I have discovered that many hands (courtesy of Charlie, Gosia, Jackie, John, Natalia, Rose, and Steve) really do make light work, even when said hands become icicle-d and numb.

It was cold last night. Passersby at our warm-up spot (by the Crick) walked on huddled within 10 or more layers. They barely looked up at our competitive game of Simon Says.

It was so cold last night that two other runners attempted to join our group (presumably for warmth). They joined the back of our group at the traffic lights on Royal College Street - and I could tell by our group's furtive glances (and missing red goodgym t-shirts) that these new-joiners were unexpected joiners - but before anyone could ask them whether they were lost, the two runners planted themselves in the middle of our pack (presumably for warmth). This mayhem persisted for some time. It was very dramatic. More dramatic than Simon Says. But then... they ran on.

It was so so cold last night that Charlie and Steve hit solid ground whilst digging at Cressfield Close Sheltered Housing (our task for the evening) - perhaps it was sheer ice, I thought - but then Charlie and Steve told me it was stone. Not that I had time to dwell, because I was busy being in awe of our special group, who dug a hole for a fruit tree, planted several areas with bulbs, turned (and revitalised) the soil in a resident's garden, and pruned a pear tree.

It was quite wonderful to witness. So many tasks completed in little over 30 minutes, and all whilst stories and laughter were shared :)

Thanks so much, everyone!!!

Here's to next time!

Cressfield Close, just North of Kentish Town Road, is a quite wonderful place.

Passing by, you may mistake it for a normal collection of homes and gardens... but you would be mistaken.

Take a deliberate turn into its winding alley - make sure you look hard - and you'll begin to notice its quirks...

...you may hear goats and cows, and then you'll notice the farm... you might hear tracks and trains, and then you'll notice the railway lines... and if you really notice, you may see the tops of trees and bushes, the ones flourishing in Cressfield's Sheltered Housing garden... which is where we spent our evening yesterday!

Amna (on their first GoodGym good deed - welcome!!!), Steve, and I took an evening jog through King's Cross and Kentish Town, before being met by residents Marie and Michael, and we quickly got to our nature-bound tasks for the evening.

Amna and Steve (alongside Michael) made light work of three tree-sized holes, which will soon be filled with fruit trees (and perhaps we'll be back to sample their bounties next summer!)

And I joined Marie in turning over (and weeding) a patch that will soon be ready for planting and enjoying, and Amna and Steve joined our efforts following their speedy digging!

Thanks so much, both, for making a lovely evening - here's to the next one!!

We explored a special (and new) space for us this week.

Tucked in the shadows of Kentish Town City Farm, Cressfield Close Sheltered Housing is a private haven for its residents.

There's a peace and a quiet in this space, and this tranquility was a welcome calm for our group as we arrived in red on Wednesday.

Met by the super-experienced Cathi, our wonderful group of Alex T, Jackie, Sarah, and Steve swiftly split into groups to tackle overgrown weeds, grasses, and foliage in the residents' private gardens.

Sarah joined Cathi, and they transformed a space across 45 minutes, pulling weeds, scraping moss, and bringing tidiness to the garden!

Alex and Steve went to battle with a hedge that had started to consume a garden - and their work returned the overbearing mass to orderly beauty!

And Jackie and I got to stripping back long grasses and brambles, filling a refuse liner before agreeing to come back soon with more hands and tools!

Thank you, all, for your work and efforts - I really appreciate it :)

To next time!!