One week on from our first visit, we spent last night taking care of the special communal space at Kilburn Vale Estate again.

Amidst a long spring evening holding a sharp chilly wind, Jackie, John, and I made our leisurely way through Maida Vale's rush hour streets over to our evening of green-fingered work.

Met by the lovely Zosia, we took 45 minutes to completely weed and prepare a patch that will soon house growing wild flower seeds, and we also pruned the ivy, trunks, and canopies of three overgrown trees.

Spending time with earth can be so therapeutic, and yesterday felt like such a welcome break from the bustle of the city and day.

Thank you, Jackie, John, for joining again to make a real difference in this space :)

Three of us made a big difference yesterday evening.

Meeting in the April early evening light, Jackie, John, and I took a gentle and chatter-filled run through Maida Vale and over to Kilburn.

We talked about Scotland, far-flung parkruns, trains with glass roofs, and even... Donald Trump, and it was a joy to jump across these eclectic topics with the wonderful Jackie and John.

It was just past 6.30 when we arrived at Kilburn Vale Estate, where we were met by Zosia, who heads up the residents' tenants association.

With tools to hand, we caught the first glimpse of our tasks for the evening. Two trees had been blocking the sunlight in the communal garden area, preventing the grass and flowers from flourishing, and our task was to cut them back. One patch of ground was also awash with weeds, and we were also tasked with digging them out ahead of spraying wild flower seeds.

Jackie and Zosia got to digging out the weeds. My attention was with the trees and when I turned back 40 minutes later, I saw a transformed space, clear and clean ready for planting!

John and I took an evening of sawing, and we chatted GoodGym, studying, and working as we chopped branch upon branch. We finished with a healthy window for the summer's light.

We'll be back next week to do even more, and thank you, both, for a wonderful evening of much appreciated work!!

The rain held off as we swiftly weeded the planters at Elm Haven Garden. There are already signs of the lettuce growing, which we planted on our last visit.