A short but sweet task tonight as we made our way along the Richmond riverside to the boathouses, where we were met by Trevor from the Richmond Boating Scouts. Seven of us were at the annual task of helping to give the arch doors a scrubbing, a sanding and a fresh oiling, ready for the winter ahead.

Block Party

Part one was to give the doors a sanding down. Chris, Liz, Lucy, Adam and Kate armed with sanding blocks started to scour away at the external doors, whilst Monica and Cathy gave the inner side a clean up, and dusted away the cobwebs.

Oil Be There For You

Once cleaned and sanded, we changed from sanding sponges and rags to paintbrushes and pots. Whilst the sun was setting over the Thames, we smothered the doors in teak oil from top to bottom. Kate was on quality control, with Chris and Adam making sure the high bits were painted (and kept a safe distance from Adam’s splash zone, following allegations he was a splatterer when it comes to the paint brush).

Just Let Me A-Door You

Within no time, we stood back to admire the freshly oiled doors, and then turned to admire the stunning orange sky over the water. Trevor thanked us for our efforts, and off we went into the sunset, a Monday night good deed teaked off.

Second Monday of the month meant that, No Surprise, GoodGym Richmond were returning to their original Avant Garden Plot, The Three Pigeons, showing yet again that they have Got What it Takes to keep Buccleuch Gardens blooming and beautiful.

Preparing for Autumn, we were wielding secateurs to tidy the plot, diggin’ and weeding the perimeter and preparing for the Seasons of Wither. Pampas grass seed heads were removed and self-seeded St. John wort cut down. And at the Arcade, Lords of the Thighs JP and Chris wielded forks to turn our compost heap and dig out some rich organic matter to help with some late summer planting.

By now we were more than half way there and everyone chipped in to plant thyme and a selection of bargain-basement bedding plants (begonias, verbena and petunia) that will hopefully provide a splash of late summer colour for a few weeks.

The Three Pigeons Plot was looking Drop Dead Gorgeous by the time we finished. Around 8pm, as Darkness was falling, it was time to Draw the Line, clear up and run, cycle and Walk this Way back to the Tap Tavern (where the lime Deuces are Wild) for a quick GG social, before we all had to Head Home Tonight.

But we will be Back in the Saddle again soon, including a super Saturday on 14 September with our regular monthly GG Mission at Ham Lands at 10am https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-bd191a17-5b00-42da-ae77-5a8eed086ac4 plus an awesome Treasure Hunt late summer social at 2pm https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/end-of-summer-social.

After Saturday morning’s mission was left unfinished due to a lack of tools, the good folk of GG Richmond (and a couple of guests from other boroughs) rallied to organise a bonus mission to get the jobs done.

There were several tasks to complete for The Purple Elephant Project, a children’s mental health charity working across the London Boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow, supporting over 100 children and their families every week with therapeutic interventions such as Play therapy and Art Therapy.

Harvey, Chris and JP set to work on building the shed, which could not be started on Saturday. They laid the foundation trays and weighted them with gravel, and got the base of the shed into place against the wall.

Meanwhile, Rachael, Adam, Monika, T and Rob swept up leaves on the driveway, gathering them into sacks for disposal. The flowerbeds were also raked clear of leaves so that they looked pristine, and a general tidy up was going on all over the site at the same time.

Over at the shed, walls had been added along with some front panels, and the team were hammering panels onto the support beams to form the roof. Genius Chris realised the felt should only be tacked on one side so the roof could be fixed into place without puncturing the felt before it was tacked down.

Another task was going on in the garden by this time, which according to our reporter on the scene, T, was the best bit of the task! She, Kate and Monika were gluing loose beads into a water run, providing a delightful water feature for the kids making use of the garden. Using No More Nails, the team formed a system with T putting dots of the glue on the missing spots and the others adding the pebbles.

Back over at the shed, hinges were added to doors and doors were added to shed.

Organiser Jane had supplied cupcakes for energy and plenty of squash to wash them down. It was soon time for the group photo, which was taken in front of the Purple Elephant sign.

Back at the shed, the fiddly task of adding closure bolts and a clasp. Then a search for nails as the team raced against the incoming darkness to get the remaining jobs done - tacking the roof felt in place and adding panels on each corner as a finishing touch.

Well done to everyone for taking time out to do some good on a bank holiday Monday!

Summer weeding had me a blast

Summer weeding happened so fast

We met in Richmond , group run GG,

onto Buccleuch, fast as can be

Summer days weeding away

Oh-ah! Oh, the summer nights

Well-a, well-a, well-a, huh

Tell me more, tell me more

Did you get very far?

Tell me more, tell me more

Like did Three Pigeons star?

doo ah hah, doo ah hah, doo ah hah ..doo

The arcade was opened, tools got decamped

onto Three Pigeons, dry plants made damp.

Down by the river, the steps and surround

We showed off, clearing the ground Summer sun, gardening fun

But ah! Oh, the summer nights

Well-a, well-a, well-a, huh

Tell me more, tell me more

Did the Plot look alright?

Tell me more, tell me more

Did weeds put up a fight?

Shoo Da Bop Bop, Shoo Da Bob Bob Shoo Da Bop Bop Yeah…

Took to composting, down by the Arcade

We went sweeping, litter was raized,

We cleared out, all-round the plot

We stayed working, past eight o'clock

Summer stings, were a bit of a thing

But ah! Oh, the summer nights

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Tell me more, tell me more

Did the litter get bagged?

Tell me more, tell me more

Was the weeding a drag?

Shoo bop bop, shoo bop bop Shoo bop bop, shoo bop bop Shoo bop bop, shoo bop bop Shoo bop bop, yeah!

We got friendly, chat, tools in hand

Well, we got fitter, working the land.
Task complete, turn out thirteen*

Well, it was good, you know what I mean

Summer heat, GoodGym meet

But ah! Oh, the summer nights

Whoa, whoa, whoa

Tell me more, tell me more

How great it looked at the end!!!!

Tell me more, tell me more

Could we do it again?

It turned eight thirty, that's where it ends

A GoodGym photo with all of our friends

Then we made … our group social vow

onto the White Cross, we’re running now

Summer team, achieving great things

But, oh

Those summer nights!

(Tell me more, tell me more, more, more)

• Including Hunter the dog.

With apologies to Sammy Hagar, Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta and the ensemble cast of Grease.