20 Hackney GoodGymers ran 5k to Mabley Green to plant 13 bird Cherry Trees.

On a sneaky cold April evening the squad gathered at the Bakehouse ready for action and after a naming difference of opinion (which I am right about obviously) we set off on our adventure.

Slicing right through the Hackney out towards Hackney Marshes and the revamped Mabley Green where we met Hackney Park ranger Bruce.

With a crash course in Cherry Tree planting and a mumbled warning about the field being an old Artillery factory we set to work as a slick unit cutting into the turf and digging a deep box hole for the tree to nestle into. Almost immediately we all it problems and the dig turned into an almost archeological investigation with each group picking out old pots, pipes and the occasional brick not to mention the claims of concrete and coal mining.

But onwards we dug eventually getting deep enough to house the tree, we took a casualty along the way with a snapped fork to show the graft. Filling the hole back in, replacing the turf and creating a mulch doughnut around the tree trunk.

With the first 10 trees planted water man Peter barrowed over 50 litres of water to bed the trees down. We then had just enough time to get 3 more trees housed before the clock ticked over and it was time to run! Being so cold we had to do a little rewarm and some marching, walk out pressups and ring a ring a roses side squats and side skipping got the pulses raised and muscles activated before we headed back on the 2.6k run back to base!!

All stretched out and reminded about next weeks Birthday Social we were on our way to refuel after a top GoodGym session.

Smooth Running

Joel