5 Goodgymmers proved they're not afraid of the dark as they lend a hand at Woodside Park as the Friends groups gets on with the work of rehabilitating the tree beds at the Braille Garden area of the park

The One Where Ed turned up and saw what the task was and went 'I'll just go home for 2 mins to pick up my headtorch' and disappeared for exactly an eternity. Poor Paul was worried sick - ed. it might have been more like 4 minutes

Armed with just a couple torches since Gramps big light has decided to do one and head on the long journey to Big Light Heaven, our Goodgymmers were tasked with clearing an outbreak of the always-lovely but over-vigorous green alkanet from the grounds of the Braille Garden area of Woodside Park.

Michael from the Friends group kindly gave us a brief historical overview of the garden, created after WWII as a place where blind locals could come and partake in a bit of gardening, with aromatic planting and braille sign making the task easier for them. Time inexorably marches on, however, and with time the gardens fell into disrepair, becoming a couple of overgrown tree beds. Enter the Friends group!

With a small grant in their pocket and the support and expertise of the Wood Green's Postcode Gardener scheme, the Friends group is working to reinstate some of the beauty and accessibility to the gardens. In other words, they know how to pull at our sentimental Goodgym heart strings...

Even though it was a bit dark, our Goodgymmers pulled the deep-rooted alkanets from one of the beds ahead of a planting session this weekend. Slowly but surely, we got rid of a few wheelbarrowfuls worth of alkanets and weeds.

We also did a gentle litter pick and got rid of a number of empty beer cans, clear evidence that the gardens are still very much in use if only for a different sensory experience.

Come 8pm, Gramps called an end to the procedure but not before some selfies and and assurance to lovely Michael that we will be back whenever the Friends needs a hand. He then tried to poach one of our runners but I'm not sore Gotta respect the hustle!

Join us on Sunday for birdwatching, and next week for more GG shenanigans in the park

Our esteemed leader Euclides was unavailable this evening, so Sarah stepped in to lead the group to Lordship Recreation Ground.

Task owner Ximena was also absent, but had given full instructions: we were to spread woodchip around the base of various benches and bald patches around the parkrun and junior parkrun courses.

Equipped with two wheelbarrows, two shovels and a rake, the group made short work of the task, returning to the woodchip pile several times to ensure any potentially muddy patches were well covered.

Meanwhile Dave eschewed the use of tools and developed his own wheelbarrow filling strategy. As Paul said "he's literally the human Swiss Army knife"

As 8pm rolled around the equipment was packed away, Haringey hi 5s were exchanged and our heroes disappeared into the night.

Kudos to Claire for tonight's pun!

9 Goodgymmers channeled their inner signmakers as they lent a hand at the Meadow Orchard.

Kudos Corner

Everybody make some noise for Hao, who joined us for his first task and jumped right in into the deep end like a freaking natural. Yes! You can come again...

Sign o' The Times

Let's start at the beginning: Gramps made us run a lot ahead of the task. It was hilly. It was dark. It was a lot. Bad Gramps.

Once we arrived at the task, however, things ran nice and smooth. The good folk at Meadow Orchard had a fun task prepared for us, dismantling pallets to turn into future signs around the site.

Our team had a fun time with this one. And the lucky one among us even got some nice mint tea. The unlucky ones ran back to HQ with Gramps. Bad Gramps.

Goodgym Haringey got together last night with a very special purpose in mind - to celebrate a departed friend, whose love for life, disposition for a good laugh, and thirst for just a few more Ks was intoxicating and contagious. The thing about death is that it doesn't care about fairness and sometimes it takes from us people who just had too much damn living ahead of them, leaving those of us still around with such a deep sense of loss. Nurj knew this and last time I saw her at the hospital, she made me promise her in that matter-of-factly kind of way of hers that I needed to make sure her Goodgym lot as she called us would be ok afterwards because after all she wouldn't be around to do so. Bloody strong to the end, our Nurj.

So, as a way of keeping a promise, the Goodgym Haringey family decided to bring some new life into this wonderful London borough that she so loved. We planted a baby tree, which will be around for many years to come, and where us Goodgymmers can go and share a quick laugh or the latest juicy goss with Nurj. A Royal Beauty by name, this tree will be all colours and fancy things as seasons change so we know Nurjehan would have approved. And also, as her Goodgym lot got together last night for the customary rummage through a community garden on a lovely warm Wednesday evening at the end of another Summer season, sharing a laugh, some memories, and some tears, I know she would have smiled at her favourite Goodgym in the country and felt proud. We'll never stop missing you on Wednesday evenings, good friend.