for a short bonus run before parting ways — and before Ben set off on his actual long run home. Stockport posts (Feb issue) - successfully signed, sealed, delivered! 📬

Join us next week for the revamping task for What If? 💪👋 https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sign-up/revamping-shop-and-tool-shed-with-what-if