We spent a sunny Wednesday evening helping out at the Marston Community Allotment. We weeded bindweed and nettles from a no-dig bed (sssshhh, don't tell - we had to dig a little bit to get the epic roots out), watered all the planted-up beds, and shovelled and barrowed compost to top up one bed and fill a raised bed.

Speedy work from all involved!

On Saturday we spruced up the garden at Littlemore Village Hall so that it's ready for them to host outdoor events through the spring and summer months.

We planted trees, pruned hazel, weeded flower beds, watered the plants, and cleaned the outdoor furniture. We were rewarded with sunshine and an abundance of tea and cake. Fun in the sun.

After a winter full of cancelled tasks thanks to poor weather, it was a joy to be out in the sunshine at last!

We have a long history with Marston Forest Garden, having helped out and witnessed it's transformation since it's early days. This time we were moving and replanting a Sea Buckthorn tree (very spikey), collecting barrow loads of compost from the communal compost pile, and weeding away grass from around the Mulberry tree and surrounding herbs.

Two hours whizzed by and our Vitamin D levels got a boost.

We usually take the opportunity of the darker winter months to gradually work our way around the food bank giving it a thorough clean. We haven't been able to fit in with the food bank schedule for a couple of months, but with ITV due to film there tomorrow, tonight the diary was cleared for us to do an emergency clean.

We swept, we mopped, we wiped, we dusted. We sorted expired food, we threw out an unmentionable amount of black bananas, we even scraped food off the walls. Within an hour the whole place was looking much more camera ready.

Welcome to GoodGym James!