We started under clouds on Wednesday. Big - and grey - and looming - and groaning.

I remember looking up actually - on my way over - I really do remember doing that - looking up and frowning - and I remember saying - "look at them clouds".

It's not every day you get treated to that kind of insight, folks. Oh no it isn't!!!!

Quite proud of myself, I was. And so I wandered the rest of the way to our starting point, and honest as honest can be, if it hadn't already started pouring and pouring by the time I arrived, I'd have said - "eh, watch out, folks, just look at them clouds".

Anyway! Enough of this silliness!

We started under clouds and under cover on Wednesday, huddled for our catch-up-musings and evening-tide greetings. Before we headed out and into a quite blissfully serene post-downpour Greenwich Park, up some hills, down some roads, and over to the Bridge in East Greenwich.

Met by Ruth, we were there to dig. A soil bed - home to much colour and life over the past few summers - is in need of a little repair and revitalising - and we were there to empty it for that to happen.

Our group weeded and raked and dug and shifted, and we ended our 40 minutes a good chunk of the way into the bed.

And it was a special evening for marking on Wednesday, because the wonderful Andy, who has been splashing his kindness and intelligence around the GoodGym and Greenwich communities since 2017, was here for his last (if only for a little while!) session before his adventure moving North to Rossington. Andy, thank you for all you've given - you've become a friend to so many in our group and we're going to be waiting excitedly for your updates, news, and photos over the coming weeks and months :)

Thanks everyone - thanks to Ruth for welcoming us so warmly (as she always does) to the Bridge - and see you all soon :)

On Wednesday, 10 Goodgymers headed to Shrewsbury House for a spot of Spring cleaning.

Did anyone else spend their entire childhood thinking it was pronounced “clean film”? Probably not. Would have been a good pun for this report if so. I did think of other things during my first 18 years, for the record.

We began with a game called, I believe Green Monster (Can we check this? - Ed) and involved chasing each other with a roll of cling film, like an army of angry chefs chasing escaped chicken drumsticks.

Then it was a choice of Sandy Hill Road, which your dutiful correspondent is currently stood on, under someone’s garage escaping the Friday night rain, and what described as up hill and down dale, just without the down dale bit. We chose the latter and were treated to quite stunning panoramic views of London. We also passed Andy’s very lovely house. Beautiful windows. And we’re delighted he’s still with us before his adventure to the North. Speaking of adventures, it was a warm welcome back to Alex after his Canadian travails.

Legs suitably jellied, we got into Shrewsbury House and marvelled at the amount of things happening in one place. Quiz question: which of these was NOT flyer’d on the notices board?*

Cougar Ju-jitsu Yoga Psychic Wednesdays Immersive theatre Bopping Bunnies Chemigram workshop (Sounds like a medical procedure - Ed) Gong bath Fencing Tai chi Ballet Quilting

Quite simply the most varied and amazingly diverse community centre one could imagine. Your could quite happily spend a zombie apocalypse there learning new skills.

Cleaning and dusting was the name of the game, so we got to work making the place spick and span. No sweeping things under the carpet. Toilets left clean as a whistle. No one fluffed their lines as every nook and cranny was given a clean bill of health. A clean sweep, you could say. (Is this enough cleaning puns? - Ed)

Another one bites the dust (obviously not - Ed). Onto the next. Enjoy your coronation festivities (or ways you’re escaping it, depending on your views).

PS: the evening ended with top chocolate treats. Perfect reward for a good evening’s work. Thanks to our Raleigh overlords.

*If you expected the answer here, you clearly weren’t paying enough attention. But a Chemigram is a form of experimental art, in case you were wondering.

8 Greenwich GoodGymers made their way 1km to help out at More 2 Nursery.

Gathering at the naval college we celebrated the achievement of GG Greenwich runners and volunteers who all did a sterling job this weekend at the marathon and we introduced ourselves with our dream post marathon meal! We then celebrated the 50 good deeds for run leader Jennifer - congrats Jen!!

Then onto our run - short but sweet - along the river to More2 Nursery where sadly there were no nursery rhymes but a lot of grime to be cleaned … we washed paint off radiators, sticky patches off floors, cleaned the chairs, tidied the garden and spruced up the mud kitchen. So much achieved in such a short time! We posed for our group photo under the calendar bunting trying to stand by our birthday month till we realised we were all born the same time - clearly the best people have October birthdays!

Back along to river for a wall sitting competition (well done champion Andy!) and some well deserved stretching. We headed home enjoying the fact it was still daylight - just!

Good evening, I’m Bob Bigglestone…

…and I’m Bob Murtough

And we’re delighted to bring you today's match report from Goodgym Greenwich’s tricky away fixture at Christchurch. Here’s Bob with the teams.

Thank you, Bob. A few changes from last week - near full strength, a few on international duty and one or two still on the treatment table.

Anyway, you could say this one was a must win, Bob. Some of those branches were set to cause havoc if left to grow.

Yes indeed, Bob. And JC did an excellent job at pruning back the opposition’s big man up front, the Buddleia.

He certainly did. Attacking it from both wings I saw. I reckon he’s ambidextrous Bob.

I don’t know about that, Bob, but he could certainly use both hands.

There was an excellent turnout this week, made a real difference to this church garden. Some lovely interplay between those chopping and carrying. Reminiscent of Liverpool’s pass and move game from the nineties.

Pass and move, it’s the Goodgym groove?

Was there Goodgym in the nineties, Bob?

Don’t think so. You just had to tune into GMTV and Bob’s your uncle, Bob - there was Mr Motivator. Goodgym began in 2009.

You’ve done your research, Bob!

Had to be something useful in this report, Bob.

There was a lovely moment in the warm up where the team were asked about the best freebie they’d got recently. Ever got anything for free, Bob?

Does shoplifting count, Bob?

Probably not, Bob. Unless you count the free cup of tea at the police station.

Didn’t even get that, Bob - a proper tight Bobby. Not even a sandwich. No such thing as a free lunch.

You can say that again, Bob.

No such thing as a free lunch, Bob.

There were free biscuits at full time though.

Yes indeed Bob! Favourite one?

I am partial to a Viennese Whirl.

I thought that was a dance move, Bob.

That's the Bourbon Waltz, Bob. Game day snacks are always welcome though. Ever had a half-time orange?

I haven’t Bob. I used to get pulled off at half time.

Wow! We only got oranges! We should also say a big shout out to all those, including our very own Olivia Waller, running the London Marathon this weekend. And to all members of this parish volunteering at the start line.

Yes, Bob. Good luck to all, and remember - it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

I think they know that, Bob.

And always run with traffic. Hold on is that with traffic or against traffic? No, with traffic.

I think they close the roads Bob.

That’s going to make running on them a bit tricky isn’t it?

I think we should wind this one up, Bob. We’re going round the houses a bit.

Good practice for the weekend, Bob.

Thanks for joining us for this special report. We’ll stop leading you up the garden path and let you get on with your days.

Speaking of garden paths, Bob, do you know the first name of madness?

What’s that, Bob?

Suggs coming up your drive.

Shut up, Bob.

Now, it’s well-established relationship advice to find someone who looks at you the way that…

…Jonny looks at Baby in Dirty Dancing …Terry looks at Sheila in Detectorists …Tom looks at a Kitkat Chunky in a Glyndon Centre vending machine.

Julian obviously noticed this (perhaps remembering how I lamented it in my last Goodgym report - https://www.goodgym.org/reports/had-a-break-didn-t-have-a-kitkat) and being the lovely, adorable man he is, bought the Kitkat Chunky for me, which we shared out with everyone at the end. So may I start with a thank you.

So on a slightly wet and drizzly Wednesday night, we headed to one of our favourite haunts, the Glyndon Centre, to do various jobs. Big welcome back to Neil, first of all!

On arrival, we split into groups to do indoor and outdoor tidying. I can only speak for the outdoor brigade - conversation ranged from philosophical discussions of what made a weed a weed, to whether a spade and a shovel were two different things. And if so, which one we were holding. Anything to take our mind off the rain.

Coming inside, we were trusted with the Holy Grail of the Glyndon Centre task list. Yes, we were finally let loose on the lesser spotted, incredibly precious, blue wall. Yes, the blue wall, people. It had evaded us no longer. Armed with a pot of silver paint, and black paint for the skirting boards, we… almost completed the job! Another bit of ancient advice, this time from world of showbizness, is always leave them wanting more. We definitely have unfinished business with the wall. We will be back.

No wall or paint puns were harmed in the writing of this report, as I basically used all of them last time we painted at Glyndon. https://www.goodgym.org/reports/wall-to-wall-coverage