The September conservation day at Grove Farm was a welcome break from a four-session streak at Coston’s Brook, where we had successfully located one of the invasive Japanese knotweed clusters. After our previous captivating escapades in a narrow, overgrown ditch, we moved our operations to an open meadow that needed cutting back.

Nettles, the edges of bramble clusters and dried plants all had to go, ideally cut into scallop shapes, as nature, according to Mike, favours scallops over straight lines. Mike, the lead of Friends of Grove Farm, got to test his newly acquired scythe and scything skills, sweeping through the meadow like a reaper. Meanwhile, fellow Friends Suzie and Joe, along with GoodGymers Scott, Steph and Kash, used hedge trimmers, rakes and forks to trim the meadow and move the dry cuttings under the tree cover to reduce the fire risk. The team was lucky to be joined by two young new volunteers, who quickly learned how to use loppers to cut back the thick brambles.

The next step for the trimmed meadow will be to sow a mix of a special type of grass and wildflower seeds. Maybe we’ll even get to do it at our next session. Sign up to find out!

I was back in one of my favourite places today - Ealing Soup Kitchen. And once again serving the clients lunch - delicious curries, either chicken or vegetarian, with rice and cabbage. It seemed to be a slow start to the lunch service but it quickly got busier and we found ourselves rushing to clear tables so we could get new guests settled. As always it’s a really rewarding session.

Just as the baby potatoes were back in stock at Sainsbury’s, Mr G was back in a better mood—even though the large potatoes I’d bought him the previous week had fallen apart when cooked.

I did his usual weekly shop, with one little addition: the cheddar mini muffins I’d introduced him to the week before.

When Mr G said he didn’t know what he’d do without his regular GoodGym shopping support, I reflected that these evening grocery visits are just as valuable for GoodGymers like me. They give us a reason to draw a line under the working week, get outside, and do something useful for a lovely person who appreciates it.

After a stressful week at work, Mr G is my hero.

Back for my weekly social visit with my second coach Mr T. I was welcomed by a box with a skeleton in pieces. Not a real body !!Mr T loves Halloween and is into horror films so asked if i can help him get the skeleton out of the box and put the bones together with him. Bone in 5 minutes and he is getting ready for Halloween. We then talked about famous or known horror films. He told me what he sets up for Halloween including the trickle treats. Lets see what else comes out in the weeks leading to Halloween.

Been at Ms P previously for weeding and also know this is cat territory in her back garden...they use the flower beds to drop " special gifts". Today was no different!! I know Kash and Sevan were here recently, so had just to finish weeding in one of the flower beds and brush the court yard and leaves falling from the neighbours fruit tree. I also had to pick up rotten fruit. As per usual Ms P asked if I could remove the cat gifts, which I did. Then went to the front garden to remove the weeds and sweep the small area of the house. No Winnie the Poo but weed a Poo. Am sure the cats will be back and Goodgym too in the near future.

Let the season of head torches and work lights begin!

Tuesday, 22 September 2026, happened to coincide with the autumnal equinox. The day and night were equal, and the sun rose directly in the east and set directly in the west. Needless to say, it set very shortly after our group run began!

For the last two weeks, our Tuesday evening group managed to get away without switching on the head torches, perhaps thanks to the leafletting and signage tasks' nature, both of which took place on the streets. But tonight we were back in the William Hobbayne Centre courtyard, which isn't lit after dark. Thankfully, enough of us remembered about the torches to make our efforts effective.

Sue from the Hobbayne Charity directed us to the outdoor sections of the centre that we hadn't had time to tackle at our last session there in June. We cleared all the leaves, brambles and other weeds from the passages leading to the gates to Lower Boston Road and St Mark's Road. We also had time to speed-weed the area around the tool shed, which left all the outdoor spaces sorted out before the autumnal leaf drop.

Although the equinox marked the beginning of autumn, the weather and our immediate surroundings were sending us mixed signals about what season it actually was. Temperatures above 20 degrees made it feel as though it were still the middle of summer, while the dried Christmas tree we found in the yard brought wintry, festive vibes.

We had barely concluded that the tree would have to wait until January for the council’s next Christmas tree collection when hell broke loose. Suddenly, the GoodGymers launched an assault on the already-dead tree, chopping off its branches until only the main stem remained. Then the mob returned to their usual cheery demeanour. What could possibly have turned the GoodGymers into a gang of notorious Grinches? The prime suspect? Perhaps pub Christmas dinner advertisements appearing before we had even made it to Halloween?