After a short hiatus from GGN yesterday was my first session post BST clock change, and I can confirm it's bloody good to have some light back, inform the press. Joined by the trio of Grace, Rahul and Shreya, who didn't travel across from Kingston, as understood after some early investigation, but in fact are Poplar residents. Thanks for supplying a triple injection of exuberance into the session - welcome back any time!

As always, we answered the RWQ prior to departure "What sound do you find most irritating?" I kicked off with chewing, the moving of saliva in someone's mouth is my own personal hell. Shreya's not a fan of work meetings, and that pesky Zoom ping that signals more video chat. Grace went for tech too, the dreaded alarm that means it's time to play Capitalism (I'm perhaps extrapolating). Hils, ever the stoic, kind of prefers not to hear the train-please teach me patience oh wise one. Louise thinks personal train conversation should be kept personal...and I get that.

We ran the urban trail to the mural where we increased by five, the lesser spotted Graham sporting off a HAIRCUT, I'm not sure why this is big news, it just is. Dimple, great to have you back chipping in, it's been a while.

A relatively straightforward job on the wall was completed in no time, but what it lacked in minutes it made up for in auditory damage, that sound scratched my soul man. However, clearly it will all be worth it when an absolutely gorgeous mural is painted on, giving some vibrancy to the area. Have a look at the Broken Windows Theory, I've come across it a couple times, but most recently in a M. Gladwell book; basically - when you make an area look better it gets treated better.

The dessert, that wasn't on the menu, but was probably perfect for our healthy numbers: moving a massive sleeper and then shifting almost a tonne of sand. Team-work was paramount and everyone slipped into place as needed, I'm still a little bit down that we didn't finish the sand, but with time I guess I'll be okay.

Thanks all for a cracking hump day and making a massive difference to a superb community space.

Next week we head to the best permaculture in the world, Get Out Garden, over in Bow. I've bullied the main man into joining and directing us, so hopefully we can help with spring cleaning. I've set it up as a Social to mark a return of light to our Wednesday hustle, let's have a beer/juice after. Sign up here

Till next week,

B

A small group met at the end of Harley Grove this evening for a short warm-up before tonight's task. Balancing on the wall, we performed Bulgarian split squats, tricep dips and incline push ups before we headed into charity GET OUT's Food Forest a little further up the road.

(What is GET OUT?

Charity GET OUT uses ‘environmental education to strengthen the connection between Tower Hamlets' young people and the natural world via a programme of outdoor education, surfing and food growing projects').

One by one, GoodGymers joined us and in no time at all we were a sturdy team of 10.

Kieran, our task owner, spent some time telling members a little about the project and the charity, including its relationship to the local school, the recent open day and all the different types of vegetables and herbs in the garden.

With an amazing list of tasks arranged on his 'phone, Kieran proceeded to divide the team into five teams of two. Tasks were very varied, and task selection before description was obligatory! The teams were soon dispatched to all areas of the garden as follows:

• Joel and Grace on tree felling.

• Rosie and Leo on watering.

• Benoît and Sree on polytunnel picking.

• John and Rohan on bed-turning.

• Shrey and Rahul on pond-repair.

It's been a while since we've enjoyed such a variety of tasks, and it was quite something to wander around the garden and see continual activity: problem-solving at its finest, whether tackling the last stubborn cells of a tree trunk or negotiating tape in a toad-infested pond.

As usual it was all go, and the team stuck loyally to all their tasks. No reinforcements for tree-sawing required; no rotation out of plant watering for something new; the joy expressed from pulling up Padrón peppers...The GoodGymers seemed happy.

And then, of course, it was after 8 and we were posing for a final pic with Kieran by the surprisingly well-stocked tool shed. Another fabulous night. Well done team.

Until next time.