We've had some wonderful weather recently, but as is oft the case with the English climate, it doesn't stay for long. Having said that, it wasn't in any way uncomfortable as 8 GoodGymmers (Cosmo, Ruth, Aaron, Jason, Emily, Kate, Ava and Meyrick arrived for one of two visits to Sydney Gardens this month.

Dry it was, and cloudy, perhaps a little chilly in the wind, but a far cry from winter which I hope we've now left well behind. The Friends of Sydney Gardens have a 'formal event' of some kind on the 11th of May, (apparently the mayor is attending). There are certain areas that need a tidy up before this as they will be viewed by the visiting dignitaries, and GoodGym Bath were more than happy to help.

There is a gated enclosure next to the Holburn Museum, which acts as a store for grounds maintenance. In the middle of this area is a derelict building, a relic from the 1700s. Our supervisor educated us that back in those days, this derelict building was in fact a 'Supper Room' and was linked to the main building (the Holburn Museum) by a series of other buildings, a bit like the West Wing.

This was overgrown with weeds, brambles, nettles and saplings all vying for dominance; the result of years of neglect had let them run amok. Our job was to trim this unsightly flora back and reveal what is left of the Supper Room to be seen in all it's glory - this will, though, take some imagination.

We pretty much cleared it all in the short time we had. Great work GoodGymmers, we'll be back in two weeks.

Dozens of children and their parents turned out bright and early this morning for their weekly run around the cycle track at Odd Down. Junior Parkrun is a wonderful way to start the day and get those stats in for those 4-14 year olds who are serious about running. It’s wonderful to see the concentration on those small faces determined to beat their personal best.

And that’s where we three GoodGymers came in. Tanya and I donned the hi viz to cheer on the young people as they took on the 2k, as well as making sure they stuck to the course. While Helen and mini volunteer Archie brought up the rear as tail walkers. Complete with tail!

I'm not sure why the cones had all gathered together - safety in numbers, I suppose.

It’s a great feeling to see the runners put on an extra spurt of speed to give you a high five and, overall, it was smiles all round in the sunshine. It’s got to be the best way to start the day and I’m looking forward to the next.

We're back at Odd Down on Sunday 1 June - you can sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/help-cheer-and-marshal-the-odd-down-junior-parkrun-07cb7fa6-26de-4b1e-b910-aeee06e5d511

The weather was epic this Sunday. A fresh southwesterly breeze and rain-threatening clouds welcomed eight GoodGymmers as we returned to Sydney Gardens for our regular monthly visit.

Joining us today, and both very welcome, were newcomers Kate, and Ava. The usual suspects rocking up were Cosmo, Ruth, Aaron, Emily, Vicky and Meyrick.

We can never quite be sure about the task awaiting us, but Sydney Gardens always offers up a physical challenge. This time, there was a return to a task we had started last Summer. Up at the top of the park, adjacent with the tennis courts, lie two fenced off 'mounds' with gated entrances half submerged in the earth. As far as I have been able to understand, these domed structures contain a grotto/reservoir where water collects, fed from one of the many rivulets that descend from the high hills beyond. This work was completed in pre-Victorian times, for reasons unknown and vegetation and creeping earth have done their best to swallow them up.

The Friends of Sydney Gardens would like the entrances to these dug up in order that they can be turned into features of some kind in the future. A lot of work needs to happen before that goal can be realised, so for the moment just moving topsoil out to other areas will have to suffice.

In fact I was there in December, the sole attendee on that occasion, digging down to the entrance to one grotto and creating a pile of earth. Today we moved that pile of earth into a hole that needed filling.

Whilst half of us did this, (and too many hands etc), newcomers Kate and Ava joined Vicky in weeding around the perimeter of the tennis courts (people were playing despite the weather) to make it look presentable when Spring arrives.

St Andrew's Toddlers in Bath is blessed with a tonne of toys so it was quite a task to give them all a clean. Thankfully, volunteers from the church in Foxhill - including Marcella on her first GoodGym mission - mucked in and we got lots done, although the ride-alongs will have to wait for a wipe down another day.

Our priority was the cooking stuff, which often ends up in tiny mouths, and we also managed to wash a huge box of Duplo. We used the church's sterilizer for the smaller bits and manually cleaned the toys too big for the machine.

Toddler volunteer Diane put her hands to sorting and scrubbing, while GoodGymer Stephen donned the Marigolds and did his bit.

Ruth was not at all tempted by the electronic toys and was kept busy loading the trays for the washer. Children's worker Claire worked on the puzzles and we even found some missing pieces, which was a bonus.

A lot of water, cloths and tea towels were involved. We had to leave lots out to dry overnight and I hope it wasn't too big a task to tidy them away.

All in all, a successful evening. It's good to know that the children will be playing with safe and clean toys when they come back after half term - and we'll probably be back cleaning them again at the end of the summer!

It was great to be back at the Odd Down Cycle Circuit to help out at the Bath Junior Park Run after a bit of a break.

Tanya and I were issued with hi vis, whistles, lanyards and giant hands and assigned to the far end of the track to cheer on the young athletes as they took on the 2km route.

It gives me such a buzz to see the mini-Park Runners giving their all as they make their way round. A bit of encouragement and hi fives spurred them on and a crazy wig raised a smile too.

Wonderful to see GG Helen taking part with baby Archie - we wish her well with her new buggy running venture.

And thanks to Tanya for helping Park Run volunteer Karen with all the bar codes. All a bit of a mystery to me!

Storm Herminia cut our workforce in half but three GoodGymers still came out to help the volunteers at Sydney Gardens. Dave, Meyrick and Ruth started with a group run from the Leisure Centre - actually it was more of a leisurely walk but, hopefully, we managed to clock up a mile or so for the January Challenge.

Jane Austen once walked the paths of Sydney Gardens - she lived close by and attended promenades and other events in the park. So when GoodGym turn up to help restore the grade II listed space, they stand in solidarity with the author.

Today however the pleasure gardens weren't quite so pleasant, given the appalling weather. We had actually been due to move (heaven and) earth to fill in a rather large dip in the ground but rain stopped play.

Instead, we were given the job of helping the regular volunteers clear topsoil and vegetation with a view to creating a path next to the railway. Network Rail has recently installed some fencing next to the track to make it safer and Gill, the organiser, wanted to extend a walk alongside.

She pointed out what looked like a recess for a bench for visitors to enjoy the view and watch the trains go by. Who knows? Perhaps the esteemed author sat there once.

Spades, forks, colourful buckets and wheelbarrows were brought in to tackle the piles of soil and brush. You might say, "What on earth were we doing to take it on in the downpour?" But that's GoodGym for you!

We managed to make quite an impact during our session - although more work is needed to see if the famous writer's footprints will be revealed. (Spoiler alert - very unlikely!)