Spring jobs, proper places

A lovely Friday morning Community Mission at Stephens House and Gardens, working alongside some of the regular volunteer crew in the spring sunshine.

I started in the children’s playground, helping clear back some nettles with Julian. It’s not that nettles aren’t welcome they absolutely are but like most things in a garden, they just need to be in the right place. Stephens House already has a dedicated nettle patch, which is great for butterflies as an egg-laying resource.

After that, I joined Helen in the bog garden .. not especially boggy at the moment after the dry spell where we tackled dock leaves before they had a chance to dominate. Helen is working hard to increase biodiversity in the area, and there was something very satisfying about getting the spade in just right and feeling that deep dock root come free with a satisfying pop.

A couple of hours of simple, purposeful outdoor work, good conversation, and shared effort was rounded off in the best possible way: tea and biscuits in the Bothy garden. Friendly, community-minded, and quietly rewarding a lovely way to spend a Friday morning.

And Gus seemed happy too, back in the park he grew up

Subham and I joined John and Hannah to help clear old log boards from the path where they were stopping vegetation from growing properly. We moved the wood into separate piles, creating habitat for insects and leaving some material aside for possible burning.

Simple task, good company, and plenty of chat while we worked.

Darlands is a special local nature reserve, with woodland, wetland and lake habitat that supports wildlife and helps the wider local environment. The lake has also recently been dredged, which should improve water capture, benefit wildlife and help reduce flood pressure further down the river system.

A nice straightforward mission, but exactly the sort of practical support that helps a local green space thrive.

With the clocks sprung forward and the light lingering a little longer, we gathered as usual outside the Phoenix Cinema for our pre-run chat on a beautiful spring evening. Better still, we were joined by two new recruits, always a welcome sight.Kbrom and Kidanemariam

To keep things simple, we kicked off with the important business of sharing our favourite colours, arranged from black to blue. Green turned out to be the winner with two votes, while Subham’s answer, naturally, varied according to mood.

Our task was pleasingly local .. just a 500m run downhill to Cherry Tree Wood, where we were helping the Friends group with some evening conservation work. On the way, and while there was still good light, we made the most of the grassy area for a warm-up: jogging in a wide circle, side steps, knees up, ground touches, direction changes, and a short sprint to catch the person in front. We even had time for a quick throw of the frisbee, which felt like a fine way to welcome the lighter evenings.

At the woods we met fellow volunteers including András and Rodger, who talked us through the tasks. One group cut back raspberries, while the other gathered dry branches and sticks to help create a natural dead hedge protecting the orchard area from the main path. Rodger had recently done a course on the technique, so the fence-building came with extra enthusiasm and know-how.

Soon enough we were hauling branches, building piles, and transporting materials across the site while the sun dropped and the different stages of twilight showed themselves through the trees. It was one of those evenings that reminds you why GoodGym is such a pleasure: fresh air, birdsong, nature, teamwork, and useful work done well. The finished fence looked fantastic too well worth a look in the photos.

After that, it was a short run back up the hill to the Phoenix for a warm-down, some stretches, and our goodbyes.

A lovely evening, great company, two new faces, and another satisfying bit of work for one of our local green spaces.