Been a while since I went shopping for Ms F. So here I am on a late Saturday afternoon to sort her shopping out especially bottled water as only had 1 left. Usual list with a few changes based on store coupons. Also heard that works will be done in the store which means some extra discounts as the fresh counters are soon to close for refurbishment. So the chase for extra and cheaper race went on which Ms F already started during the week with some bits. As a Saturday late afternoon the shelves were nearly empty but got 95% of the list. No extra cheese as most had gone due to the reduced prices before they go for a counter refurbishment. Ms F was happy for all her groceries and was also happy to see me so she could speak in French. End of mission ended up with how her new TV box works as the engineer of the day did not explain a lot so I took 5 to 10 minutes to show her. Until next time, but who knows which store as her local Waitrose is getting a makeover.

The sardines in olive oil drought continues into another week - surely the Strait of Hormuz can't be responsible for this. However everything else could be safely caught in the net, and Mr T was delighted that I was back in double quick time so that we could have a good natter about the ins and outs of his recent blood extraction (four vials worth!), which, if I'm honest, sounded so very much like the Tony Hancock TV episode...

8 GoodGymers plant aplenty in Kentish Town!

This lovely group - Alex, Jackie, John, Karen, Siobhan, Steve, and Theo - arrived at Greenwood Sheltered Housing with altruistic energy on Wednesday night!

This was a new task hosted by an old friend. We hadn't been to Greenwood before but we had met our brilliant host, Frezghi.

And we swiftly got stuck into nature-based good deeding!

💚 Siobhan and Theo planted fresh lavender and weeded the front paving!

💚 Karen and John planted young lettuce!

💚 Alex, Steve, and Jackie planted aplenty in the raised beds!

Thank you, everyone! Here's to next time!

I took advantage of my non-typical work location this Wednesday to incorporate a scenic 4km walk from Victoria to Bloomsbury for my usual evening shop for Ms F. The route took me through the busy streets of Central London, filled with smartly dressed people, and past some quintessential London landmarks.

Ms F recently returned from her holiday, where she had been braving the snow with Nordic walking poles every day. While that activity had been a fantastic exercise that made her feel stronger and more refreshed, back at home, she still needed help with carrying heavy groceries. She was delighted to see me around to take up her six-pack water-carrying challenge.

I was very lucky at Waitrose with the fish and cheese counters that weren't closed this time. Unfortunately, the freezers weren't doing equally well, with only a quarter of them working and having stock in them, so I wasn't able to buy French fries. A minor disappointment occurred when I reported to Ms F that her vouchers hadn't been applied, despite having scanned her loyalty card. After a quick investigation, we found out that Ms F had forgotten to claim them in her Waitrose app, being caught up with her appointments. Next time!

9 GoodGymers made a real difference at Kentish Town City Farm!

This lovely group — Caitlin, Deirdre, Emily, Giulia, Jacqui, Karen, Lydia, Matt, and Pritika — caught a well-spent and community-filled morning at Kentish Town City Farm on Sunday!

Together they got everything ready for the Farm's annual May Day celebrations!

💚 Karen and Giulia cleaned fences and took them up to the top field!

💚 Emily and Matt carried an animal cage up to the top field and almost got lost!

💚 Deirdre, Lydia, Pritika, and others helped carry tables a long way!

💚 And everyone hung up bunting!... alongside saying hello to the animals 🐷

Thank you, everyone! And thank you, Emily, for the photos and report!

A very pleasant hour spent with Mrs D in the back garden doing some tidying and planting out a few pots to make them easier to water.

We’re back into bramble season, so there were a few creepers to cut back, some miscellaneous plants that were past their hay day to be removed, and then a lavender, a geranium, and something “good for the bees” to be planted out in their place.

We had a lovely chat about our family history and the local wildlife population, inspired by the little flattened area of greenery that seems to have recently become a fox’s bed.

Too much digging and chatting, so a photo of the neighbours washing in the sun and my muddied gloves 🌞