There was such a chill in the air last night that we decided to benefit from the warmth of the Town Hall lobby rather than meeting outside, and even did our warm up in the marble hall under the watchful eye of Hogarth! We also had a surprise visit from a task owner who oversaw a Christmas mission. He had come to say hello and thanks for the great efforts a group of GGers had put in clearing Bat Corner in Gunnersbury, which also warmed our hearts before we faced the big freeze!

We had just set off when Jonathan emerged and seamlessly joined the group without even slowing down, and we all set off together on a slightly different route to the task. It took us longer than usual thanks to a road closure by Turnham Green and arrived to find some more GGers gradually turning blue as they waited for us - sorry everyone!

There were two main tasks to be done - cutting back the bushes and shrubs in the car park, and spreading woodchip from the big pile onto the forest school area. We divided up into two teams and got to work. The dipping temperatures weren't the only issue we had to contend with, as the lack of light added en extra element of peril! Nevertheless, nobody was put off and after 40 minutes of hard work we had got loads done.

All that was left was a run back to base, some stretches, and a quick dash to somewhere warm to thaw out. We have a lovely start mission on Sunday to litter pick by Kew Bridge, which is the perfect opportunity to welcome new people to GoodGym Hounslow as well as play an important part in tackling the pollution problem in the area. Hope to see you there.

Next week we have a big challenge to help Cultivate London move paving slabs, a session which promises to be a good upper body workout!