"Ashdown Crescent, you say?"

"That's right, Ashdown Crescent"

"Ashdown Crescent, neighbour to Queen's Crescent?"

"Oh yes that's the one, Ashdown Crescent right by Queen's Crescent"

"Mmmmm I think I have indeed passed that crescent, the Ashdown Crescent, the one by the Queen's Crescent!"

"Oh yes I should think you have! We all know Ashdown Crescent, the crescent next to the Queen's Crescent"

Which, fellow friends, has been the dialogue in my brain ever since 'Ashdown Crescent' entered my ears. Was this really a real place? Had my life finally become irreparably conjoined with Jane Austen's? Was I actually featuring in an episode of Downton Abbey?

RIGHT - ENOUGH OF THIS SILLINESS - I HAVE AN EVENING OF GOOD DEEDING TO TELL YOU ABOUT!

Nine of us - nine of us without (unless appropriate evidence is forthcoming) regal connections - battled the evening's business to make our ways to this special sheltered housing complex just to the West of Kentish Town. Home to 35 local residents, Ashdown supports independent living and community in a hidden pocket of green just off the main thoroughfare.

Our wonderful group of Alex, Caitlin, Dan, Emilie, Emre, Giulia (on their first good deed - you're very welcome!), Sarah, and Steve mirrored a crack team of altruistic gardening experts. Having been warmly welcomed by Frezghi and Paul, this group needed little more than a blink to divide themselves into productivity.

Alex and Giulia got straight to pruning and weeding an overlooked section of walled garden - Caitlin, Dan, and Emre honed in on the middle bank of the garden, pulling weeds and re-composting - Emilie and Sarah started an evening-long battle with two compost drums in need of emptying and refreshing - and Steve got to work with the largest broom I have ever seen on a GoodGym task.

Over 45 minutes, this group made a material and visible difference, and I know the residents at Ashdown will be grateful! We'll certainly be back this summer to do even more :)

Thank you, all, for your work and energy - it was a joy to see you all!!

Seven Goodgymmers met for a good forking and nattering session at Tottenham Green on a lovely mild Spring evening.

Rake It Until You Make It

We had been invited to Tottenham Green to lend them a hand with the by now mythical renovations to the Nursery building that the Friends Group has been patiently waiting for going on... erm.. an eternity.

Alas, it wasn't to be this time either but lucky for us, Laura from the Friend's Group always has a plethora of jobs to complete. Tonight we were entrusted with turning over and transporting two big piles of compost (which we had helped create last year!) over to one of the flowerbeds at the edge of the Green, and also move an awful lot of sticks into a more manageable stick pile in the composting area of the Nursery.

With no time to waste, our Goodgymmers literally dug into the evening, armed with forks, spades, and in one particular case (hi Clare), one of our Goodgymmers embraced her inner ursine nature and attacked the pile with some bear claws, thus providing the unspoken third and most important option to the whole 'Man v Bear in the woods' discussion du jour - Be The Bear! #WomanPower #SmashThePatriarchy But also, #MenDoBetter

Anyway, we worked swiftly and efficiently, finding time to catch up with our lives, bother Charlie asking him to identify every little insect and bug we found, put Julie in a bin, and make plans for a social when our Alex is back from Glasgow for a bit. 

Before you knew it, our self-appointed time-keeping martinet Nurjehan was tapping her foot and banging on about it being 8pm so we said our goodbyes, but not without giving Laura a hand and taking some selfies.

As a I said, a lovely Spring evening

Join us next week as we help the folk at Moselle Meadow create a natural pond!