Coming back to Ms F’s shopping mission routine after a week away, I wasn’t surprised to find that the lady had almost run out of bottled water and that I’d be the one to restock it. What did surprise me was Ms F waving an umbrella at me as I climbed five flights of stairs to reach her flat.

She explained that she had recently fallen. The main casualty of the accident was, quite luckily, an umbrella, which had refused to close ever since.

“This umbrella has been lying in front of my flat for the last four days. I have a new neighbour. She must be thinking I’m crazy.” - Ms F.

I haven’t owned an umbrella for the last 20 years, but my muscle memory of folding that contraption hasn’t died. I decided to defend Ms F’s reputation and close the umbrella. It was bent, and there was no way to operate it smoothly again in that state. I’d almost given up on this side quest, but the thought of all the GoodGymers who would spend an extra two minutes trying, and possibly succeeding, made me go against my impatient nature. After two minutes of tinkering, the umbrella was either more or less broken, but at least it was folded, much to Ms F’s relief.

After that warm-up, I proceeded to the main set: the groceries. The list included a few items not typical of Ms F, such as beetroot salad, tinned tomatoes, Rich Tea biscuits, and Grape-Nuts - a cereal brand I’d never heard of.

I also learnt that the whole business with the fish counter closing early due to staff shortages, along with the availability of breaded haddock, had ceased to matter to Ms F, as her oven was broken. The poached salmon, which didn’t need baking, still made it into the checkout, though.

I left Ms F happy, with food for the whole week, nine litres of water, ginger beer, and a malfunctioning umbrella that, at least, no longer took up half the space on the landing.

In conjunction with Werewolf Brewery, GoodGym Camden spent Sunday lunchtime improving the conditions on the Regent’s Canal towpath. On our way from the brewery to the canal, litter pickers and bags in hand, we couldn’t resist picking up what had been dropped on the side streets. We even helped a poor tree which had become a receptable for a variety of drink containers and paper matter

We were expecting to be plucking bottles and other debris from the water, but the canal itself was in pristine condition. The towpath wasn’t too bad either, but we did find many bits of litter tucked away in corners and crevices, and by the surrounding fences and greenery . This Included one haul of DVD covers – how long must they have been there – of perhaps dubious quality, glorying in the less-than-imaginative titles ‘Girls Love Girls’ , ‘Young Harlots’ and ‘English Lesbian Lovers’. It might be smut, but at least it’s British slut…

This wonderful crew dug and dug and dug some more, filled umpteen (at least!) bags of soil, and left a whole bunch of planters decanted and ready for refurbishing :)

Thanks, folks!

To cut a long story short, Miss V had a spare unassembled Rollator and wanted to donate it to Age UK for use in a day centre by a person/people in need.

This was not the first time I had visited Miss V, and she is always friendly and welcoming. So I felt no pressure and could take my time to read the instructions carefully and assemble the Rollator, all the while having a chat. A quick tidy up, cardboard to the bins downstairs, and I was done!

A milestone mission for me, but a normal chat plus shopping mission for Mr T, who was feeling a little under the weather this afternoon, but still on good form, and we covered the usual wide range of topics both pre and post shop - and not for the first time I left feeling educated about things I didn't know about prior to arriving at his front door!

I worked out this was my 83rd shopping mission for Mr T, and there was something suitably satisfying about him being the beneficiary for this particular mission today.

Today's task to help clear space in the living room to enable Ms E to return home from hospital felt like the culmination of David and my furniture shifting experience of recent times - helped enormously by Ms E's social worker being on site to direct us to exactly what needed moving and to where.

All the items we moved fitted neatly through the doorways in the flat without presenting us with too many spatial challenges, and having earlier prepared space in which to put them, and keep a passageway clear to a cupboard in that room, we made rapid progress getting the living room cleared, and one heavy bureau aside that seemed to have a number of false front drawers...nothing fell apart in our hands either (always a relief).