Laura Barrett

On a dark, but warm autumn evening seven GoodGymers met to eat some cake together. After two slices each and nice time chatting we were ready to go home... JUST KIDDING... however chocolate brownies were served this evening.

We arrived at OLQM to be welcomed by Bob, the caretaker, who had a selection of tools waiting for us.

I thought I will be here on my own'- Bob

When I arrived 5 minutes before the task start Bob was becoming concerned that we are not coming, however I reassured him that we are a punctual bunch. Few minutes later the whole team assembled ready for the task briefing.

First part of the task was to trim overgrown lavender, dig over soil and remove rocks in readiness for stage two which included barrowing fresh top soil, topping up flower beds and planting tulip and daffodil bulbs.

We had such a good time chatting and neither the Yorkshire Marathon nor the 12 k's of Christmas challenge was mentioned, no way ... who would want to talk about it ;) , that we were carried away and did a bit of overtime.

With just over 1 hour on the clock and all the bulbs in soil we were ready for the second slice of chocolate brownie and a team photo before offering our services for the future and saying good bye to our host.

🌡️On a deceptively chilly Monday evening, a group of excellent GoodGymmers met to do good (and get fit) for not one but two organisations in York.

🍂 After a warm up that involved us discussing our favourite things about autumn (who knew that leaf-catching was such a big thing in York?!), we split into two groups.

Laura led a group to Holgate Community Garden where they cleared the overgrown circle around the climbing frame of weeds and brambles. They also weeded around the small fruit trees and the very important play train, along with raking and brushing leaves and litter picking around the garden. Phew, what a productive half hour💪

🌱 Meanwhile, the rest of us headed to Acomb Primary School, via the "scenic route" (definitely deliberate, right Mitch?!) We were met there by Amanda who gave us the infamous instruction to...

*Clear everything * (except the trees and raspberries)

🍪 We didn't need telling twice, especially when we could see the biscuit-based reward that Amanda had in store for us.

🦆 We congregated at the excitingly apparently unheard of Holgate Dock for a fitness session of some classic primary school games of British Bulldog and Squat, Squat, Goose.

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ We then ran back to base for stretching and the pub.

🙌🏼 Thank you everyone, looking forward to seeing you all next week, and huge good luck to the marathoners and 10 milers this weekend.

Three Goodgym Yorkies helped to plant bulbs around a local footpath in extra speedy time this morning, finishing in just over 20 minutes. In fact it took longer to think of a pun for the report than to do the task! The bulbs were a range of sizes so may have been daffodils or a combination of daffodils and tulips but either way will look great in the spring. Sue from Foxwood Residents Association then filled is in on local history about the clay works that had been where we were working and the short railway line that had served it. The sun came out just as we were finishing to top it off.

Despite the date for the task only having been set 2 days ago we had 5 keen GoodGymers raking up the hay in the wildflower meadow at Foxwood Park this evening. We started in the light but were soon reliant on our headtorches to try and find the cut grass. When we first saw the area to be raked it seemed quite an undertaking but by the end of the hour we'd got to the far end of the wildflower area which was the priority. Some of us had been involved in digging the area for this a couple of years ago so it was good to hear it had been successful.