What a beautiful evening for tonight’s activity!

We started out as a small group working out on the planters in busy Ravenscroft Park, but slowly grew, until there were a good number enjoying the final stretches shortly before 7.

Making our way around the corner to meet Ed, our task owner this evening, we decided tonight might be a hayfever special, thankful we’d come armed with tissues and antihistamines.

This evening we were working around the pretty race track garden (so-called due to its winding gravel path) and the grass-filled garden at the front of Sivill House, helping to clear some of the many weeds.

A third team were dispatched to the Orchard area, to complete an extensive watering operation.

The Columbia TRA are the tenants & residents association for the Newling, Dorset, Virginia and Gascoigne Estates in Tower Hamlets. These estates sit on-and-around the Columbia Road area, and are home to some much-loved green areas.

Our team continued to grow as we plucked weeds and hydrated trees, and we made a good dent in the garden tasks.

At shortly before 8, we started to think about wrapping-up, tipping one last bucket into the weed pile and winding the hose away for the night.

Posing for that all-important final pic (thanks for your patience as always) we wheeled barrows back to the lock-up, said our cheerios and wandered off into the beautiful evening sun.

A fantastic start to the week.

Shout-outs

Thanks to our brilliant task owner, Ed for this evening’s great activity and for tonight's pun, and to Lucinda for another splendid pun, Green Green Dry Grass of Home.

Until next time.

The blue skies may have left the scene but GoodGymmers far and wide had gathered at Telford parkrun from the Shindig and elsewhere, bringing their own sunshine to the gathered masses.

With first timers joining the parkrun family, people bagging their alphabet T plus seasoned parkrunners and volunteers, a huge group cheered in the final parkrunner and her entourage of tailwalkers and marshals gathered along the way.

The results are published for anyone interested in that sort of thing and we look forward to hearing of future parkrun adventures from you all!

Tonight we helped Larry to resurface a key area of the outdoor space for the Yurt cafe and Foundation of St Katherine's. Our mission was to remove the old gravel, cover the patch with fresh underlay then add the new gravel. Simple in theory, but the task was not to be underestimated in just over an hour. A big welcome to Tyler who completed his first Goodgym task and definitely got stuck in shovelling the gravel into wheel barrows and securing the new underlay. We worked diligently to finish our patch which went from looking tired to a welcoming space with new white gravel. We even had a DJ to power us through the task thanks to the Limehouse cafe garden where we gathered for a post-task pizza and drink. Thanks everyone for all your hard work!

Once again we gathered at the Yurt café, even though it had closed two hours earlier. But we were here for a good deed, not a good feed. I arrived quite close to the start time and wondered if anyone else was going to appear. But GoodGymers are known for their precise timing (except Sree and Emma, of course), and nearly all appeared within seconds of the start time, notably Martin who times his pre-task runs to perfection.

Welcome especially to Beth, doing her first ever good deed, and who we hope to see a few more times before she relocates to meet the equally lovely folk at GoodGym Islington.

It was great to be good-deeding in daylight, and to discover there’s a short cut to the Yurt from Limehouse station, until dusk. Some people were still delighting in Fulham’s win against some team from Stratford as we selected gloves: relatively mud-free, and neatly divided into four different sizes.

We were tasked with raking gravel, to be wheelbarrowed away to another spot. One barrow was earmarked for pure gravel, while another was reserved for gravel-mixed-with-earth, which must have got a better name than that. The difficulty came when shovelling up what looked like unadulterated gravel, as we sometimes inadvertently also dug up the earth concealed below, which risked messing up the whole system.

Despite fifteen people wielding spades and shovels (once again trying to ascertain the difference between the two), and long sharp rakes, and pushing wheelbarrows in a confined space, not a single GoodGymer was injured!

Task Force regular Emma​ demonstrated her worth as a photo snapper extraordinaire, then demonstrated how to use a wheelbarrow as a sofa. As Ilana watched the sun set over some indistinguishable writing on a nearby tower block, we gathered for a few final photos. I headed for Limehouse station with Fiona and Alisa, as we looked forward to returning for one or more of the following:

On Saturday lunchtime, join Maddie and Robert sorting food for foodbanks at the Felix Project https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/saturday-afternoon-session-at-the-felix-project-s-poplar-depot-6df11c33-e39a-4480-a244-6b041986663c. Or join the earlier session at 9:30: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/saturday-morning-session-at-the-felix-project-s-poplar-depot-7fd69d30-ee3a-47cb-8268-3c6b48d2ccd5

Next Monday evening we’re heading for the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park – always a fun task. https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-big-monday-night-task-gardening-at-the-tower-hamlets-cemetery-park-pre-task-workout-4fd663a8-d032-4189-8e78-e0c1adb73052

On Thursday 9th May, there’s a social at the Monument pub in Whitechapel. Myself, Lucinda and “Southern” Emma have already signed up: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/goodgym-social-in-the-city

On Sunday 2nd June, join us for a great day out on the stunning Seven Sisters walk: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/seven-sisters-walk

Monday night fitness

We enjoyed a short run and a fitness session this evening en route to our task on the Hollybush Estate.

Navigating a busy Cambridge Heath Road, we headed for Old Bethnal Green Road at the first opportunity, before adding to our mileage around pretty Middleton Green.

Following a handful of mini-hill sprints, we sped through our stretches, and made our way across the road to meet Margaret and Ash.

Some exceptionally large weeds

After admiring well-loaded wheelbarrows, our little group meandered to Strawberry Fields, the Estate’s orchard area.

Tonight’s task was weeding the large beds in preparation for redistributing the soil in the beds to other areas of the Estate.

The weeds were larger and more abundant than both Margaret and Ash had anticipated, so this part of the task took us a while.

We filled many bin liners which were then wheeled over to the compost heap.

Rain, Rain, Go away

Just over halfway through the task, the heavens opened. With a much-heavier-than-forecast downpour, this put a halt to proceedings. Sheltering underneath balconies, we paused to take stock.

Having decided this was no ordinary downpour, Margaret instructed us to gather tools, a little earlier than planned, and headto the compost bays for a final couple of trips.

Gathering for that all-important final pic, we said cheerio to Margaret and Ash, and headed back out into Bethnal Green, the heavy rain failing to dampen our spirits after another fun and productive Monday night.

Until next time.