10 Goodgymers headed back to Global Gardens on a lovely sunny evening. We were here two weeks ago clearing the weeds on the fences but tonight we were preparing a space for a new planter.

Welcome Wendy to the house!

Welcome to Wendy who attended her first GG task tonight, hopefully it will be the first of many! Also, welcome back to Aaron who joined for the first time last week. Always great to have new members, spread the word good(gym) people!

Barrow, is it me you are looking for?!?

Whether it be running, walking or cycling we arrived at 7pm and got straight on with the task at hand. We had to clear a space of the rubbish, weeds and brambles thats going to be used as a new planter bed. We got the tools and the numerous wheelbarrows ready and everyone got going……..well nearly everyone as Dylan has gone to the wrong allotment! Oops!

The team had a good system going and soon there was two bags of rubbish collected. The barrows were ferrying back and forth to clear the twigs and weeds away and by then time we had to leave there was a large area of soil on display! Jake has now patented his double decker wheel barrow - see pic!

Waste not want not

We also found some rogue vegetables in the pile, so Lucy popped them in her bag to replant at home.

Some folks headed home and the rest to the pub to watch an epic Champions league match, followed by some Crazy Taxi and Karaoke. What a great Tuesday!

Welcome to your first group task Aaron, we are very happy to have you with goodgym

CROESO

And, happy 50th mission to our regular Rosie - black t-shirt coming your way soon.

On a beautiful sunny evening, 9 goodgymers joined together for a run and cycle to help out at the wonderful charity "Cwtch Together". Our tasks for the evening were;

• Cut back the grass as much as possible
• Remove any stingy plants
• Fork over the ground in at the corner of the building, and level the ground
• Open the box......what's in the box?

Sarah, our task organiser had found a locked box whilst continuing to clear the corner outside and was unsure what was in it. The corner had been cleared on our last visit, and now the plan was to level the ground and then lay some paving slabs on there for an additional storage area.

Whilst Michael and Jonathan got the tools from inside the hall, the rest of the team had ripped open the box - like an angry version of deal or no deal.

Oh, what a disappointment

Not even a penny to be seen, it was nothing more than old soil in the box. At least we now know.

Now lets get cracking, Jonathan was straight onto strimming with the cordless, Aaron also strimming but with the corded version and Emily on the flymo. Not the easiest of gardens to cut back, a very uneven and bumpy ground for a mower where the fly was a little less than you wanted in a flymo, but it made for a good workout having to push more. The cordless kid made light work of taking back the grass, as Jonathan completed a quarter of the garden on his own - only stopping when the battery died. Aaron and Emily worked their areas, limited by the length of the cords and only able to move with the extension lead as a group. Great team effort as they made a the garden look at lot better and ready for the young people to use for outside activities on the next sessions for Cwtch Together (weather permitting).

Jake and Llion were scuttering around the garden, removing the stingy baddies as they went. Some areas weren't on the strimming and mowing list, so these had to be done by hand tools alone.

Rosie, Dylan and Dylan took to the corner forking and talking, getting stuck in. Some bits of rubbish were found and removed as the soil was broken up, and then the leveling began. Another good work out for the evening, and it looked great once finished.

We have made a massive difference on this task, and i'm sure that the young people will love using the outside space again this year. A quick photo and it was time to run, cycle and walk back for a little social and catch up.

See you next time.

7 Goodgym folks ran to Global Gardens for the first of two visits there in April. For todays task we took to the lane to cut back the bushes and weeds that were spilling out from the allotment.

We all got to work with our secateurs, snipping away at the stingy nettles and overhanging bushes. It was therapeutic and rewarding work and we were making good progress.

Pants People (TOTP reference for you young folks!)

Jonny worked tirelessly trying to rescue an old pair of pants from the top of the bushes. Y? Coz he was briefs undie a spell!

We had taken two wheel barrows to transport the cuttings back into Global Gardens, but soon the lane was awash with greenery that the barrows could not cope with! I think it was Martin who realized the pile we needed to transport the offcuts to was just over the fence!.... Cut to...... all 7 of us trying to lob the piles of leaves, branches and nettles over the fence! ;o) Michael went around and kindly climbed aboard the bramble pile and stomped it into submission!

Stick Stick Stick Sticky Stick Stick

Once we had finished Ben fashioned a stick to help clear up the smaller leaves and twigs left in the absence of a broom. It was no Penny Lane, but it was a tidier lane!

We ran back in the drizzle for a well earned drink and chat in the pub.

Meeting at our usual place - Glassworks, we welcomed our first timer Ben.

CROESO

Tonight we were making our way to the Samye Foundation Wales, making use of the Spring light and better weather by getting outside for what is now dubbed "The sleeping edition".

The main tasks were putting some potatoes to bed and creating a new plant bed with railway sleepers.

Michael split the groups and sent 3 volunteers to the back yard, Rosie, Dylan and Jessica. Tasks, to remove and weeds, dig over the ground, and then pop the potatoes into their new beds ready to grow and provide some food in the summer.

The second group then had a few different jobs to complete, weeding around the doorways, the seating area and in front of the current raised bed. Then it was time to get destructive....Rip out the old wood, hoping that the beds don't collapse. Thankfully the liners and roots of plants held the soil in place, so as the wood was removed, broken down and then stacked a few people got to weed the now exposed area. Then came the lifting and carrying, each sleeper needed two volunteers to move, as we brick stacked them into their new locations wondering how they would finally be attached (Lorraine was deciding this later).

We managed to make out way through the whole list of tasks, and took some down time within the centre to chat and have some lovely soup which they had made for us. A little later back on this return, but the soup was worth it!