Just Gimme The Light!! And Rake The Lawwnnn!! & The Trowels of Sadhana.

Run Report - By Ross Campbell

Week two at our new house The Queensbury, started well with tales of avocado chocolate mousse, a gluten free brownies. Channing Tate-YUM!!! We even greeted a few new members brought along by Lizzie - Belle & another Ellie!! But as the pack left the our new home, little did we know that we were being hunted!!!

As we rounded the corner to take us down towards Dollis Hill. Sadhana, who arriving late, had gone into The Queensbury, proudly sporting her Good Gym T-shirt, was greeted not by Ellie’s smiling face, but the jolly faces of the pub folk. “You’ve just missed them!!" The slightly pissed inhabitants cheered.

Sadhana, went to leave, maybe she’d just go home. Magic Mike was on TV and she’d heard it was really good…. But no! She wasn’t one to be beaten, she knew where the task was, she had been there before, just the week before in fact. And so she took to her feet and took to the streets.

The pack lead by Ellie headed down yet another back street, the conversation was flowing, the pace was good. But Sadhana’s pace, was better.

Before long she had us in her sights, as we crossed one of Neasden’s many perilous bridges, buoyed by a new found belief, determination and amazed by what perfect form we had all performed Ellie’s “Knees Up Along The Bridges” exercise, Sadhana rallied her energy for one last push to catch the pack.

As she crossed the bridge, we met with Mohammed, Straight Outta Neasden! You couldn’t wish for a nicer man, he gave us some lovely H2O, he had all the gear laid out, new rakes and trowels. And he told us about all the good work Sufra is doing and about their vision. To grow enough seasonal fruit and veg to feed 100 impoverished local families, it’s a grand vision, but boy do they have the plans sorted and up on the wall for everyone to see. It was great to see how our work today would fit into the bigger picture, this was our second trip to Sufra, and I’m sure there will be a third and a forth …..

We headed out, tools in gloved hands, to turn some soil. The patch we were working on will one day be part of a meadow that runs along the perimeter of the land, with a few scattered trees. But right then it was just a bunch of grass. A dark bunch of grass, the street light and what head torches we had helped and we got to work, bringing up the earth.

With Ellie demanding the perfect squat when weeding, we put our glutes into action, our focus down on our work, though our eyes all of a sudden having to readjust to the illuminated smile of a triumphant Sadhana. She had crossed Brent and found her friends! She wowed us with her story got a massive hug from a bemused Ellie and grabbed a trowel and got stuck in.

Banging out the tunes as always Ellie, kept us motivated. You haven’t weeded until you’ve weeded to Shaun Paul.

Time was up and we took time to look back at a job well done. Said a heartfelt goodbye to Mohammed, did a quick agility drill and then started our run home to The Queensbury, with one more in the pack.............. But this wasn’t the end of the story.

As we ran to the sound of the Ellie Metronome, up along the picturesque north circular, unfortunately Sadhana had a fall, her first fall since 1998, which is good going. With a hurt nose and hand, but a massive smile on her face as always she dusted herself off. The pack became two packs, and it was all about getting back to The Queensbury now.

Lizzie and Dan lead the head pack, while Ellie, Laura and Isabelle learned what its like to chase a pack down with Sadhana. Arriving just 5 minutes behind at the warmth and safety of The Queensbury. Smiles all round. And enough time to have a quick chat about Magic Mike before home time!!

See you next time!!