I went to Kingston today to do some gardening 👩‍🌾 tidy ups for Mr M. It was unusually dry and warm morning today which made it just perfect to take on some work outside.

I arrived at exactly 9 am 👌 and Mr M opened the door to welcome me even before I managed to ring bell 🔔. We grabbed some tools and shoes 👞 from downstairs and then went upstairs to the balcony. There were four flowerpots there that required a clean up. I removed the bark mulch from the surface, removed weeds and dead 💀 plants, then gave the soil a bit of fluff get it ready for the new plants 🌷 It has taken me about 35 mins.

Then we went downstairs to the front of the house for around 20 mins. I gave it all a little sweep 🧹 (as some of the soil fell down from the balcony) and also removed weeds 🌱 growing close to the building. Mr M wanted to remove the moss from in-between the tiles and showed me his high pressure washer but decided that this could be something to be done next time.

Instead, he led me to the backgarden, where I was first tasked to gather the leaves 🍂 and branches that fell on the ground. Then I cut back some of the brambles from bushes growing in Mr M's neighbour's garden (spiky!). Together with Mr M we collected the garden waste and taken two big bin bags outside to the bin. That's was a great teamwork there.

Mr M used my full 90 min slot 🙂 and he seemed to be very happy with the outcome. He did ask me if he can still ask for help with some additional work in the garden. He was very stubborn to give me some of the tulips 🌷 from his kitchen to express his gratitude. It was a very heart warming ❤️ morning for me.

After what seems like endless rain this year, today we enjoyed a crisp, dry evening - perfect for a spot of bramble bashing. With head torches on and spirits high, the team gathered to tackle a brambly jungle that had been growing way too confident in its ability to take over the space earmarked for pollinator planting. We met Georgina, Kingston's new Biodiversity Officer, who talked us through the task and handed out much needed gloves, loppers and waste bags. We were also joined by a local councilor and a couple of willing local residents - all help welcome so thanks for the extra muscle!

It's always amazing how much can be done within an hour when many hands work together. We lopped, hacked, yanked, ripped and dug our way through the mess of thorns and, although not 100% clear, made a massive impact on the patch. This was certainly a satisfying task even if it did leave a few rips in clothes and our skin got some free acupuncture.

Excellent work team!

We can tell the seasons by our trips to Kingston Pantry as we go every three months. It was a cold and rainy eve when we ran, cycled and walked to Kingston Pantry so it's definitely winter! Claire even ran with her umbrella to try and keep dry - talk about multitasking.

First job was to roll out the crates of veg and fruit so we could get to the shelves for a deep clean. Dave and Luke holed up in the back room whilst Jana, Tom, Jonathan, Sabir, Farzeen, Laura and Claire cleaned, swept and mopped the main room. It was a squash and a squeeze but many hands made the jobs on the list go quickly.

Excellent work team. We will be back in three months for Spring clean!

Today 3 goodgymers, from Kingston and Greenwich went out and tided up their streets and local parks of litter.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and our task on a chilly and wet Tuesday was to produce a window display for the British Heart Foundation's shop.

The boys in our group were feeling pretty exposed and clueless so we left it to the girls to formulate an idea.

Step forward Levita, Laurel, Claire, Rachel, Jana and Anna to mastermind a design which attracted admirers almost immediately.

Jonathan, Tom, Luke, and Sabir helped bring down mannequins to be dressed in wedding finery, while Dave and Claire and others painstakingly cut out and stuck eye-catching hearts on the window. Flowers appeared by the bucketload, rugs were carried across the shop floor and it ended up looking pretty amazing.

A really fun evening ended with our social at The Albion, where Six Nation burgers are well recommended.

Giving blood (or in my case, Plasma) always gives you an enormous sense of wellbeing. Plus the biscuits are pretty good too :)