On a sunny (but pollen-packed) Tuesday evening, a GoodGym duo gathered at Leonard’s Priory to take on the spreading invasion of Green Alkanet - a very pretty but persistent weed. With just me, Chandrima and Larry (now working with volunteers over at Regent’s Park but providing direction on this evening), we got stuck straight in.

The site had become pretty overgrown since our last visit, so Larry fired up the lawnmower while Chandrima and I started on the alkanet, which had taken hold almost everywhere. Larry kept a watchful eye to make sure we weren’t pulling up anything important - not always easy in a historic burial ground! We made solid progress, even uncovering a few hidden gravestones along the way.

As we worked, Larry explained to us that this would be an archaeologist’s dream and told us about a planned exhibition at Bow Church showcasing his finds from the Priory in the coming months. After about an hour and with hayfever well and truly winning the battle for myself and Chandrima, we called it a night.

A great effort from a small team. We made a real dent in the alkanet, and a strong case for returning soon with an army of GoodGymers to finish the job properly.