5 Goodgymmers cast a spell on a very moody Halloween night as they helped the Noel Park Big Local put on a phantasmagorical extravaganza for the kids in the estate.

Ghoul Runnings

On a night with two good deeds up for grabs and an abundance of crappy weather for an outdoor task, our Goodgymmers exorcised any semblance of wailing from their demeanour and got on with their missions for the evening.

First up, Citrusy Alex and Hexy Rebecca joined plain old Gramps for good deed number one. With a rather dramatic storm brewing in the air and a shortage of troops due to a bad bout of pestilence among the Noel Park Big Local ranks, Lemony Snicket and Hexy Bexy were tasked with staffing not one but two of the stations along the Halloween trail in the estate. Tasks included handing out sweet treats, avoiding the diluvial elements, and stamping kids' paper maps in the middle of a flood. And reader, that they did. Our valiant two not only held the two forts with aplomb but once their task was done, with loads of leftover treats in their bags, they started the trick-or-treat in reverse challenge by going up to kids in the streets and filling up their bags with sweets. A very wholesome end to the first good deed of the evening that would take a rather more sinister turn later in the night at the hands of Batgym Girl. More on that later, perhaps.

Once they rejoined Gramps who had been manning the final station, it was time for good deed number two. Enter Sluggish Charlie and Batgym Niamh.

At the last station, it really truly was a scene worthy of George A. Romero as poor Gramps faced last chance saloon before the cavalry arrived. With a kids party originally planned for around 20 kids and at least three members of staff available to him, a solitary Gramps stopped counting after kid number 90 walked through the door. One after one they all kept pouring in, devouring sweet treats and displaying hands covered in stamps from the trail.

Luckily our four heroes came to the rescue. First one to shine was Hexy Bexy who took control of the hordes in a way that can only be described as Sexy. With the absolute calm of an experienced hunter, she first gained the trust of the soaked kids and led them in some prancing and dancing, before using some unknown spell to convince the parents to leave and head home with such a skill that they all left thinking departure was their own idea. It was a thing of beauty.

A now savaged community centre was quickly turned over by Batgym Girl, Sluggish Charlie, and Hexy Bexy while Gramps stood around, picking up the last bits of party detritus and his nerves off the floor.

In one last act of kindness, our Goodgymmers took a now discombobulated Gramps to a local watering hole, where they sat around the campfire feeding him beers and regaling him with stories of days gone past.

A good night was had by all (but one) 😅

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