Three goodgymers joined local community activists at the Mutton Brook tiny forests, for a wet morning of weeding and litter picking. The rain came down, which was great for the trees, not so good for the workers! But we all persevered, and dug up a mountain of weeds that had been growing since the tiny forest trees were planted in March. The tiny forests at the site are part of a scientific experiment with different growing conditions. We saw oaks, hollys, hazels, all thriving.

There's plenty more work to do there, so we look forward to going again soon!

Brambles, Banter and Baby Bottles: A Run to Remember at Cherry Tree Woods

We kicked off the evening at he Phoenix Cinema with our now-traditional circle chat—this time diving into our earliest childhood memories. From the sound of milk bubbling in baby bottles to first flights to India and tales of youthful bumps and scrapes, the stories flowed almost as freely as the banter and laughter.

With nostalgia warmed, we split into runners and walkers and headed downhill to Cherry Tree Woods—just half a kilometre away. One kind passer-by even applauded us on our way down, a first for many of us!

At the woods, we met András, our fantastic host from the Friends of Cherry Tree Wood, who had tools lined up and tasks ready. But first—bramble bashing could wait—a quick fitness session on the open field. Some warm up exercises and a nice plank to finish. we are now ready to take on the brambles!

Armed with loppers, rakes, and shovels, we got stuck into clearing overgrown brambles. We powered through the first patch so quickly that we tackled a second area before time ran out. Litter was picked, pathways cleared, and even some locals stopped to say thank you.

As we walked and ran back in small groups, it was clear just how much can be achieved in under an hour when a group of people come together with purpose and energy. It’s always a privilege to support local volunteer groups like Friends of Cherry Tree Wood, whose ongoing work makes these spaces safe and welcoming for the whole community.

The first person to read this and write a comment get a drink from me!

A brave gaggle of Goodgymmers gathered for our latest group run to Northway Gardens, where we were helping Brian clear the banks of the brook. A somewhat failed attempt at a conversation starter in 'What would you use AI for?', mostly leading to the answer 'To solve the need to ever have to use AI'. So we appointed Rachel to come up with a better prompt for next week!

We set off in good time, Beattie marking the rear, jogging through the back alleys of East Finchley. At Lyttleton Playing Field, we stopped briefly for squat kicks and some core strengthening - the braver among us doing one-armed planks.

Meeting Brian on Northway, he produced two pairs of trusty loppers and set us off in groups either side of the stream, cutting back the overgrowth. Daniel emerged from the undergrowth, having run straight to site - great to see him back again on his second group run in the past month.

Then to work! We cut back self-seeding trees, mostly elder, some figs, and our extra hands ran back and forth, like mobile trees (hence the Macbeth reference!) across the road to the dumping pile. It was hot and careful work, making sure no one took a swan dive into the drink while trimming saplings. We made it as far as the bridge, and made a big difference to the garden's view along the way.

Jogging back, Lucinda took up backmarking duties, and guess what? She's completed her 25th good deed! Well done!

With all the heat, we agreed we needed some refreshments, so we returned to the White Lion for a quencher and chitchat and a promise to be back next week, when we'll be helping Roger and the Friends of Cherry Tree Wood.

It's a very short run, so you can expect https://www.goodgym.org/v3/profile/paul-salman to lead a work out circuit or maybe even some yoga. See you there!