7 GoodGymers came along to the first group run of 2018.

We welcomed along new member, George who had already been introduced to parkrun by some of our other members, so he was raring to go. Let's give him a big cheer! We also had Becky visiting from GoodGym York, so you can give her a big ol' cheer too.

Our task for the next three weeks is to decorate the main function room of the Worsborough Common Community Centre. The centre has recently been signed over to the Worsborough Common Community volunteer group and the room is in need of a bit of TLC - but it's a big job.

We were met by Vera who had been busy purchasing all types of decorating paraphernalia. Our task included:

• Polyfilling the holes and cracks
• Covering everything edgy with masking tape (our own rule because we didn't want to ruin anything)
• Painting all the skirting boards
• Painting all the walls
• NOT painting the carpets or the plastic bit in the middle

The only thing we didn't have was a stirry stick for the paint. Vera emerged from a back room with what can only be described as an antique spoon.

That spoon is way too nice to stir paint with - Becky

She was confident that the paint was water-based and we agreed on using the wooden handle to stir with. Dan and George went straight for the crack-filling, working around the room at a very speedy pace.

Meanwhile everyone else was on masking duty, covering absolutely anything that might possibly get painted on accidentally. Rather than a fitness session on tonight's task, we had a fitness rule; every time the ""Flash"" bit from Flash Gordon came up in our musical repertoire, an exercise would be shouted out for everybody to complete for 10 reps. It didn't take long for the first one to appear...

With the carpet, walls, plugs and shelves masked, it was time to paint. Vera gave us a step ladder for the high bits. Some might have described it as rickety, personally I just think it had character.

That ladder is older than all of us - Josh

Dan took on the ladder and it was fine. Luckily George was tall enough to reach the top without even stretching, so between us we were covered. About ten minutes in to the painting, Vera informed us that there were two different shades of paint, one for the end walls and one for the side walls.

All the paint is called Blue Circle, and none of it is blue!

After a mammoth effort to read tiny numerical codes, we realised that one pot was indeed, slightly darker and that Grace had in fact been painting the end wall the wrong colour. We love making a bit more work for ourselves anyway.

Time whizzed past and after six rounds of flash exercises and lots of bits of wall painted, we only had enough time to rinse off all the brushes and strike our first group lunge pic of the year before running back down the hill to Shaw Lane.

Join us next week for part 2 of the painting challenge!