Good for the soul type session yesterday in Hackney. Hils, a holiday box-fresh Paul and I rolled over to our destination, discussing how age provides extra allowances for being grumpy in our society - and is that right? Might need another delve into this, was good food for thought. The GoodGym hatrick of two Princes and a tonne-reaching Dan met us at the playground.

Ange has a new Forest School coming on site, she tasked us with creating their new education zone. Clearing out the litter to provide a clean area, trimming back the growth to create a bigger 'school area' and laying loads of fresh bark down to provide a healthy and soft soil for play and bug inspection.

I know we've been back at Hackney Adventure Playground three times now, but I do love it there, and I enjoy being back. Quality to get a drink in pots-sesh, and salute Dan on his century of tasks. A physical force of nature - a man you want on the arduous, heavy tasks. He also brings an abundance of cheer and warmth along, it's almost rubbed off on some of us - but a veritable pleasure doing good with him.

Next week, we commence May at Abbey Gardens, and I'm really hoping it's at least t-shirt weather for the run there, summer has got to be close now. Sign up here

Have a good week peeps, get your miles in for Hackney - remember: more is more.

Till next week,

B

Four of Newham's finest rolled over to Hackney Adventure Playground yesterday, to help a wondrous resource of frolic and adventure led by the force, that is Angela. We discussed "your best life hacks?" after rattling through a few I found online - including frozen grapes instead of ice cubes in drinks - we got to our own, with a bit of encouragement. Don't iron clothes, use a plier to fix your zip, live near GoodGym and intensely stir your scrambled eggs. We'll be releasing a podcast soon.

The Olympic Park was looking especially charming, we nipped through and down the canal as we touched on running injury and form, does it make a difference? Ange led us to our job, a de-nailing session, which the kids had already begun. Thereby freeing up some good quality wood to use on other marvelous imaginative structures. The work was loud yet satisfying, still managing to sneak a chat in between the pounding of metals.

Nice one for the graft guys, definitely made a difference. Next week we go the other way down the canal, as we head to Cody Dock, sign up here

Till then

B

Over to Hackney Adventure Playground, been a while since I said that. A huge hearty welcome to Alice for her first session in Newham, slotting seamlessly into the task, hope you enjoyed it. Our old pal Chris is back in Stratford too, after a few years away it was great to have the man back. We broached the topic of guilt once more, this time in a musical sense. Whilst some of you claimed to have no guilt re music, you understood the assignment nonetheless; Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, S-Club 7, Lil Wayne, Peter Andre and Dolly Parton all providing us some auditory pleasure, but at what social cost?!

Rambling over we jooged through the QEOP and down the canal towards the playground and a well overdue reunion with Ange. She explained how Sport England money is supposed to be paying for a new ground, ten years in the making. Our job was to clear some materials Ange had hoarded for future use (makes you rethink how bad it is keeping that sentimental mug ). Namely these huge wooden poles and fire doors, these things had serious mass, we needed the full GoodGym gun-show yesterday to make it happen. There's no doubt you've made a very useful difference to a marvelous local service, for that I salute you.

Next week we head to Park Village Oasis, sign up here. We're going to finish blitzing a tiny green area to prepare it for some fruit trees.

Till then,

B

Just a handful of Newham's hardiest this week, we popped over to the baddest and maddest playground in town.

But first, we welcomed Dave from Sheffield, a teammate of Eugene and a potential Londoner in the making. Hope it was a good one for you. RWQ courtesy of Aaron " what song do you want at your funeral?" Morbid? Maybe. But more importantly an opportunity to to define yourself in fluid notes and have a bit of fun. We had The Beetles, The Stones, Snow Patrol, Brahms' (the lesser known) Requiem. Elgar's Nimrod, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and that Lion King banger. Not only did Aaron pick the question but also did an exceptional and seemingly involuntary rendition of each song.

Skip a couple miles of chat and weekly catch up, we got to Ange's. With a spanking new skate park set precariously next to a steel wire fence, remember 'risk-benefit', that's how we roll down Hackney way. Our job was to make the other side of the ramp look more safe and tidy, as the Newham Mayor is set to visit. So we did what we do at the adventure playground, shifted endless tonnes of the finest mulch you ever done saw. Using hands, spades, shovels, bath tubs and a rather large tea spoon - I jest not. The pictorial evidence is enough to depict your efforts, in the rain too, not a moan, not a groan, just effort and laughs. We even had young Etta, Ange's kid, chipping in with some raking, an intergenerational workforce at play.

Before we skipped off home, we fired up some sprint and core muscles in The Olympic Park. 6 x 20s runs and 3 x core exercise. You guys got after it, a joy to see, elbows pumping back, knees driving high and some very heavy breathing - a good job done well.

Just confirming next week's task - let's get all you slackers (I love you really) back in the mix, we miss you and we need you - we can do better than 10 people, that's for sure.

As always, have an excellent weekend and keep up the good fight

Till next week

B

An action packed morning on the east-side.

Commencing our triple-threat start to the weekend with Hackney Marshes Parkrun. PB's were collected, SB's too, some chatted and socialised others got their head down a bit more. We all left perked up, more virtuous and ready for stage #2.

Ange, Hilary and Dev (congrats on your first official session!) met us at the Adventure Playground. Three groups worked for 45 mins, moving mulch (classic), clearing/sawing/pruning a wild section needed for a tower (of course) and hacking down some unwanted nature to install a skate ramp. I might be biased but a great job done - a few of the team had a well earned play after - then we departed for stage #3

Breakfast Club - i'm not going to delve into a description of our breakfasts, although I could, but rest assured it was excellent and a delightful way to wrap up our morning.

Sam and Isabelle it was a pleasure - hope you guys come back again. 6.45 pm every Wednesday

See you beauts in T - 2 days

B

Just a couple of days until that welcomed milestone, the winter solstice, where we break the back of winter and run towards the light. Yesterday's session was a quintessential dark wet December night, nevertheless, a stoic group came together to see out 2019, better their community and hone some locomotive skills.

A warm up ensued, weekend exploits were discussed, 10k warriors in The Olympic Park and HM heroes at Sikhs in The City. Bravo to Rosa, Charlotte and Mel for their runs and Hilary (winning the HM!), Sharon, Kev and Graham for their endurance achievements. Smashing forth into 2020 to the brim with endorphines. We welcomed Ivo for a surprise cameo at Newham, always a pleasure, I haven't been sent an assessment feedback slip and ostensibly still have a job, so can only presume he just fancied a little bit of GGN. Everyone's a winner.

We rolled smoothly into our RWQ, "what's your highlight of 2019?" Answers ranged from Bruges HM trip to Glastonbury, holiday bliss in the sun, nice pies, 10 year GG celebration book, moving to the UK, recent news of pregnancy (congrats Jade!), getting all the PB's and joining GoodGym. Great year then people.

Staple session at The Adventure Playground, moving multiple tonnes of mulch to pad out the crash sites under the zip line and the tyre swing, yes, I would like to remind you again, you are saving children's lives. oh yes! Also shifted about 20 crates to another safer area where the kids won't be lured to climb over the fence. In another parallel universe I recycle crates and create amazing scandi home-ware and outdoor furniture in my large multi-tooled garden workspace. Sorry, where was I, mince pies that's it. Ange dished out some lovely high glucose hot pies for your tireless efforts, she loves you lot. We then, as we do, trotted into the dark night sky.

But we weren't just finished yet, some sprints with a focus on a top end pacing, ie a controlled sprint and a hard sprint. Coming in at only 135 secs in total, not a huge volume, but enough to send some pulses racing, tidy up form and work a sweat on for dinner.

That's a wrap for 2019. Thank you for making it a pleasure every Wednesday, for showing up rain or shine, for exploring your athleticism, for the socials, the away days and the endless hours plugged into your community.

Thank you

See your beaming smiles in 2020

B