Less Slow Ways, More Go Ways
8 Goodgymers helped their local community in Islington
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Monday 9th October 2023
Report written by Simon Fitzmaurice
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Area Activator Simon was thrilled to meet up with 7 keen Goodgymmers for a special Slow Ways route planning group run (back by popular demand). Amazing to have runners from Camden, Hackney, Newham and Ealing coming over to the Emirates Stadium for a social run across the city!
Our objective for the evening was to submit a route for the Slow Ways network, a mapping project that prioritises safe and accessible routes for walkers and runners across the UK. Most mapping software focuses on displaying routes that are the most direct- covering the distance in the least amount of time, but these paths might not be the most walker friendly (no pavement, poorly lit, sharing with fast moving vehicles). The plan is to create a full walking network for the entirety of the UK!
Check out the Slow Ways website for more info: https://beta.slowways.org/
We ran the following route (HigHam1)
Highbury and Islington Underground Holloway Rd, London N5 1RA
to
Hampstead Heath Overground South Hill Park, London NW3 2QD
https://www.strava.com/routes/3139661249141098714
6km approximately from point to point.
On route, we made note of important information to be referenced in our Slow Ways listing- such as what time of day were we heading out (approx 7pm on a Monday, in the dark), or whether our route was wheelchair accessible or on a gradient. The first park we came to proved to be very dark, so we decided to change our route to avoid this pathway. Paradise Park is typically very pleasant during the day, of course! From here, we continued up MacKenzie Road and past a few of our popular Goodgym Islington group run locations- Market Road Gardens, Caledonian Park and Hilldrop House.
Islington became Camden, and we ran towards Tufnell Park and beyond. Some fun residential streets took us to Parliament Fields, Gospel Oak and towards Savenake Road- 1km from our final stop at Hampstead Heath overground station. We had picked an excellent evening out for our autumnal run- well done everyone! To celebrate, a few of us stopped at The Magdala pub for refreshments.
GOODGYM ISLINGTON NEWS
The Green Classroom Morning Gardening Sessions
Wednesday 11th October, 10am - midday, Newington Green
An open invitation to attend a wonderful gardening session hosted by Lizzy and Decibel of The Green Classroom, a wild cultivation space in Newington Green.
Sessions are available on the following dates:
Wednesday 11th October https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/the-garden-classroom-newington-green-volunteer-morning-60c3fd6b-2a62-4e5f-b0db-f6bee275171d
Wednesday 18th October https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/the-garden-classroom-newington-green-volunteer-morning-34a47328-71bc-46c7-9496-9d9ce7c9d3d6
Wednesday 1st November https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/the-garden-classroom-newington-green-volunteer-morning-39033162-54b7-4115-bb38-aa4a66b999da
Wednesday 8th November https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/the-garden-classroom-newington-green-volunteer-morning-dd4a2a57-faca-4d7e-a0f4-623f517a832d
London GoodGym Monthly Drinks
Thursday 12th October, 6.30 - 10.30pm, The Thirsty Bear, Stamford Street
WAHOO - it's the monthly London GoodGym drinks
Come have a drink, chat with friends and celebrate all we've done this past month.
Drinks are moving South this month. The venue is:
The Thirsty Bear 62 Stamford Street London SE1 9LX
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/london-goodgym-monthly-drinks
Met League Cross Country - Claybury Woods
Saturday 14th October, 12:45pm - 3:45pm, Claybury Park
Met League Cross Country is a set of five 7-8km races organised by London race clubs. They are held in parks and forests around London with the routes including a mixture of grass, gravel and a fair bit of mud (it is XC after all!)
Cross Country is for everyone! Wonderful fun- sign up here for more information!
Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day (October 2023)
Sunday 15th October, 11am - 1pm, Crouch End Open Space
Join us as we help the team at CREOS, a local conservation charity, maintain and improve a lovely green oasis in Crouch End.
CREOS looks after the meadows and wooded pathways of the Crouch End Open Space. GoodGym runners have been helping them maintain this beautiful patch of land for a while now, and the CREOS team always has lots for us to do.
This month, the CREOS team are planning on playing down a load of hoggin (a mix of hardy sand, clay and gravel aggregate) for new paths along the forest walking routes. It will be a big job, so we can use as many hands as possible
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/crouch-end-open-space-creos-volunteering-day-october-r-2023
Compton Terrace Gardens Volunteer Open Morning - October
Saturday 21st October, 10am -1pm, Union Chapel Islington
A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.
Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/compton-terrace-gardens-volunteer-open-morning-october
GG Race Team- Met League Hill Training Sessions!
Thursday 26th October, 6.30pm, The Pembroke Castle, Camden
Goodgym Cross Country is back! We will be returning to the Met League in 2023 and 2024!
If you have never tried cross country, it is amazing muddy fun. A definite challenge, but accessible to all who want to give it a go, and are part of a UKA affiliated team (like the Goodgym Race Team).
To coincide with the events, Area Activator Simon Fitzmaurice (who is a UK Athletics Coach in Running Fitness or CiRF for short) will be hosting a series of hill interval training sessions at Primrose Hill over the Autumn and Winter months.
The Pembroke Castle, 150 Gloucester Ave., London NW1 8JA, and we will run to Primrose Hill together to start our session.
October 26th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-october
November 24th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-november
January 5th https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-january
January 26th (aka February fixture session) https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/gg-race-team-met-league-hill-training-session-february
Penn Road Gardens- Open Gardens Volunteer Morning (October)
Sunday 29th October, 10am-12 midday, Penn Road Gardens
Every last Sunday of the month, the residents of Penn Road invite keen volunteers to help with maintaining this lovely community spot just off Holloway Road.
Local volunteers will be on hand to direct anyone who arrives to offer their help between 10am- midday. Come on down to enjoy a lovely morning community task!
Follow this link for more info: https://www.pennroadn7.com/the-gardens
Ghoulgym Halloween Headtorch Run (Hampstead!)
Tuesday 31st October, 6.30pm, The Bull and Gate, Kentish Town
Fancy an evening of spooky running in North London?
Area Activator Simon will be leading an approximate 10km run through Hampstead Heath, starting and finishing at the Bull and Gate pub in Kentish Town. Running in the darkness of night is a wonderful experience, and really good fun with running friends.
Queen's Park Harriers Liddiard Cup Cross Country (75th Anniversary)
Saturday 4th November, 1:00pm - 5:00pm, Kingsbury Free Church (Baptist), NW9
Classic muddy running fun in Fryent Country Park!
Queens Park Harriers invites clubs to compete in the annual Liddiard Cross Country Trophy race which will be run under UKA rules.
This will be the 75th running of the event as no events were held in 2020 and 2021 and we hope to see many of the teams who have competed over the years, plus new ones.
There will be a unique, 75th anniversary medal for all competitors.
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/queen-s-park-harriers-liddiard-cup-cross-country-75th-anniversary
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The Friends of Caledonian Park have asked our team to help with laying new bark chip for healthy plants!
