Twas the week before Christmas... and one special group (Amna, Emily, Jacqui, Jackie, John, Rose, and Steve) of good-deeding Camden folk were about to meet three Christmas ghosts...

After a traditional (as seen in A Christmas Carol) festive game of count to (20)24 and an inclusive run through Christmas Camden, this wonderful group arrived at Cecil Sharp House.

Head out of Camden Town and look for giant trees. This is the best way to find Cecil Sharp House. Home to music and creativity, it's also a resting place for a deep archive of folk music.

We don't know whether the evening's ghosts knew (/know) the real Cecil Sharp nor whether they like folk music, but we do know their names...

...the first ghoul was called The Ghost of Leaves Previously Picked, and this friendly spirit (who had a leaf on their head) delighted in showing us the clear lawns and tidy pathways that were the result of GoodGym's work this winter - several of our group joined TGoLPP by jumping up and down and shouting "but where are the leaves - there aren't any leaves!"...

...which was when The Ghost of Leaves Still to Pick popped up from behind a bush, and this fastidious spirit (who had a torch on their head) waved their (transparent) hands to show us oodles of hidden leaves in the bushes - and our group joined TGoLStP by bagging bag-upon-bag of leaves in the bushes and on the flower-beds - and then we were done and about to leave...

...which was when The Ghost of Leaves Yet to Fall stood in the gateway, and this forward-looking spirit (with a diary and pen in their hands) reminded us about the gardening work that is never really complete, and we booked in our next visit for 2025!

Thank you, everyone, for your work and energy - I had a wonderful evening seeing you all!

Here's to 2025... and 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!!