It was more kitty then snippy at the start of our monthly session with HANGOT today. As we walked the tools from HANGOT's base to Osterley Lock Orchard, Steph and Andrew found a cat owner in distress. The pair helped the owner get back onto their bike and later, Melissa saw the cat and the human lazing by the canal 😺.

When the team got to the orchard, everything had shot upwards since their last visit 4 months ago and the ground was covered with nettles and brambles. Those needed to be cleared from around the trees and at the back, there was a damaged plum tree to take care of too.

Steph and Andrew went straight for the log moving task at the plum tree. It turned out to be some big branches that needed to be cut down to size and moved to the compost heap. With the help of some HANGOT saws, the dead wood and weeds were cleared and the tree patched up, with the hope that the tree will recover and continue to give fruit.

Melissa, Scott and Sevan roamed around the rest of the orchard, clearing rings around each of the fruit trees. They chopped, they raked and they moved the brambles, nettles and other weeds to the compost pile, completing their work on most of the fruit trees. Cutting away the rival plants meant that the trees could take all of the nutrients and rain (if there'll be any) that they needed from the soil, instead of having to share it with the growing blackberries.

Today was the last session for long time HANGOT leaders Mirjam and Frank who are moving out of the area. Mirjam was the task owner when GoodGym Ealing were introduced to the group and they've influenced how HANGOT has developed and thrived. The relationship with GoodGym was handed over to another HANGOT member, Clive, a few months ago and new leaders are now in place, but Mirjam and Frank's departure marks a changing of the guard at the orchards.

As it happened, the person who founded HANGOT 11 years ago came back to volunteer at today's session. As she and Clive caught up about the many changes and moments of luck and difficulty over the years, Clive was heard to say:

"We couldn't have kept going without GoodGym."

...and he said it because he believed it. Not because Sevan was sitting next to him.