Sunday 29th March
Written by Kash
On a Sunday afternoon Sevan and Kash visited Mr G for a tech support quadrathlon, featuring:
While Mr G managed to resolve some of his problems (queued emails) on his own, before the GoodGym mission this week, he still had plenty of queries. He shared how overwhelming the technology has been, and how he's been minimising the number of notifications and disruptions caused by his multiple devices. On occasions, Mr G had been solving such problems by using different, but similar devices to the troublesome ones, just stripped down of some features or not using his login details. The latest cure for his smartphone going walkabouts was an old-school Nokia with its own SIM card. It looks like switching to old, simpler phones for certain purposes is not just a trend seen in the younger generations these days!
Saturday 28th March
Written by Kash
Did you know that the first pillar postbox in mainland Britain was erected in Carlisle? Or that the first pop band to feature on Channel 5 was the Spice Girls? Neither did we. We learned some pub quiz-style trivia from the "backstage" of one of the favourite community events in Hanwell: the Quiz Night at the William Hobbayne Centre!
Halfway through the quiz, we were summoned to the kitchen for serving. We rolled up our sleeves and started dishing out compostable plates with butter chicken and veggie chilli for the guests, who praised the meals cooked by chefs Sue, Mandie and Sue. The dinner for roughly 90 guests meant 7 kilos of onions to peel, and not a single tear shed by the relentless Hobbayne team!
After the dinner, came the time for the traditional raffle, in which GoodGymer Maria won a set of lotions and creams. Maria decided to donate her prize to another volunteer and walk home with the takeaway chilli with rice and naan in her hands. Meanwhile, the rest of GoodGymers ate their own portions in the centre, to restore energy before the final task: the clean-up.
Saturday 28th March
Written by StephDucat
After a long day and a succesful Quiz night, the Goodgym crew were in full speed to clear and clean the Hobbayne centre once the hall was emptied. Rubbish cleared from the tables, tables folded, chairs packed and pots all cleaned to eventually calll it a night. Sevan was quite creative when we found some small pots of sauce left but no more lids or containers left to close : runner glove was used(see picture). we all left with some curry and rice take aways. The Grime Reapers disappeared in the streets of Hanwell to go and find their beds.
Saturday 28th March
Written by Sevan
Kash and Sevan ventured to one of the outermost parts of Ealing borough to help Ms S with some important tasks in her home. Ms S was less steady on her feet than she used to be after a cancer diagnosis and couldn't bend over, so an unstable toilet seat and badly fitted carpet were small problems for others and big for Ms S.
The downstairs WC was the first task location and it was only big enough for 1 GoodGymer to fit into, so Kash and Sevan took turns between the toilet pan inside and the instructions outside. The old seat used to skate off the pan according to Ms S, flinging users into the wall. The new one was universal fit, so it took the pair some trial and error to get it in the right position. Once it was in place, Ms S could see that it was much better than the old one without needing to put it through a test drive.
Before starting on the carpet, Ms S showed Kash and Sevan her own DIY build. An impressive wooden cat house that sat in the back garden. Ms S had a love of cats, owning, adopting and fostering them. They spoke about rats and hedgehogs too, with Ms S sharing that there was a baby hedgehog living in her garden in a big pile of grass cuttings.
Hedgehog mating was something that Ms S had seen in her garden too and they were noisy, she said. She'd decided not to film it as it would be rude for the hedgehogs.
"David Attenborough films animals doing things like that and he gets paid for it." - Sevan
"That's true. I could've started my own Only Fans account, if I was into that."
"People do strange things online." - Ms S
Very true.
Moving on from strange activities online, it was time to stick down the loose carpet upstairs. The carpet gripper strips weren't holding anything in place, so the carpets stretched and moved like a furry wave. Ms S had bought double sided carpet tape which was very sticky, making it challenging to cut with scissors. Kash and Sevan managed to keep themselves from getting stuck together (mostly), putting down two layers of tape to keep everything securely fixed. It was hard to test how good the solution was and they'll only know for sure next time the hoover comes out.
Saturday 28th March
Written by Sevan
One, two, three, four, five
Everybody grab the tables, c'mon and strive
At the community hub around the corner
They're gonna have some curry and a quiz
And they really do wanna
Set up tables like we did last time on our Hobbayne streak
I must stay sharp cos wooden knives are cheap
I set comfy chairs, table cloths, runners and markers
And as we continue the work is getting completer
So what can we do, not be bored
To us servin' mint sauce is just like like a sport
Anything spry is all good, let us run it
Before we listen to the quiz questions and try to guess it
Saturday 28th March
Written by StephDucat
Decluttering at it s best. Last few sessions, we have been sorting items and putting them together by categories etc. Today was the day we cleared the table and put the sorted items in bags ready for a new life and collection in the next few days. So the entrance was being packed with bags.Bags joined a race to be fiesta to be carried away. We cleared liads and the table was empty and the lounge area was back to normal. Sorted 2 cupboards in the conservatory. Got rid of the empty boxes : flat packed!Next time it will be a simple task to clear some of the remaining cupboards.Sack to the future.
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