Bonfire Barnet: Marshmallows, Moonlight and Community Spirit!

It was our first full-dark Tuesday since the clocks went back, but that didn’t stop the GoodGym Barnet crew from lighting up the night quite literally!

We gathered at the Phoenix Cinema, where the staff had gone all out with their Halloween decorations a suitably spooky backdrop for the evening. After a quick catch-up, we numbered up, chose our back marker, and set off along East Finchley High Street on our short run to the Finchley Charities allotments at Fuel Lands.

Finchley Charities is one of Barnet’s oldest community organisations, supporting local people through almshouses and community initiatives. Their allotment space is now being used to grow food for the local food bank and as a hub for education and wellbeing.

We met Simon on arrival and waited for Scarlett before heading through the gates to our task burning brambles and shifting compost bags. The fire soon crackled to life, feeding on the cuttings, while the ashes were set aside to nourish the fruit trees later.

Then came a surprise treat Bridget produced a bag of marshmallows and some impressively long sticks! Cue laughter, firelight, and toasted sugar under the night sky not your typical Tuesday evening run.

As we reflected the next day, it struck us what an unusual but joyful way it was to spend an evening: running, chatting, laughing, helping out, and toasting marshmallows together.

We cooled down with a gentle walk back to the Phoenix, where a few of us stopped for refreshments and a final chat.

Thanks to everyone who came along, ran, walked, and lent a hand. If you fancy doing something a bit different on a Tuesday night and helping your local community while you’re at it come and join us at GoodGym Barnet!

3 Goodgymmers gathered like musketeers for tonight's session in support of the Phoenix Cinema.

Although we arrived expecting to leaflet for them, they were in the midst of putting up Halloween decorations, so we improvised and helped a little, holding ladders, cutting sellotape and generally trying not to get in the way.

Then we ran a quick loop, delivering leaflets to local homes, before jogging back to the Phoenix to support them in a third way: buying a couple of rounds at the bar.

Four Goodgymmers rocked up in Totteridge to Grow, the farm by Totteridge Academy. The plan was to see how many of the 32 holes we could dig in 90min for the cement for their new polytunnel's posts.

Each hole needed to be 50cm square and 60cm deep. I foolishly suggested we aim for 4 holes each. We got stuck in - Alefiya, who joined us for the first time, plus regulars Subham and Kubilay. Grow had a team of 3, as Chris, the farm manager, was busy with a family event at the other end of the field.

We started by measuring out and setting the posts (which promptly had to be readjusted) with sledgehammers. Then we took up spades and started digging. And found out just how hard digging 60cm holes actually is! One spade down and we were through topsoil into clay. One side of the clay was full of flint, and dry. The other side wetter, so heavier. An excellent workout, but we only put a small dent in the overall work, between the seven us only digging around 9 holes.

We all stayed past the 90min mark to try and do as much as we could, and the Grow team will carry on digging a few more holes this week, but they've asked us if we can come back next weekend for another round.

Sign up here for next Saturday!

It's a great area to visit - near the Dollis Valley Greenwalk and some nice routes through the back of Woodside/Totteridge. Well worth a Saturday run or cycle!

It’s getting dark out there now, but that didn’t stop our GoodGym crew from heading to Shepherd’s Hill Gardens to help Pat and her team keep the area in top shape for public use.

We began as usual by gathering outside the Phoenix Cinema—which, by the way, is currently hosting a French Film Season. Well worth a look if you fancy supporting one of London’s last remaining independent cinemas. After a round of wide-leg squats, stretches, and a chat about the books within us, we were ready to go.

George, of course, raised the bar (or the bookmark) by already having two books under his belt—with a third poetry collection and a fourth imaginative project in the works. The rest of us were… shall we say, developing drafts—ranging from fantasy travelogues to autobiographies still very much in outline form!

We set off into the night, head torches and body lights glowing. About halfway there, we stopped for a quick set of bench tricep dips, just to keep the group together (and arms warm).

At the gardens, Pat greeted us with her usual warmth—and a fascinating oak tree lesson. Apparently, oak trees drop huge numbers of acorns every five years in what’s known as a “mast year”, overwhelming the squirrels so enough acorns survive to sprout new trees. (For fellow nature fans, there’s a brilliant BBC iPlayer documentary about oaks that’s well worth a watch.)

We got stuck into clearing acorns and leaves from the paths to make them safe and welcoming for visitors. Emily joined us directly at the task, and together we made quick work of it—head torches bobbing through the undergrowth like busy fireflies.

As always, Pat treated us afterwards to hot chocolate, herbal teas, and a tempting selection of biscuits—the perfect finish to a productive evening.

We jogged back to the Phoenix feeling satisfied, muddy, and just a little bit oak-obsessed.

A great effort by all thanks for coming out, running, and doing good. It really does make a difference.