We kicked off Monday night’s run with our customary warm up in the square with Mark introducing us to at least one new trademark move that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Michael Jackson music video. He had earlier shared the news that he has entered the Richmond GG team into a Tug of War challenge in July, but we’re starting to wonder if he might in fact be preparing us for some kind of Disco challenge. Just how many glitter balls does he have stashed at home…?

Warm up done, we pushed off for a chilly but scenic run along the riverfront, around the boundaries of Marble Hill Park and then towards ETNA, East Twickenham’s Community Centre. We’re almost regulars at the Centre now but we’re still welcomed with a slightly incredulous shake of the head and ‘you must be mad’ smile.

This week we were called up to get the weeds under control in the car park. With Mark rummaging in yet another shed for tools, Jenna and Elaine rumbled the industrial sized green wheelie bin around the building to the car park in what seemed an almost superhuman task until we realised there was a brake on the bin (good training for the Tug of War at any rate). Then having completed a quick ‘weed-not-weed’ ID, we set to the task amidst gusting wind and a sudden downpour of rain that was at least aspiring to be hailstones if not the actual thing. Divya observed that recently it has rained on every Monday run she’s attended. So might be worth checking if she’s coming next week when deciding whether or not to leave your waterproofs at home…

Whilst we cleared the ground of weeds, we set Mark the task of keeping the car park security sensor light on. (‘Dance, Mark, dance!’) And always ones to look on the bright side, we agreed that the rain had at least made it easier to get the weeds out because the ground was so soggy (like our feet).

Dance, Mark, Dance!

When we had gathered a sizable pile of weeds, we once again wheeled our wheelie bin across the car park to start filling it up, only to discover that we needed a key to unlock it. This sent Mark off again to rummage in his shed, and whilst we applauded his enthusiasm when he re-emerged brandishing a foot long set of pliers (or something similar, it was big anyway), we suggested that might be overdoing it. So back the wheelie bin went to its corner followed by a line of GG volunteers sweeping the weeds across the car park to pile up beside it.

So if anyone in the surrounding buildings had chanced to look out of their window, they would have enjoyed a Mark Barun arm-waving dance special, a wheelie bin waltz and a group of broom-wielding line dancers. Quite a show, Richmond, quite a show…

Welcome to Heidi and Maya who ran with us for the first time. Heidi gets top marks for coming up with the pun. They both deserve kudos for braving the weather. Come back next week – Divya will let you know what to wear…

Elaine a thank you for the run report is simply not enough, what a delight to have such a great writer in our team.

For those that weren't there tonight remember to ask me about the Tug of war next week!