Four GoodGymmers joined other volunteers at Ray Mill Island for a spot of dry hedge building. Mick was chief engineer and stake-driver, Christine cut branches to size, whilst Anne-Laure and Sheila sorted the area around the compost bins that had become a bit of a dumping ground. Once the supporting stakes were in, the area in between could be packed with branches to the agreed height, with the aid of our boots, and hey presto, a dry hedge was born. It was much-admired by passers-by, and it has to be said, by ourselves too. Not bad for an afternoon's work

Six GoodGymers went to the new premises of the Green Skills Library where we were welcomed by the task owner. After quick introductions, she outlined the varied jobs for the evening: - Painting - Brooming the carpentry area - Kneeling on the floor and scraping off bits of gum and paint!

I'm always surprised at how quickly GoodGymers divvy up work without being told who should do what. So off went: - Mike to the carpentry area - Anne-Laure and Diya to paint the back cupboards - Amy to paint an old stool - Juli and Jess on the floor, scraper in hand

And hour flew by, and wonderful things were accomplished, with Amy also having joined the Kneelers and Scrapers. Another fun evening for the books!

7 GoodGymers yarn-bombed the Community Centre this week, continuing work on the Craft Coop's stunning poppy masterpiece.

We've spent many weeks supporting this project and it's fantastic to see it all coming together, one poppy and one stitch at a time.

Diya and Kanika took on the challenge of sewing together the next section of canvas, the netting that the poppies are attached to. After a couple of false starts, they settled into a rhythm and worked steadily from opposite ends. With the finishing line in sight and just a few stitches left to go, they discovered they'd sewn the pieces together in opposite directions! Thankfully, all was not lost. Diya quickly came up with a clever workaround, leaving Michelle with an easy fix to complete the following day.

Meanwhile, Mike, Sol, Jess, Anne-Laure and Roberta got stuck into attaching poppies to the prepared canvas. These were the larger poppies, and Michelle's top tip was to have one person tack everything into place before the rest of the team secured them properly. Jess took on tacking duty while everyone else got busy stitching. Sol developed a brilliant system that allowed the whole team to work on the canvas simultaneously, making the process much more efficient.

A huge amount of work was completed during the session, and the finish line is now beginning to loom into view. We have one more crafting session on 14 October to help complete the masterpiece, before returning on 21 October at St John the Baptist Church to assist with the installation. We can't wait to see the final display in all its glory!

Seven Goodgymers spent a happy and productive hour at the community centre adding to the poppy artwork organised by the craft coop. The numerous poppies were carefully placed and sewn in place on the backing material, each was individual and unique. Many hands made light work! We all enjoyed the joyful singing and lively discussion from a community group sharing the building making for an entertaining evening. If anyone missed the fun, we will be back to carry on the task in a couple of weeks!

11 GoodGymers met at the Community Centre to continue the good work of tacking crocheted poppies to a 3 metre net panel. This panel will be part of the 21 metre memorial piece that Craft Coop is putting together for Remembrance Day.

So what is this Le Coquelicot Tapestry, you ask? Well, it's French for The Poppy Tapestry, inspired both by the topical Bayeux and our resident French GG-er, Anne-Laure. Sol jokingly suggested we should charge £2 for people to see this Poppy Tapestry and we thought it'll be more appealing if it sounded French. Enter, Anne-Laure and may we present, Le Coquelicot Tapestry. Voilà! :poppy:

Many hands made good progress as we chatted and laughed, resulting in just another social and productive GoodGym mission.