I kind of knew it was going to rain, but the hope is always that the forecast has exaggerated it and speaking as a qualified meteorologist this is mostly the case.

Not today though, although it started dry and our hopes were piqued. Our usual organiser from the Farm, Helen, was busy this morning with a school group so delegated to Evie to help guide us. The task was simple, the farm are building a landscaped garden for the geese (of course they are), and the circular path around it needed laying with sand.

Simple, we know how to barrow sand, we might just be the best in the world at doing it. These 'Global Experts' were Cosmo, Bennath and Meyrick and we grabbed a barrow each, and a spade (there was some frustration around the lack of shovels, which then spawned a discussion around when a spade is a spade and not a shovel, but as I said, Global Experts), located our sand bags and got to work.

As we began, the farm was busy, with humans and animals aplenty. However, the rain got heavier and heavier and after 45 minutes, there was not a sign of any animal, human or not, with the exception of the rare spotted Red GoodGymmer barrowing sand in the middle of an absolute deluge.

We pressed on, did the job despite the conditions, of course we did. Big shout out to the crew today as we all went above and beyond.

Sort of… It was our monthly visit to Bath Community Gardens, doesn’t the time fly. Bennath, Meyrick and Kate spent a lovely couple of hours working hard in the glorious May sunshine. Meyrick dug some good holes in the poly tunnel beds and Kate filled them with manure and water, for Meyrick to then top them off with a little mound of soil. Finishing off the dirt sandcastles with a little stick flag. The idea being cucumbers will be planted in the mounds. Meanwhile Kate continued to load up the wheelbarrow with manure and added it to a second bed in the poly tunnel, prepping the soil for further planting. Bennath escaped the warmth of the tunnel and was very diligently removing weeds and hoeing beds that were already sporting their planty wears. Naturally we got called to stop for break time and we had a lovely chat with some of the regulars. Always a pleasure and we look forward to seeing everyone next month.

There were bells on a hill
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
'Til there was you

There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
'Til there was you

So sang a young Paul McCartney in 1963. The link between GoodGym Bath in 2026 and the Beatles is that we were ourselves using a 'Till' today, to till the ground. It's a tenuous link driven by the need to find a decent pun but I'll take it.

I have attempted to add to the lyrics with my own, describing the task that drew Ruth, Aaron, Bennath and Meyrick to Bath City Farm on such a surprisingly sunny and warm April morning.

There were four on a hill
But I never saw them planting
No I never saw them at all
'til there was you

Fifteen Hazel trees
But I never saw their saplings
No I never saw them at all
'til there was you

Then there was digging
And wonderful poses
They tell me on steep sunbaked hillsides
Of brawn and hew

There were spades all around
But I never heard them digging
No, I never heard it at all
'Til there was you

(And just for the purposes of copyright, lyrics by Lennon-McCartney-Williams)