We are like a well oiled machine when it comes to cleaning vehicles now! Abby set to work instructing the team on the perfect steps for required for cleaning. Is it just water then water and soap or water and soap and then just water?! I don’t know but I know you need to shimmy shammy to get it sparkling! Well done team - I think that might be a record of 5 vehicles cleaned inside and out in one hour. You can all have a winter break from car washing now…probably!

This blustery morning greeted me with sunshine and the glorious company of the friends of the old Southampton cemetery. We picked up 5 bags leaves & grass and tipped them onto the compost with tremendous strength of the volunteers. I was amazed by the volunteers here who were incredibly inspirational, I will definitely be back.

This afternoon we went on a walk in the sunshine through Shirley and were met with thanks from the locals as we picked up an array of trinkets: an umbrella, pink underwear, a car battery, pizza boxes and several plastic bottles, tins and vapes. @tarek received compliments from some locals. The sun kept going and we went for a nice flat white. to be continued!

We returned to the farm for a consecutive week of muck spreading! We struck gold this week, during golden hour, managing to get to the good stuff early on to shift many wheelbarrows to the vegetable patch. Helen, Sarah and Ellie worked on loading up the barrows while Wilson and Chris did the emptying and spreading. Wilson was on wheelbarrow returning duties to keep an eye on our work and insisted we could managed another two wheelbarrows in the last 7 minutes. What a task master!

Nursery drop off followed up by filling the buggy bag with litter on the way home. All in a 5 mile run

Ten brilliant volunteers turned up at Aldermoor this evening ready to tackle nature head-on—and tackle they did! Finn, Laura, and Derek gave the entrance hedge a sharp new look, while Sarah, Amanda, Beck, and Ronna took on the wild willow by the pond, cutting it back and hauling the branches to the chipper like absolute pros. Meanwhile, Ellie and Anna (with a cameo from Wilson) took on the compost bay transfer— never did we think the whole bay could be done, but Ellie and co were determined and they powered through until the task was complete! Laura and Amanda also got stuck into tearing cardboard for future composting. It was fantastic to see Anna, Beck, and Ronna back for round two, and even better to wrap up with a sliver of daylight—possibly our last light-filled task of the season! Great job everyone!