Tonight’s task started with a fitness session on Middleton Green, consisting of a short routine of body weight exercises and some running courtesy of Emma and Rohan.

It was a beautiful evening for a few push-ups and a lap of this pretty park.

At 7pm we headed around the corner to meet Margaret who was well prepared as usual. This evening’s task? Filling planters with soil!

A well-organised task

The task started very efficiently with wheelbarrows lined up, bags of soil at the ready, and an efficient system in place.

After a team effort of climbing over the wall with the polytunnel frame, we formed several teams to start on each bag of soil. Shuttling up and down the small path, lifting barrows over the wall and raking soil into planters, we achieved a lot in a short space of time.

At shortly before 8, the whole team gathered to haul one huge back of soil along the path, to position it in an easily-accessible spot for Ash when he resumes this work tomorrow.

Gathering wheelbarrows, rakes and gloves, we made our way back to Rocky Park, via the toolshed and the heavenly jasmine climber.

After posing for that all-important group pic, we finalised the details of our next visit to the gardens on May 20th. (Check out the listing for the next visit here).

A wonderful, sunny mid-week task. Well done everyone.

Until next time.

Once again we gathered at the Yurt café, even though it had closed two hours earlier. But we were here for a good deed, not a good feed. I arrived quite close to the start time and wondered if anyone else was going to appear. But GoodGymers are known for their precise timing (except Sree and Emma, of course), and nearly all appeared within seconds of the start time, notably Martin who times his pre-task runs to perfection.

Welcome especially to Beth, doing her first ever good deed, and who we hope to see a few more times before she relocates to meet the equally lovely folk at GoodGym Islington.

It was great to be good-deeding in daylight, and to discover there’s a short cut to the Yurt from Limehouse station, until dusk. Some people were still delighting in Fulham’s win against some team from Stratford as we selected gloves: relatively mud-free, and neatly divided into four different sizes.

We were tasked with raking gravel, to be wheelbarrowed away to another spot. One barrow was earmarked for pure gravel, while another was reserved for gravel-mixed-with-earth, which must have got a better name than that. The difficulty came when shovelling up what looked like unadulterated gravel, as we sometimes inadvertently also dug up the earth concealed below, which risked messing up the whole system.

Despite fifteen people wielding spades and shovels (once again trying to ascertain the difference between the two), and long sharp rakes, and pushing wheelbarrows in a confined space, not a single GoodGymer was injured!

Task Force regular Emma​ demonstrated her worth as a photo snapper extraordinaire, then demonstrated how to use a wheelbarrow as a sofa. As Ilana watched the sun set over some indistinguishable writing on a nearby tower block, we gathered for a few final photos. I headed for Limehouse station with Fiona and Alisa, as we looked forward to returning for one or more of the following:

On Saturday lunchtime, join Maddie and Robert sorting food for foodbanks at the Felix Project https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/saturday-afternoon-session-at-the-felix-project-s-poplar-depot-6df11c33-e39a-4480-a244-6b041986663c. Or join the earlier session at 9:30: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/saturday-morning-session-at-the-felix-project-s-poplar-depot-7fd69d30-ee3a-47cb-8268-3c6b48d2ccd5

Next Monday evening we’re heading for the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park – always a fun task. https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-big-monday-night-task-gardening-at-the-tower-hamlets-cemetery-park-pre-task-workout-4fd663a8-d032-4189-8e78-e0c1adb73052

On Thursday 9th May, there’s a social at the Monument pub in Whitechapel. Myself, Lucinda and “Southern” Emma have already signed up: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/goodgym-social-in-the-city

On Sunday 2nd June, join us for a great day out on the stunning Seven Sisters walk: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/seven-sisters-walk

A relatively mild Monday evening saw 11 GoodGymers join Ken from the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (FoTHCP) for a big ivy-removal session this evening.

Having gathered at the park entrance from 6:40 for tonight’s Standing Abs Workout, shortly after 7pm we were gathering the last of the loppers and lining up the wheelbarrows ready to make our way around to tonight’s task location.

The best health and safety briefing ever

Following Ken through what appeared to be a particularly dense section of the park, we arrived at our designated spot, where Ken proceeded to run through ‘the best health and safety briefing ever’.

Tonight we were pulling ivy away from graves, headstones and undergrowth, allowing gravestones to be visible and ground to be clear of this densely-growing climber.

Ken ran through the ivy removal basics, from the role of the lopper to the whys and wherefores of controlling this pretty plant, after which the team promptly grabbed gloves and head torches and chose a spot at which to start.

Stubborn stems

We were relieved to have the additional lighting, as, although only a few days from the next full moon, without head torches and work lights, locating and plucking the ivy could have been a tricky task.

As the first five wheelbarrows were piled high with ivy, a willing wheeling team quickly assembled. Ken accompanied the barrows to the park’s green waste pile, returning with some pungent bin bags.

With a ten-minute countdown given at 7:50, GoodGymers proceeded to move far behind the gravestones for a final push.

At 8pm, we gathered tools and trash and made our way back through the dark park, excited for our next visit.

A big shout-out to everyone for a productive and fun night with the FoTHCP team.

Next week, we head up to Bow Road, for another fun and varied evening with Frankie and Kieran at the GET OUT garden.

Until then.

One by one GoodGymers arrived at the Stewart Street Community Centre on the Isle of Dogs.

(Thanks to Martin, and later Chris's, interventions, the postcode and address were accurate-ish come meeting time).

Meet and Greet

With a greeting team consisting of Ricardo and Chris​ on Stewart Street; Matt and Sam from Thames21 inside, it was a good-sized welcome for those joining us as we approached 7:15.

Partnering with Thames21

Matt from Thames21 led the briefing, giving the team a little background on the charity’s activity; their work on the Isle of Dogs, and an outline of where we’d be heading tonight.

Forming two groups (those who wanted a longer run heading off with Matt; those opting for a shorter run and a little warm-up with me) we made our way out onto the river front, admiring the scenery.

Stopping at ‘The Beach’/Kelson Beach/Folly House Beach, to collect a decent amount of litter, GoodGymers wasted no time putting together hoops and bags and dispersed along the shingle, gathering a good amount of debris as the tide headed in.

Making their way along the front, clearly visible by head torches, hi-vis and of course the distinctive red t-shirt, it seemed like we’d only been at the Beach a short while, before it was time to head back to base, empty bags, and head on with the run.

...A little more mileage

A small group opted for a walk-run along the river, and the larger group impressively headed out with Matt, who took the team through the foot tunnel no less, to catch a quick glimpse of the Cutty Sark the other side of the river, before running speedily back to base.

As we said our cheerios, we were busily planning the next meetup, looking forward to another productive river run.

Next week

...we’re back to Bow, to see Kieran and Frankie at the GET OUT garden.

Until then.