Tonight we saw a bumper turnout for Holgate Community Allotment which meant there were plenty of hands on deck for a proper evening of GoodGym gardening.

Before we set off we celebrated PK and Leanne's epic hike up Kilimanjaro, as well a some great 10k running from Stef at the weekend.

When we arrived we were met by Helen who had a long list of jobs. We got stuck into turning the compost, cutting back brambles, watering trees and clearing the school plot, giving everything a much-needed tidy-up. There was also a group of scrumpers sorting the windfall apples. 🍎 Because there were so many of us there was lots of opportunity to stand about and have a chat too!

We rounded off the evening with a lively game of Fitness Splat, proving that even after all that digging, chopping and clearing, there was still plenty of energy left in the tank for a bit if fun!

A bumper turnout, a bumper workload and finally a bumper crop of apples. A very productive night at Holgate! 💪🌱

see you next week!

🏅 A gaggle of excellent GoodGymmers gathered for our weekly group run. First of all, we heard about some incredible running over the weekend. David Barrett won a race and not just any race, a (very) extended bleep test! Much kudos to David! Meanwhile, Matt won a parkrun (not a race, apparently...) And Ed did a Hardmoors half (but sadly got injured partway round, and still completed it, somehow!)

🦸 Next, it was time to celebrate 3 more heroes, of the 50 good deed variety. Huge well done to Jen, Matt and Jamie, who got to split the 50 cape between them!

🪏 After a quick warm-up, it was time to start running/cycling to Greenfields Garden for some (slightly) guerrilla gardening. We were helping the no-dig crew tonight, digging up grass to put on layers of cardboard to mulch down onto the bed below. There were a few tool options available to assist, including spades and loppers, or some of us used our hands...

🦗 A few grasshoppers/crickets were spotted (hence the pun), leading to a discussion about how to tell one from the other. It turned out no one was quite sure how to tell them apart but the internet tells me that crickets have longer antennae and are nocturnal. So we probably saw grasshoppers...

🍎 Anyway, it was hard work digging up grass so when we given the option to search the orchard for windfalls, many of us took it with open arms.

💪 Soon, it was time to down tools and start fitness with Nick. He claimed to find a way to make squats and planks fun and was almost right, though our moving tunnels of planks ended up in some particularly itchy grass!

🍪 Time to head back to base for a cool-down stretch and birthday biscuit-beer combo at the pub (thanks Nick!) We heard about lots of fun things coming up this week so plenty to get involved with. Thanks everyone!

What better way to spend an evening than swapping trowels for bowls and heading to the bowling green for an evening of competitive fun!

There were some impressive deliveries, a few questionable ones and plenty of good sportsmanship — all washed down with a few beers! 🎳🍺

Once everyone had worked up an appetite, it was time for a buffet, which was very kindly laid on by Lynne at the club, followed by an all-important selection of cakes. Because no GoodGym social is complete without cake!

Then came the Yorkshire quiz, testing our knowledge of everything from Yorkshire traditions to local legends. We now all know how big our Yorkshire Puddings should be!

A brilliant evening of bowls, beer, buffet, cake and Yorkshire trivia — GoodGym definitely knows how to roll out a summer social! 💚

Saturday evening sunshine meant there was no better place to be than getting stuck into some GoodGym gardening!

Tonight’s mission was weeding and removing black plastic — a satisfying combination of pulling, clearing and uncovering what had been hiding underneath. The weeds didn’t stand a chance as we worked our way through the area, while the stubborn plastic put up a bit more of a fight!

With plenty of sunshine, teamwork and fresh air, we soon had the area looking much tidier. Who needs Saturday night fever when you’ve got Saturday night weeding fever? 🌱💪