After a long day and a succesful Quiz night, the Goodgym crew were in full speed to clear and clean the Hobbayne centre once the hall was emptied. Rubbish cleared from the tables, tables folded, chairs packed and pots all cleaned to eventually calll it a night. Sevan was quite creative when we found some small pots of sauce left but no more lids or containers left to close : runner glove was used(see picture). we all left with some curry and rice take aways. The Grime Reapers disappeared in the streets of Hanwell to go and find their beds.

Did you know that the first pillar postbox in mainland Britain was erected in Carlisle? Or that the first pop band to feature on Channel 5 was the Spice Girls? Neither did we. We learned some pub quiz-style trivia from the "backstage" of one of the favourite community events in Hanwell: the Quiz Night at the William Hobbayne Centre!

Halfway through the quiz, we were summoned to the kitchen for serving. We rolled up our sleeves and started dishing out compostable plates with butter chicken and veggie chilli for the guests, who praised the meals cooked by chefs Sue, Mandie and Sue. The dinner for roughly 90 guests meant 7 kilos of onions to peel, and not a single tear shed by the relentless Hobbayne team!

After the dinner, came the time for the traditional raffle, in which GoodGymer Maria won a set of lotions and creams. Maria decided to donate her prize to another volunteer and walk home with the takeaway chilli with rice and naan in her hands. Meanwhile, the rest of GoodGymers ate their own portions in the centre, to restore energy before the final task: the clean-up.

One, two, three, four, five
Everybody grab the tables, c'mon and strive
At the community hub around the corner
They're gonna have some curry and a quiz
And they really do wanna

Set up tables like we did last time on our Hobbayne streak
I must stay sharp cos wooden knives are cheap
I set comfy chairs, table cloths, runners and markers
And as we continue the work is getting completer

So what can we do, not be bored
To us servin' mint sauce is just like like a sport
Anything spry is all good, let us run it
Before we listen to the quiz questions and try to guess it

Kash and Sevan ventured to one of the outermost parts of Ealing borough to help Ms S with some important tasks in her home. Ms S was less steady on her feet than she used to be after a cancer diagnosis and couldn't bend over, so an unstable toilet seat and badly fitted carpet were small problems for others and big for Ms S.

The downstairs WC was the first task location and it was only big enough for 1 GoodGymer to fit into, so Kash and Sevan took turns between the toilet pan inside and the instructions outside. The old seat used to skate off the pan according to Ms S, flinging users into the wall. The new one was universal fit, so it took the pair some trial and error to get it in the right position. Once it was in place, Ms S could see that it was much better than the old one without needing to put it through a test drive.

Before starting on the carpet, Ms S showed Kash and Sevan her own DIY build. An impressive wooden cat house that sat in the back garden. Ms S had a love of cats, owning, adopting and fostering them. They spoke about rats and hedgehogs too, with Ms S sharing that there was a baby hedgehog living in her garden in a big pile of grass cuttings.

Hedgehog mating was something that Ms S had seen in her garden too and they were noisy, she said. She'd decided not to film it as it would be rude for the hedgehogs.

"David Attenborough films animals doing things like that and he gets paid for it." - Sevan
"That's true. I could've started my own Only Fans account, if I was into that."
"People do strange things online." - Ms S

Very true.

Moving on from strange activities online, it was time to stick down the loose carpet upstairs. The carpet gripper strips weren't holding anything in place, so the carpets stretched and moved like a furry wave. Ms S had bought double sided carpet tape which was very sticky, making it challenging to cut with scissors. Kash and Sevan managed to keep themselves from getting stuck together (mostly), putting down two layers of tape to keep everything securely fixed. It was hard to test how good the solution was and they'll only know for sure next time the hoover comes out.

Even the chilly wind could not spoil the first conservation day of spring 2026 at Grove Farm nature reserve. A bright, sunny Saturday was the perfect time for maintenance jobs Friends of Grove Farm needed help with.

Sevan and Steph gave Mike a hand with sawing off branches of fallen trees obstructing the paths, while Breda, Shubham, Purva, Kash and Portia cleared the side of a woodland walkway to access the ditch, which no longer looked like a ditch. The trench, intended to collect rainwater, had become overgrown and filled with mud from the path. The job was to scrape and dig it with a mattock, a spade and a fork. The GoodGymers discovered that the drainage under a small wooden bridge over the path was all full of compressed soil, and decided to unblock it too. It was a proper workout, leading to some seriously muddy shoes, but also successful restoration of the drainage.

Before running or walking to their next thing, the GoodGymers visited the wood anemones patch they had been clearing off brambles during the winter months. Now, the entire slope was full of white flowers that managed to come out, without having to fight for sunlight with their spiky competitors. What an amazing display of natural beauty it was!

What a powerful team effort from GoodGym! From the moment we arrived, everyone stepped up with energy, focus, and a shared purpose. We began by transporting food bank crates into the storage area, working efficiently and in sync to get everything moved and neatly organised. It was great to see such smooth teamwork in action—no time wasted, just solid collaboration. Next, we set up tables in the storage space to improve organisation and make everything more accessible. With the heavy lifting done, we turned our attention to the hall—cleaning thoroughly to leave it fresh, tidy, and welcoming. To wrap up, we carefully arranged the chairs, transforming the space into a well-prepared venue ready for its next use. This mission was a great reminder that when we work together, we can achieve a lot in a short time. Strong teamwork, positive energy, and a shared goal—that’s what GoodGym is all about 👏

With a day off to recover after a trip, I was looking forward to do a few missions on Friday, but didn't get much luck with older people's availability. Only the one and only Mr G didn't disappoint, and even agreed for his shopping to be completed earlier than the usual evening time.

3.5km run to South Acton and 8km of run/walk to my next task in Fulham plus carrying two types of fish, two types of cabbage, potatoes, steamed chicken breast, and other things were my main recovery activity of the day.