It’s been a very spring like Saturday morning, no coats needed, but we needed the tough gloves to tackle the brambles. We were tasked to tackle an area in the Ham Lands which was overgrown with brambles and Goodgym along with the Friends of Ham Lands did a great job clearing the area. After a little tea break, we cleared our area and then went off for a coffee in the sunshine.

GoodGym Richmond’s Monday 11th November Group Run was a ‘second Monday’ task at our sponsored plots in Buccleuch Gardens.

Despite the cold and the dark evening we got a huge amount done: repatriating fencing; sweeping cleaning and cobweb dusting in the Arcade; strengthening the ‘twiggy barricades’; weeding and leaf removal on and around the Arcade lawns.

However the evening was really about celebrating Ken’s 100th ‘official’ GG Good Deed, although we know he has really done many more.

And we also salute his incredible input as a task provider to GG Richmond, inviting us to help with improving Petersham Common and teaching us about bats, hedge and fence building , horse troughs, planting, drainage, ecology, woodland management, haloing and so much more.

So we salute Ken Mackenzie. Environmental hero . Richmond’s Green king.

Starting at Tap Tavern, Jp celebrated his 600th task, an additional 100 tasks from his milestone 500 in just 11 months!

Beyond the bright lights of Richmond, an intrepid group of GoodGymmers headed off into the dark lands of Petersham to the hidden lair of Petersham and Ham Sea Scouts.

One pair set about emptying a broken trug of soil, one pair helped to level ground to put slabs down for the wheelie bins, and the remaining people got stuck in to a task to filter the ash from the huge bonfire and remove any metal nails that were in the palettes that were burned! A good team task that had everyone doing their bit to get the job done and keep fit while we did it!

The evening ended as the temperature dropped quickly and the group ran back towards the high street and home!

The Second Monday of the Month meant that GoodGym Richmond’s Group Run took us to our sponsored riverside plots in Buccleuch Gardens. Fantastic to have such a great squad of GG Richmond/ Buccleuch Gardens regulars including many who were involved when we first took on the task of transforming The Three Pigeons Plot back in September 2019, on GoodGym’s 10th ‘Super Saturday’ Anniversary and who helped to build our iconic Insect Hotel.

The task kicked off with 10 minutes of weeding around the perimeter of The Three Pigeons Plot before the whole GG Richmond squad headed towards The Arcade and split into teams to focus on the compost heap and rebuilding/strengthening two of the ‘twiggy barricades’ that deter people from stomping on the plants.

Thanks to Sam who led the Group Run from and then back to The Tap Tavern, where we had our Group social afterwards (and a shout out for the limited edition cider on tap at The Tap: Sea Witch Sticky Toffee Apple Cider).

The next GG Richmond ‘second Monday’ Group Run tasks in Buccleuch Gardens will be on Monday 11th November and Monday 9th December.

And if you are free anytime between 6-7pm on Wednesday 30th October, sign up and drop by for a special ‘Spook Night Mission’ in Buccleuch Gardens where we will be decorating The Arcade ready for Halloween.