Ms F greatly appreciated having a GoodGymer visiting her this week, as a few weeks ago she had to do the shopping on her own, without volunteers available, and struggled to breathe carrying groceries home on her own.

She took the opportunity today to stock up on bottles of Buxton water, which I never mind getting for her - carrying them to the 5th floor definitely kept me warm, and I loved the workout!

I was successful in obtaining most of the products, except for the baby sugar snaps and Cornish Yarg. The cheese counter had just closed, but a nice lady from the fish counter checked for me to see if there were any cut pieces available. Sadly, there was no yarg whatsoever! When asked if I wanted any alternative cheese, I mentioned I wasn't shopping for myself, and the lady guessed who I was shopping for! Of course, Ms F must be famous in Waitrose - even when she doesn't often go there in person!

I had good news for Ms Famous, nonetheless, as I managed to secure the breaded haddock, which is often sold out when I shop for her in the evenings after work. Together with discounted tuna chunks and poached salmon, I brought material for a real fish feast!

Before I left Ms F's flat, our Waitrose celebrity shared news about her new singing projects. I was excited for her, impressed by how she embraces creativity and continuous learning, no matter the age!

The new year often means new faces at GoodGym group sessions - it was no different at the first group run of 2026, as we welcomed Conor. He found out about our community from a friend who was once a regular GoodGymer and is now warmly remembered. What a fantastic thing to recommend to someone new to a city, or even a country!

Conor was enthusiastic about the running part, yet our group, after a warm-up, squeezed in only a very short and a bit fragmented jog. Steph Ducat, Sevan and Kash were extra careful as the temperatures dropped to around zero, and the pavements became icy and slippery. The quartet spent some time running between the Walpole Park gates, each of which was already closed. Oh no! Eventually, the running team, having met cyclist Andy and walker James along the way, headed to the emergency exit (or, shall I say, the emergency entrance?). It pays off to know your parks after all!

Despite the slipperiness and slippage, we collected a strong team - everyone who signed up for tonight showed up and was ready for some woodchip action! And we needed all hands on deck as we were going to tackle the path between Rickyard and the frog statue, which became totally bare since our woodchipping effort two years ago.

With wheelbarrows, shovels, forks, a rake and soundtrack (early 2000s hits played by a group of girls hanging out behind Rickyard), we accepted the challenge to refresh the path and make it enjoyable to walk on. Unlike our previous session to improve that path, we had to travel quite far to the woodchip source this time - and we were after the freshest of woodchips!

It was probably the first time this season we've had a noticeable snowfall in Ealing - but not enough to make snow angels. We've been considering indulging in the woodchip angels instead - especially as rolling in freshly dug woodchips could actually warm us up. Despite dropping temperatures, the air felt fairly mild, though.

Thanks to the whole team's determination, we've completed the path in just over an hour - and it was a quality one, with a thick layer of woodchip. Great work, everyone!

If you've missed the Walpole Park session, worry not! Next week we're back with more woodchip, more running and more park variety. We will be visiting Blondin Park for a practical workout for the local green space and a dose of hot chocolate at the end. Sign up now!

After experiencing a no-show beneficiary at their earliest morning mission, Sevan’s and Kash's day became a bit fluid. They have rescheduled and completed a task in Blackheath and found themselves in a café in Lewisham, discussing when to take a train to Victoria to get to their last mission, which they also wanted to start earlier than planned. The answer: all trains were equally boring - how about a 9.5 km run? That's what they decided to do, exploring areas of South London along the way.

Miss M didn't mind having the GoodGymers show up earlier and had her donations for the charity shop ready in the landing when Sevan and Kash arrived. This time, there was only one donation drop run for two pairs of GoodGym hands, as the lady hadn't gotten enough boxes to pack up her unwanted books yet.

Sevan and Kash carried four bags with clothes, a hot water bottle, a pair of slippers, and a couple of teddy bears through a familiar route to the FARA charity shop in Pimlico. Once donations were received, the last thing to do was to bring the large bag back to Miss M, enabling more charity shop runs in the future. The GoodGymers set off for a very short jog, scaring a group of street pigeons on their way, which triggered a memory of Sir David Attenborough's film about wildlife in London they had recently watched.

I feel like a peregrine falcon! - Kash.
Not like a five-year-old? - Sevan.

With the last task of the day complete, the two decided to keep an eye out for future tasks for Miss M, as decluttering space and donating no longer needed items feels particularly rewarding, even when done for someone else.