OxGrow is a gorgeous community garden nestled in the Hogacre Eco Space. Access to said garden is over a VERRRRRY tall railway bridge. Any deliveries for the garden, and any bulky rubbish leaving the garden can only go one way, up and over the bridge.

Over the years we have carried woodchip, manure, a sofa and even a very delapidated organ over the bridge and today it was the turn of bricks.........

Fortunately many hands make light(ish) work and we only carried what we could manage - LIFT WITH THE KNEES!! After a bit of puffing and panting, some excellent team work and canine encouragement from our beloved Jango we managed to get them all moved and in position for their new life as a border for some herb beds. A quick spot of bramble management and we headed off into the evening sun.

GREAT work team.

Tonight we headed to a brand new GoodGym location - Cuttleslowe Greenhouse. This lovely community space helps people connect with nature, food, and each other. After being closed for a few years, it’s finally being brought back to life. On a bright spring evening, we got to play a part in its reopening.

Our task definitely leaned toward the gym side of GoodGym. We shifted heavy piles of garden waste across the site, including some very large branches. Over the evening we experimented with every possible method - wheelie‑bin shuttles, dragging or carrying sacks, and even the occasional overhead branch lift. We also rescued some compost to be reused in the greenhouse’s raised beds. Before heading home, we picked up some great souvenirs: postcards about the project and packets of seeds to grow at home. Among the gifted seeds were peas, calendula, and basil.

We’re already looking forward to returning to the greenhouses in future tasks!

Welcome to Goodgym Jacqueline! We're so happy you could join us this evening!

It was a beautiful Saturday morning for the second GoodGym visit to Denny Gardens. A local resident has taken ownership of one of the plots and has planted strawberries and a pear tree. Meg hopes that this will be the inspiration that the neighbourhood needs to start clearing, digging and planting the rest of the site. Mimi (Emmanuelle) and I dug an edging strip on the adjacent plot while Meg tackled the brambles. The recent dry spell has left the ground really hard and the ever present bramble roots make for tough digging. Pulling back the plastic, we uncovered a couple of slow worms. After a quick photo, we covered them over to resume their slumber. We were joined for a while by local city councillor, Tiago Corais and his canvassing supporter, Connor. Slow (worm) progress, but a satisfying session nonetheless 🪱

I had hoped to finish digging out the bed that forms the border to the full length of Mrs S's garden. However it took longer than I had hoped and the top of the border still needs digging out. She was very happy though with what has been achieved so far and with how the garden is looking now.

This evening we returned to the Meadow Lane playground project. Headed up by the amazing Usha, the project aims to transform the current playground into a more vibrate open and green play space for the community, encouraging children to make dens, explore nature and run free!

We have visited the playground a couple of times before and it is quickly becoming a favorite because we get to revisit our childhoods and BUILD DENS!!!!!

Today's structure was nothing short of amazing - surely classes as a one bed in a central location with good transport links to the city centre.......

A group of us also tackled the pesky metal fencing which is getting trickier to remove as we get to the parts where the trees have claimed the fence as their own. With bolt cutters,saws and determination we managed to clear another huge section.

Last but not least, grass was cleared and soil turned over for an incoming wild flower patch. Everything is beginning to take shape wonderfully!!

Welcome Goodgym Miguel, Nathanail and Genevieve. Thank you for coming and I'm really sorry about the map confusion!!

I finally got to tackle Mrs P's grass which has become very long at the front and back. It was not possible to do the mowing during the long period of wet weather. Mrs P was delighted to finally get it cut. There was time for a quick tidy around in the front garden and of course for a cup of tea and a chat with Mrs P. She is a lovely lady and it was a pleasure to help her with the garden.