Just as the media like to announce 'The Warmest Day of the Year So Far' as we move from Winter to Spring, so we at GoodGym should announce that today's mission was the Warmest of 2025 (thus far).

Three GoodGymmers braved this awesome weather to help the Friends of Sydney Gardens. Tanya, Kam and Meyrick met on the bridge overlooking the railway line as usual.

We were tasked, by Gill our colleague at FOSG, with something we'd already made a pretty good start on. Avid readers of my run reports will no doubt recall the work we've previously carried out digging out the entrances to a couple of grottoes. These date back to pre-Victorian times and the idea is to clear the approach to them in order to make them into a feature.

I joked at the previous mission that we'd dug down to about 1970 and although we made some more headway this morning, we've still a couple of hundred years of accumulated topsoil to clear. It's a tough dig as well, the soil is riddled with roots, some a thick as a dog's leg, as well as chunks of limestone.

We keep chipping away, at this rate it might take a couple of years but it's exciting to imagine what we might find when we get to the bottom. This is more than just a GoodGym mission, this is GoodGym with added Indiana Jones.

We've had some wonderful weather recently, but as is oft the case with the English climate, it doesn't stay for long. Having said that, it wasn't in any way uncomfortable as 8 GoodGymmers (Cosmo, Ruth, Aaron, Jason, Emily, Kate, Ava and Meyrick arrived for one of two visits to Sydney Gardens this month.

Dry it was, and cloudy, perhaps a little chilly in the wind, but a far cry from winter which I hope we've now left well behind. The Friends of Sydney Gardens have a 'formal event' of some kind on the 11th of May, (apparently the mayor is attending). There are certain areas that need a tidy up before this as they will be viewed by the visiting dignitaries, and GoodGym Bath were more than happy to help.

There is a gated enclosure next to the Holburn Museum, which acts as a store for grounds maintenance. In the middle of this area is a derelict building, a relic from the 1700s. Our supervisor educated us that back in those days, this derelict building was in fact a 'Supper Room' and was linked to the main building (the Holburn Museum) by a series of other buildings, a bit like the West Wing.

This was overgrown with weeds, brambles, nettles and saplings all vying for dominance; the result of years of neglect had let them run amok. Our job was to trim this unsightly flora back and reveal what is left of the Supper Room to be seen in all it's glory - this will, though, take some imagination.

We pretty much cleared it all in the short time we had. Great work GoodGymmers, we'll be back in two weeks.

The weather was epic this Sunday. A fresh southwesterly breeze and rain-threatening clouds welcomed eight GoodGymmers as we returned to Sydney Gardens for our regular monthly visit.

Joining us today, and both very welcome, were newcomers Kate, and Ava. The usual suspects rocking up were Cosmo, Ruth, Aaron, Emily, Vicky and Meyrick.

We can never quite be sure about the task awaiting us, but Sydney Gardens always offers up a physical challenge. This time, there was a return to a task we had started last Summer. Up at the top of the park, adjacent with the tennis courts, lie two fenced off 'mounds' with gated entrances half submerged in the earth. As far as I have been able to understand, these domed structures contain a grotto/reservoir where water collects, fed from one of the many rivulets that descend from the high hills beyond. This work was completed in pre-Victorian times, for reasons unknown and vegetation and creeping earth have done their best to swallow them up.

The Friends of Sydney Gardens would like the entrances to these dug up in order that they can be turned into features of some kind in the future. A lot of work needs to happen before that goal can be realised, so for the moment just moving topsoil out to other areas will have to suffice.

In fact I was there in December, the sole attendee on that occasion, digging down to the entrance to one grotto and creating a pile of earth. Today we moved that pile of earth into a hole that needed filling.

Whilst half of us did this, (and too many hands etc), newcomers Kate and Ava joined Vicky in weeding around the perimeter of the tennis courts (people were playing despite the weather) to make it look presentable when Spring arrives.

Storm Herminia cut our workforce in half but three GoodGymers still came out to help the volunteers at Sydney Gardens. Dave, Meyrick and Ruth started with a group run from the Leisure Centre - actually it was more of a leisurely walk but, hopefully, we managed to clock up a mile or so for the January Challenge.

Jane Austen once walked the paths of Sydney Gardens - she lived close by and attended promenades and other events in the park. So when GoodGym turn up to help restore the grade II listed space, they stand in solidarity with the author.

Today however the pleasure gardens weren't quite so pleasant, given the appalling weather. We had actually been due to move (heaven and) earth to fill in a rather large dip in the ground but rain stopped play.

Instead, we were given the job of helping the regular volunteers clear topsoil and vegetation with a view to creating a path next to the railway. Network Rail has recently installed some fencing next to the track to make it safer and Gill, the organiser, wanted to extend a walk alongside.

She pointed out what looked like a recess for a bench for visitors to enjoy the view and watch the trains go by. Who knows? Perhaps the esteemed author sat there once.

Spades, forks, colourful buckets and wheelbarrows were brought in to tackle the piles of soil and brush. You might say, "What on earth were we doing to take it on in the downpour?" But that's GoodGym for you!

We managed to make quite an impact during our session - although more work is needed to see if the famous writer's footprints will be revealed. (Spoiler alert - very unlikely!)

We work in partnership with the Friends of Sydney Gardens on every fourth Sunday of the month, and love doing so. Last week we had an urgent request for help, with days to gather some GoodGymmers.

As it turned out, there were 1,000 tulip bulbs and they needed planting very quickly. In fact, my lack of knowledge or horticulture showing here, it was technically aleady too late as they ought to have been planted last November time. I'm guessing they didn't arrive in time for that and it turns out a late planting won't stop them growing, they just might be a little late.

Despite the short notice, GoodGymmers Alice and Meyrick were able to make it and we joined their regular team of volunteers. First task was to dig holes, and despite the freezing weather this was much easier than we'd thought. In fact the main frustration were stones and roots, but we dug ourselves some good holes.

By the time we left, our GoodGym holes added to their holes was enough to consume all 1,000 bulbs. With any luck, when we return in late spring we will be able to see the fruits of our labour.

Almost Christmas Eve, yet GoodGym were still at work, like Santa's Elves. Sydney Gardens is going to see a lot more activity from GoodGym in 2025 but as it was, this was more of a winter whimper, the weather also impacting attendance.

I myself was not there, as I was ill, but to the best of my knowledge Cos was, helping the team of volunteers that meets once a month on the fourth Sunday.