What a lovely group we have in Leeds!

This weekend, we headed to the Lakes on a star(less) gazing weekend. Lots of activities were planned with a great walk up Helm Crag in Grasmere where the sun came out for us. We then checked in at the YHA after watching Jubz trying to park in the very tight car park! After an afternoon of clear skies & a lovely meal, we made our way to Grizedale Observatory as the clouds covered the Lake District sky. Despite this, the astronomers gave us a talk, we touched meteorites from both Mars & the Moon & had a visit to the planetarium which is equipped with a dome which gave us an awe-inspiring view of the sky. Despite not being able to see the stars, we had a great night.

The next day, after a run by a small group & some breakfast drama, we hired some self-drive boats for a jaunt across Lake Windermere! It was a great way to end our trip.

Thanks to everyone who drove, to Jason for leading walks/runs & to everyone for coming!

It was also nice to meet Sam & Ben, who are now honorary members of GoodGym :)

Tonight, we mainly stood in amazement at Christian's speedy digging skills!

We were digging trenches at Bedford Fields , filling them with logs and garden waste to create mounds. This is a permaculture technique that uses decaying wood as a base to create nutrient-rich, moisture-retaining garden beds. The buried wood acts like a sponge, absorbing water during wet periods and releasing it during dry spells. As the wood breaks down over several years, it provides a consistent, slow-release nutrient source.

It was a freezing night but we managed to keep warm (ish) with our hard work.

Thanks for coming out in the cold everyone:)