So, there were six of us tonight, and even though I was supposed to lead, life threw a curveball—so, Liam and Sophie became the dream team and took over! Classic GoodGym—when one falters, someone jumps in.

Jo arrived from Exeter, its always lovely when Jo has work on in Liverpool as we get to see her. I didnt get to chat tonight as I was late arriving and we were on different sites... but send my love to my birth county Jo.

Jo, Sophie, and Liam got straight to work taming a very overgrown raised bed by St. Peter’s Church, next to the Shewsy community centre. Bramble-wrangling, buddleia-bashing, plantain pulling and bush-busting clearing that raised bed. There was a particularly dug in bush that needed removing which the terrific trio managed with their strength and enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Ellie, Heetu, and I made a fashionably 5 minute late entrance, but we quickly got stuck in—saws in hand, we chopped down poplar saplings, which were overgrowing horse chestnuts and cowslips. John planted more cowslips whilst we sawed. I clearly worked hard despite every photo looking like I was just chatting as I even broke a saw—Heetu was practically doing a happy dance, since we always rib her about brush breakages!

After all that, we regrouped, and took the group photos, before heading off. Heetu and i couldn't resist doing a little overtime and finishing the job of clearing the white poplar saplings... we will be pop(u)lar!.

Being in Everton—home of the Blues—I could’ve easily had the blues about being late, but instead, I felt lifted by it all. And on the ride home, the sunset was quietly beautiful—a reminder that even when things don’t start as planned, you can still find yourself chasing the light.

There’s something about evenings like this—being outside, working alongside others, doing something simple but worthwhile. It slows things down, shifts your perspective a little, and reminds you what matters. I may not always feel like turning up for a session but I never regret it! I strongly recommend it

Here's to many more Monday nights...

After weeks of planning, Goodgym finally went off on our weekend adventure to the Isle of Man! After a dramatic ferry ride over, we got to know each other, tackle the hilly Noble park parkrun, meet the locals, hike up the famous Snaefell Hill and be in awe of the view, see the stars and coastline by moonlight, tour a tall ship and explore Manx history at the Manx museum all before heading back on the ferry exhausted but buzzing from the experience. Thank you everyone who helped to organise the trip, especially Amina, Heetu and Liam!

Heetu Well the weekend started off a little crazy… with last minute logistics arrangements to include one more, Deekay, with help from everyone-so thank you all! Sally Ann forgot lots of bits and went running back for them all but did come back to the ferry thank goodness! Then Amina was at the wrong ferry terminal with 5 mins to go and our hearts all stopped until she made it into the boat! After that it was all plain sailing as we came together as an effective goodgyming team and made the whole weekend just work with no other major hiccups… we did a parkrun with a goodgym breakfast to make parkrun friends, caught an electric tram, climbed the highest mountain, experienced the TT road curves with no speed limits, ate loads, stargazed while traversing a coastal path and finally a museum. Had an amazing weekend with some extraordinary lovely people that was the best bit!

Amina Favourite moment for me was the team bonding activity and getting to know each other. Another thing I enjoyed was the park run. The course seems fairly ok and along the way I chatted with another runner and we encouraged each other to the finish line. The most memorable moment for me was seeing the relief on your faces when I eventually made it to the ferry. I had already resigned myself to my fate but luckily I made it. Defo, spending time together with the group is another favourite part. Another good thing I enjoyed was the Airbnb - it was centrally located and well equipped. I was a bit nervous with the hike because of it's steepness but encouragement from Steph kept me going to the top. It was also interesting how much we could pack in to such a short time.

Steph We chose a lovely sunny weekend for our trip which allowed us to fully enjoy the ferry ride and the sunset as we approached the Isle of Man. Special mention to the large number of wind turbines on the ferry’s route.

I’m a big fan…

It was so lovely to spend time with my fellow goodgymers to chat and get to know everyone better. Me and Amina got very lucky with all of our timings, allowing us to do everything we planned and more. Next time I’ll make sure I can stay for the whole time.

Miriam This trip was full of highlights it was such an incredible trip. One stand out for me was getting the electric train up to Laxey from Douglas. I heard about a study in Sweden where dementia patients were put into a made up setting of their youth, like a whole village street constructed to look like the mid 20th century. It really helped the patients to function. Well, in a completely positive way, that’s how the various modes of transport we encountered on the Isle of Man felt to me. A steam train, a horse drawn tram, an electric railway. All the original features on the wagon were beautifully maintained. The upholstery on the train could’ve been from the 1960s but it had clearly been recently reupholstered as there was no signs of wear. The wooden interior, the sliding doors. There were smells, sounds and sights that took me back to my own childhood in the 1980s when there were relics like the old wooden district line and slam door British Rail rolling stock still in use. The Isle of Man is comforting in its mix of old and new.

My second highlight that was also a confrontation of history was seeing the abandoned mines on our walk. Looking at how the slag heap had poured over the derelict building ruins, it was so haunting.

Then in the museum the next day we saw a painting of how it looked in the 1960s. The Isle of Man is rich in visible history.

Ellie I'll never forget the friendliness of the locals. But after meeting several locals who had stared at us in bewilderment when we said we were hiking the 5 miles up Snaefell, we set off on our hike thinking what fools they were for not enjoying the glorious sunshine and Manx countryside. We passed idyllic houses we wanted to live in, the famous Lady Isabella waterwheel (the biggest in the world), cute new born lambs and so many spring flowers! But we were soon eating our words when we found out just how brutal this climb was as we clambered up steep grassy slopes and dodged bogs all the way to the summit. I have to give an extra shout out to Miriam who persevered despite her fear of heights and Heetu who conquered the hill despite her sore knees. Three hours later, we finally emerged onto the top of Snaefell sweaty and panting (at least in my case). But the views over the seven kingdoms were incredible and we soon forgot our pain.

Another moment I won't forget in a hurry is how well Goodgymers can lie in Amina's 'Two Truths, One Lie' game. While these truths shall stay with the group, we learnt Miriam had not had a film nominated for an Oscar (which was quite unbelievable of course), Steph had not played darts with Ozzy Osborne (turns her dad did though!) and I had not been caught in a shipwreck. Sorry for deceiving you all!

Dike The dip in the pond was especially meaningful for me. It was my first time swimming in a body of water since moving to the UK nearly five years ago. What made it even more special was how it happened, right in the middle of a hike, surrounded by friends, chatting, enjoying the sunny weather, and then came across this fresh pool of spring water flowing down the mountain. Without overthinking it, I immersed myself in it. It’s hard to fully describe how I felt in that moment, definitely felt refreshed and also my Goodgym friends who captured it on camera. Unplanned, it cooled me down from the scorching sun and nothing went wrong. I wouldn’t have envisaged a hiking experience like this.

In the evening we ended up walking over three miles along the coast, beside steep cliffs and a beautiful shoreline, with laughter, conversation, and the night sky above us. It’s not something I would have ever imagined myself doing, but it turned out to be an incredible experience were I learnt a lot of new things in our cosmos amidst banter and laughter. I’d happily do it all over again.

The visit to the museum brought everything together, the places we had visited, the people we had met, the electronic train ride, hike to Snaefell, the mine, the lost Manx language and the drivers/bikers we saw revving their cars/bikes. It was the last activity and my best. The Digital elevation models in the museum put the areas we had visited in perspective. The short film helped in understanding the artefacts on display. I was particularly fascinated by the documented decline of the Manx language, having to listen to the recorded voices of people speaking Manx was the icing on the cake.

Liam As the sun dipped and moon rose over the Irish Sea, we headed out for a night walk along a rugged old coast road. The Irish Sea was unnervingly still and it looked pretty eerie shimmering under the moonlight. Away from the town lights and the boy racers, the cliffs felt massive and silent, with only the occasional splash of a tiny wave against the rocks to keep us company. The sky was pretty clear with only a bit of cloud cover. We managed to spot Vega and Arcurus shining brightly, as well as Jupiter and Venus. Everyone arrived back at the house really happy but very tired after a long day outdoors.

Sallyann At Noble parkrun we learned “Traa dy liooar” — “time enough.” Which sounds lovely… until you’ve been stargazing, it’s nearly midnight, and Miriam’s 5-month Norwegian Duolingo streak is hanging by a thread Made it back with minutes to spare. Lesson done. Streak saved. Crisis averted. Time enough… just.