Michael Pirrie

Preparations across the land are in full swing for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Hove is no exception.

Palmiera Square are having a Big Lunch event to celebrate this historic occasion, including live music, kids play areas and a whole lot more. And of course local residents are keen for the square to be looking its best.

So tonight after a balmy day with thundery rain threatening we did our best to sweep up as many leaves and elm samaras as the strong wind would allow.

Resident Stuart’s dog Scampi entertained by chasing the leaves as we swept them.

We ended the evening with a pairs fitness session, with one holding a position whilst the other worked e.g squat.hold/ squats, boat hold/sit ups etc. and just as we were finishing the skies opened the rain came down and I legged it round the corner back to my flat!

Hope you all didn’t get too wet on the way home!

After welcoming back Michael (me!) to the Good Gym community, we set off for this week’s destination – the grounds of the Manor Paddock Seniors Housing Scheme. Our run took us up the steep hill of Edward Street and then along Eastern Road, passing Brighton College and the Royal Sussex Hospital on our left and views of the terraces running down to the sea on our right.

When we arrived, Manor Paddock’s resident, Luc, showed us around their beautiful grounds – a green and flower-filled space, with rose bushes, honeysuckle, and unfortunately a whole lot of weeds! Luke explained that, while the council came to mow the grass, everything else that needed caring for was left to the residents.

The headline was: weeds out – mulch in! So we quickly set to, with rakes, forks, trowels and a lovely mixture of compost and earth. Tara and Katharine got their mulch on at the North end of the garden while the rest of us gave the grounds a good old makeover.

Many hands make mulch work so, before the hour was up, we’d cleared and fed all of the beds, even finding time to plant some gooseberry and clementine bushes. Tara then led us through a quick fitness session, where we all surprised ourselves with the number of sit-ups we could do in three minutes, before we headed to the Sidewinder in Kemptown for a well-deserved pint (or two!).