Been a while since I went shopping for Ms F. So here I am on a late Saturday afternoon to sort her shopping out especially bottled water as only had 1 left. Usual list with a few changes based on store coupons. Also heard that works will be done in the store which means some extra discounts as the fresh counters are soon to close for refurbishment. So the chase for extra and cheaper race went on which Ms F already started during the week with some bits. As a Saturday late afternoon the shelves were nearly empty but got 95% of the list. No extra cheese as most had gone due to the reduced prices before they go for a counter refurbishment. Ms F was happy for all her groceries and was also happy to see me so she could speak in French. End of mission ended up with how her new TV box works as the engineer of the day did not explain a lot so I took 5 to 10 minutes to show her. Until next time, but who knows which store as her local Waitrose is getting a makeover.

As I was going to Guide Run at Hackney moves in the afternoon with one of our Achilles UK Visually Impaired runners, I decided to do a mission in Goodgym Hackney. My 21st GG area and today was special as my mission was with Ms L who is also visually impaired and cannot see much. I arrived and she had a French friend to help her out as loads to do in the flat. Ms L needed us to sort items, clean or dust them before putting in containers or boxes ready for when she moves. I was asked if I was ok with sorting the bathroom, which I didn't mind. The lights were pink so not easy to read the labels of the bottles I found. I sorted shampoo, shower gels, soaps, etc.. I had some visitors or were they checking on me? Three beautiful fluffy cats!!!They just wanted some attention. Once finished, I was shown a 2nd bathroom upstairs and emptied a small cupboard full of hair items like shampoo, dye, brushes etc ... Whisker me this : another mission done until next time.

Thursday evening is Achilles UK evenings. Guides and VI runners meet then run together with different goals for the day, but also to socialise and have a good chat. Despite the typical British weather loads turned up for another great session in Hyde Park. Goodgymers present as usual.

Last night’s GoodGym Hounslow mission began after a day where thunder had rattled windows, lightning cracked across the sky, and hailstones had come down hard. Surely (we hoped) the weather had got it all out of its system by now?

It had not.

Spirits were high as we arrived at the task and got stuck into an eclectic evening of gardening, tidying and creative endeavours. We split into teams and spread out across the site.

Maxime, Tish, Michelle and Steph tackled the weeding operation, bravely taking on stubborn weeds and overgrown patches that had clearly enjoyed the recent rain a little too much.

Meanwhile, Chris, Emily and Alanna were busy clearing away piles of wet leaves — filling sack after sack with slippery mulch.

There was the evening’s most artistic assignment - Fran and Lucy took charge of transforming an old tyre destined for a new life as a raised flower bed. The mission was to entirely wrap it in rope to create something both practical and beautiful. It was certainly a first for GG Hounslow, but then we're always up for something new.

All systems were go… until the heavens reopened.

Rain came down suddenly and relentlessly, soaking tools, gloves and enthusiasm. But in true GoodGym style, we carried on as long as we could, squeezing every possible minute out of the session before the weather finally won.

The good news is that there’s definitely more to come. That tyre still needs to be completely wrapped, and now the big design question remains: do we continue with the same colour rope, switch it up with something different, or fully commit to a rainbow masterpiece?

As we packed up and headed home beneath a colourful sky, it felt very much as though the weather itself was offering a pretty strong hint…

Cliff, the chief gardener at St Mary’s in South Ealing, told us that the cemetery behind the church was meant to be a pollinator-friendly wildflower space, and not an ostensively manicured garden. Yet, after the spring was in full bloom, the back of the churchyard started getting out of control: nettles, green alkanet and other weeds took over the graves, and even Cliff’s superhuman gardening capability wasn’t enough to keep on top of that expansion. That’s where the GoodGymers stepped in.

Sevan led a group of ten nettleslayers, hungry for an evening pull session in a local jungle. Among them were two new faces in GoodGym Ealing: Giovanni, who cycled to his very first task, and Diana, who, despite being active for a few months as an Achilles guide runner, hadn’t completed an Ealing session until today. She also brought a four-legged support, the pooch Padron (pardon me if I misspelt the name), who made all the hearts instantly melt. Welcome Giovanni and Diana - we hope you’ve enjoyed our collective weeding frenzy!

Steph Ducat, Giovanni, Andy and Cliff attacked the left-hand side of the overgrown churchyard back wall, while Anna, Kash, and Harvey started from the right. Sevan, Diana, A.B., and James worked in the middle and eventually met the other two teams, having pulled or cut all the weeds on their way. In an hour, the stretch of graves along the entire brick wall at the back was weed-free!

Every GoodGym session is an opportunity to learn something new. Harvey told us about soldiers who used to whip their arms with stinging nettles to stay awake during their night watches. Since I wore a short-sleeved top while pulling nettles today anyway, I decided to test that method. I am pleased to report that the nettle stings still work, and I haven’t fallen asleep writing this report on Tuesday night.

As the days are now so long that it is still bright outside when we complete an evening task, there’s no excuse not to take advantage of it and come to the Tuesday night session. The weather has been a sheer delight, too! The next opportunity for an evening experience with GoodGym is next week - don’t miss it and sign up now!