Today it was just me joining Simon so together we went to move one of the large bed frames to create a new area to plant somw lush vegetation next to the old swing area.

What started as a simple task of removing a bramble and levelling an area turned into a bit of a bindweed hunt and destroy. Slowly but steadily we cleared (hopefully) the area of the pesky invader, and laid down cardboard to keep it at bay.

A few barrowfuls of mulch later and the area is ready for another bed.

Despite the threatening clouds and chill in the air the rain held off so we were able to proceed as planned at Thorlands.

Simon got us all to work figuring out how to copy the netted frame completed by GGers in a prior session and we all took our turns with the drills.

After a while the group split to make the most of our time, so Richard and David went next door to the garden to continue some of the work done during the group run and made good headway shifting and getting weeds to where they could be more benefit - the compost heap. Meanwhile Tracey and Jo continued woodworking and managed to get a 3D product ready for Simon to work his magic with the netting!

Vic played truant from dog-minding and cycled from Peckham, Shannon had to take the straight run-route from Steatham, rather than the scenic one, Jo walked 2km from home, while John ran a bit less than that, to get there from the Oval station. And the rain barely arrived at all.

Eventually there'll be a path running through the community garden at Thorlands, but in the meantime we need to keep the foliage from overrunning the place. So we got to work with a whole wheelbarrow of tools and made an amazing difference, just in a hour and a bit. Even a stubborn tree root succumbed to Jo's fork.

But there's more to do still, and we'll be back!

All the puns at Thorlands have already been done to death...

We wish the bindweed had too, but those pesky roots are persistent. This Saturday the team divided into two: John, Javier and Fi tackled a patch of weeds on the "stage" (also the home to some wandering foxes). They also removed a layer of soil that had been built up there.

The rest of us: Daryl, Nirmay, David and I went on to turn an area of soil on the path we had created months before. The bindweed had gotten out of control and we had to be very thorough in picking out the roots. Hopefully that will be the last of them... 👀

Donning my day-glow waterproof I braved the summer showers to head to Thorlands and found Simon and the gang taking refuge in the walled garden admiring the new water feature dripping through the canvas overhead.

As it eased a little I stayed with the group in the walled garden as we emerged and set about our various tasks, chatting in the rain. GoodGym's contribution was clearing an area of weeds from the gravel and a bit of set design to pull together a new seating and work nook in the garden.

While talking all things Glastonbury and baked goods David and I cleaned up litter, sawed down a buddleia, weeded and turned over the soil. Prepping the area for the next GG group run.