Everyday I'm Shoveling

16 Goodgymers helped their local community in Tower Hamlets
Anton
Michael Hanlon
Charlie Giattino
Tyler Batchelor
Oliver Rockett
Lobo
Kitty
Ramón Berrutti
Emma Jones
Gurprit Sahota
Anna Chojnicka
Rohan
Laura Williams
Martin
Ivo
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Tower Hamlets

Monday 16th September

Credits
Charlie Giattino
Charlie Giattino

REPORT WRITER

Emma Jones
Emma Jones

WELCOMER

REPORT WRITER

Laura Williams
Laura Williams

SESSION ORGANISER

PHOTOGRAPHER

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Report written by Laura Williams

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Writes Charlie,

"We gathered for yet another memorable evening of volunteering at this well-known urban community garden in the heart of Bethnal Green.

What started as a routine mission to move soil and wood chips quickly turned into an unexpectedly lively and fun event—complete with record-breaking attendance, a pink-hued sunset, and the kind of teamwork that would make even the busiest ant colony jealous.

We were all hands on deck right from the off.

As soon as the shovels hit the ground, it was as though we collectively tapped into some sort of communal rhythm. A human chain formed, with everyone passing, digging, and moving soil with the efficiency and focus of, dare I say it, a swarm of ants. You could almost hear the theme music to a heist movie playing in the background. (Instead of robbing a bank, however, we were enriching the earth and helping the garden flourish).

Emma, assumed the role of our unofficial forewoman. Her managerial oversight was crucial to the operation—spurring us on from a comfortable vantage point. (We’ll pretend the regular supply of snacks and much-needed pep talks didn’t help that much).

We also welcomed a couple of new and familiar faces into the fold: Ramón, the rookie of the group, stepped into the gardening scene with admirable enthusiasm. And then there was Anton, back for his third round of soil-shoveling glory.

As the evening progressed, the sun began its slow descent, offering one of those final summer sunsets you wish you could bottle for the darker months ahead.

The sky turned a brilliant pink, casting a soft, warm light over the garden, a reward for our hard work.

Hard to say what felt better: the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of our labour come together, or the stunning sight that marked the end of the day.

And the best part? We finished everything double quick. Whether it was the accompanying breeze, our ‘swarm-of-ants’ approach, or simply the record turnout, we blitzed through what should’ve been an all-day task in less than an hour.

Of course the evening wasn’t complete until we wrapped at a pub nearby. What’s an evening’s productivity without a pint to celebrate. So a few of us found our way to local favourite, The Approach Tavern. With (garden) gloves off, dirt-free pints in hand, we toasted to an evening well spent and a garden well nurtured.

Cheers to all who came out. Here’s to the first of some fabulous Autumn evenings, both in the garden and down the pub."

Tonight's big shout-outs

  • To Charlie, and Emma, powered by ChatGPT, for tonight’s splendid report.

  • To Gurprit for tonight's ace pun.

Next week we're back to the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park for our first Autumn visit!

Until then.


This task supported
Hollybush Estate
Hollybush's ‘Rocky’ Gardens and ‘Strawberry Fields’ orchard are now an established nature reserve with 79 growing spaces

The Hollybush and Teesdale Estate Urban Growers project began in April 2009 in Rocky Park – a disused children’s play area. Now enjoyed by the whole community, the area includes seats and communal herb beds for all to use.

See more

Discuss this report
Emma Jones

Mon 16th Sep at 11:02pm

This really does make me sound awful... chatGPT has it in for me hahah

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