Overcast skies and the wet grass from yesterday's downpour didn't dampen the spirits at Osterley Juniors parkrun.A full team of marshal supported 32 youngsters to finish the course, including Chris representing Good gym.

Well, wasn’t last night a double whammy of excitement? Two tasks, double the fun, and a whole lot of running to get us there! We had two teams of GoodGymmers heading off in different directions, each with a unique mission.

Team Duke - clearing the pathways

Alan led the group on a run to Duke’s Meadow, a beautiful park offering a fantastic space for locals to enjoy. It’s a lovely community green hub which needs a lot of looking after. So, that’s exactly what Alan and his crew delivered.

Upon arrival, they were all ready to dive in, no problem locating brushes and tools, and soon enough, they were busy clearing the area of twigs, branches, and debris. The only challenge? The dark conditions. But armed with their tools and determination, they worked like absolute troopers, clearing out everything in sight. By the time they were done, the area looked much clearer, ready for people to enjoy without tripping over branches!

And as for the mileage, they definitely covered their fair share, with a small detour on the way back. Kudos on getting in some extra steps!

Team Chiswick Pier - sorting out the planters (or that was the plan...)

Meanwhile, Team Chiswick also had a slightly more interesting route to their task at Chiswick Pier Trust than originally intended. Chiswick Pier Trust is an incredible community project aimed at preserving the natural beauty of the Thames and offering locals a space to connect with nature. It’s a hub for educational events, boat tours, and environmental conservation. The Trust’s work not only helps keep the river clean but also gives people a reason to love and protect their environment, and GoodGym was there to lend a helping hand.

Upon arriving at the site, we met up by the river and waited for the tas owner to arrive. And waited. And then waited a little bit more. Eventually we took matters into our own hands! With scrubbers and steel wool in tow we tackled the algae and gave the planters a good old scrub-down. We also cleared weeds and litter, and Chris cracked the secret to eliminating the green scum - plenty of water. Thank you, Emily, for your emergency water bottle! By the time we finished, the planters were looking much clearer and more presentable and hopefully we stopped the beginning of rot.

Reunited at the Town Hall

After our respective tasks were done, we all regrouped by the Town Hall for a good stretch. Two tasks, plenty of running, cleaning, and good deeds done. Before we wrapped up,there were a few exciting things to mention. We’ve got a mission coming up helping out at Baron’s Ponds, and we need as many helping hands as possible! If you’re available, come join us!. Don’t forget about our regular Sunday task helping out at Junior Parkrun at Osterley. It’s always a blast and a great way to get involved in the community. There are also not one but two opportunities to help protect the Chiswick eyot this weekend.

Lastly, a huge good luck cheer to Alan, Michelle, and everyone else taking on the Queen of the Suburbs race this weekend. We know you’re going to smash it!

Shopping for Mr K, this week featuring 2 packs of super absorbent cloths.

We had that extra bit of brightness to power through our tasks at the local school under the light of the full moon last night. It was our second week on this project, and we were ready to take on our two main jobs. First up, we had the task of moving heavy rocks across the playground, turning soil, laying down membrane, and filling the whole area with rocks. It was a proper workout—are there any sore arms out there today?

But of course,it just isn't GoodGym if we don't find find some treasures along the way. Last night these included:

Steph finding a bin lid, which he wielded like a true gladiator, using it as a shield against Kash, who was dramatically reenacting the Battle of Strand on the Green with a pair of secateurs. In a moment of triumph, she also recovered the glove Jon lost two weeks ago. And the pièce de résistance: we discovered a massive piece of astroturf. What was it doing there? Who knows! But it made a fine addition to our collection of weird finds, adding to the bike we found there last time.

Meanwhile, Chris and Alan were busy clearing the relentless buddleia and turned a once-unattractive area into a much more inviting space. Great work team.

As the temperature started to drop (thank you, false spring) we decided to ditch the fitness session at the school (not before a fun photo in the magical little playground) and head back to our starting point, stopping for fitness stations along the way. It featured oblique crunches, toe taps and tricep dips - but I completely forgot the last station. Funnily enough no one reminded me. So, in the spirit of making up for it, next week we’re going to do a two-minute squat challenge to finish things off instead of the planned one-minute challenge!

We wrapped up the night with stretches, and a trip to the pub for Thai food to warm up. A big shout-out to everyone for making the magic happen even in deceptively freezing conditions. There are more missions coming up in the next few days, including this one to improve the river habitat tomorrow. See you at the next one! 🌕💪

Today was the third weekend Friendship Club at Age Concern in Chiswick. Local elderly residents come along to the centre to play games, chat and enjoy a light lunch and refreshments.

Sevan and I were asked if we would like to make and give out bowls of soup, teas and coffees. Sevan deftly made, delivered and retrieved mugs of hot drinks, all while remembering how each person liked their cuppa. I was on soup stirring and ladelling duty.

Although there were fewer people today those who came along were happy and grateful to have a place to socialise and enjoy some homemade bread from one of the volunteers, and tuck into cake and biscuits. There was also a surprise birthday cake for one of the residents who is celebrating their birthday this week.

We’ll be listing future sessions helping out Age Concern in the coming months.

There are a few signs we watch out for to mark the beginning of spring. Warmer weather, blossom on the trees, lighter nights - and a return to our regular visits at Chiswick House! It must mean a change of season is afoot, as last night we met Chris the head gardener in the depth of the dark gardens.

While we couldn't really see the transformation over the months we had missed because of the dark, we were told that there had been a lot of planting going on. Over 3000 bulbs were popping up, and there were plenty of new trees. There was something magical about being in the park when nobody else was allowed in, the only sounds the swoop of roosting birds and rustling in the undergrowth.

We were in between the Obelisk and the cascade where the team had discovered a pathway which has been hidden by years of mud and woodchip. Our job was to use spades to lift up everything that was hiding the path so that it could be used as it was originally intended again.

It wasn't as straightforward as it first seemed. At some points we were digging deeper and deeper with no path to see. We feared it might be one of those tasks where we actually made it worse than we were first started, but before long we hit our stride. It was a tough workout but when we took a break to see how far we had come there was an impressive distance of old path behind us.

There was plenty of chat, and even more singing as we worked. The puns were coming thick and fast, and kudos to goes to Michelle for this week's tuneful run report title!

This weekend why not find time to make a difference in an elderly person's life by signing up to this Age UK Saturday friendship club in Chiswick? Or help improve the river habitat next week?. There is plenty to choose from!