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.

GG helped to clean up a concealed camp that was left behind in the middle of Petersham Common. The belongings were well concealed, wrapped in chicken mesh wiring and covered in tarp sheets. These items have clearly been there for some time, as a lot of the clothing and books were already disintegrated. After cutting through the wiring, we quickly filled up numerous bags with books, cd’s, dvd’s and other smaller items. We also did a general litter picking around the area and then closed off the Saturday task.

On a humid Saturday morning we managed to find some shelter in the woods just off the Star and Garter Hill. The all-knowledgable Ken explained how rain water runs from the high point of King Henry's mound in Richmond Park all the way to the woods and into a stream, which was partially blocked with vegetation, so we set about clearing it. We also spotted an invasive Norwegian maple and cut it back. There was seven of us from GoodGym on the task including Lucy and her cousin Tilly and a young lad who's completing his Duke of Edinburgh gold award.

Afterwards we went for a coffee and a bite to eat in the café in the magnificent Terrace "mini Kew" Gardens.

A wonderful evening to be by the picture-perfect riverside in Richmond as we headed to Petersham & Ham Sea Scouts to continue work on the driveway. The driveway sees a lot of action at this very popular scout base. Over time the cars that pass over it have created holes where puddles form so it was our job to help fill them in!

This was a real all-body workout with shoveling sand mix, wheelbarrowing it around, pick axeing the compacted ground, drilling drainage holes and carrying equipment.

All this was accompanied by a 5km round trip run by the river where our red t-shirts caught the eye of many locals who shared a 'hello' or a 'thank you'. We even had three people run alongside us for a section, in sliders!

We are back at the Sea Scouts this Saturday and next Monday, https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/helping-to-lay-a-path-at-the-sea-scouts-hq-5b739871-f0b8-479d-bd34-2438ea6df5b9

Dearly beloved, there was no early morning wake-up call required for the 10am start for this task beside the Petersham Road and the grey skies and rein added to the funereal atmosphere.

Whilst passing motorists may have mistaken GoodGym to be oddly-outfitted gravediggers, the rectangular hole excavated wasn’t a gaping tomb but the foundations for a new horse trough. This is one of two new stone horse troughs planned for the borders of Petersham, a village that has plenty of equine activity including Ham Polo and the temporary home of Park Lane Stables.

Taking the bit between their teeth , Ken Sam and Anita took up picks and spades and hacked out a grave-shaped pit and, after lining it with a water permeable membrane, took a brief pause for horsing-around and irreverently playing dead.

The maw was then back filled with hard core which was tamped down and topped with a further membrane and a layer of sand to provide a solid foundation to the concrete slabs which will support the new trough. It was a bit of a nightmare trying to level and align the slabs but measuring carefully meant they were cemetrical with the Petersham Common sign and ready for final levelling.

With task accomplished, Ken and Anita saddled up to cycle away while Sam galloped away, already in training for next years London marathon.

An unexpected Canada Day celebration this evening when task owner Ken sprung out with a flag, maple syrup and waffles!

But that's getting ahead of ourselves as the evening started with a run session at Richmond Green, welcoming first timer Steve for a warm-up and then five laps around the green. Those who wanted to added in two short sprint sections and those who didn't went for a steady pace that kept everyone pretty much together.

A very short walk from the green, we met Ken at the St Mary Magdalene war memorial for some weeding around the monument and a few dodgy looks from the pigeons who have built nests at the top!

On completion, Ken went full Canada and served up the snacks, followed by a few seconds stroll to the nearest pub! A relaxed evening altogether, just the way the Canadians are! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦