Two things to do at our brand new task tonight at the Paxton Centre, a community creative hub on Anerley Hill.

We met at the Bridge House and answered tonight's icebreaker - What's your favourite paint name? We had the bright: razzle dazzle rose to the more sombre: gunmental grey.

Setting out, we did a spiral out along Oakfield Road and then onto Anerley Road and up the hill to our destination. On arrival we met Beth, the proprietor of the space, who wanted help with touch up paintwork downstairs 🖌️ and fastening the legs of a set of tables upstairs 🔩

James led the way in taking apart the tables so we could get to the nuts that needed to be tightened, while GoodGym returnee Matthew and team got to work taking down the various prints on the walls and painting behind them where the colour beneath had chipped off over time.

Both teams did a great job and we were done by 8pm, ready to head off home with Beth grateful for our help. Alone, it would've taken her a long time to do those jobs, but with a few helping hands we could get lots done in 30 minutes! 🕗

Join Cat next week for some wire brushing at Alexandra Recreation Ground (and warmer weather! 🤞)

We had a duo of tasks last night to pick from.

Team Gazebo (Fiona, James, George, Nathan and Charlie) popped along to the scene of last week's gazebo erection to deliver said gazebos to a shed the other side of the estate ahead of a community event there this weekend. They also put up a couple of posters up to advertise the event to residents. Top stuff.

Easy PEASy

Down the bottom of the hill, team planter (Paul, Cat, Clare and I) headed to some weedy community planters to give them a little tidy. It was a big job so we just tried to do one section, removing some sticky weed, grass and dead sweet pea plants (but emptying the pods and spreading the seeds amongst the other beds).

Nice job and jog everyone 👍

After a quick chat about pets, and some stargazing on the way (the crescent moon and bright Venus) five of us valiantly battled up the hill to Crystal Palace, where it flattens out through the bright lights, and we headed to meet Shakib at the estate's storage shed. We met the other five of us there, and quickly formed a pack of giggling but very efficient gazebo popper-uppers. Excited by the new task, some of us working inside the (really quite new and nice) gazebos and some directing from outside, we made sure all the bits needed were there, and that everything worked ok. Then with spotlights and headtorches flashing, a brief mini disco effect made us all laugh, before we packed everything back down as neatly as we could to make it easier when the estate's event day comes round. A new task complete, and hopefully the start of a new regular place to help out over the year.

You wouldn't know autumn 🍂 was long gone at St John the Evangelist Church's ⛪️ meadow, but GoodGymers are deft with a rake and keen to lend a hand 🤝

At Bridge House we introduced ourselves and answered tonight's question - What is your favourite leaf? We had answers like maple leaf, oak and monkey puzzle - a good selection! The run was a gradual incline over 2km, but kept us warm 🔥

Piles of plant matter were quickly put together as the team worked fast to uncover the grass and get those leaves into the composter where they can rot back into soil.

Job done, we enjoyed the downhill jog 🏃back to the pub.

Good stuff everyone! Next week Cat will be leading the run to the park, where we'll be prepping a fence for a painting...

I've never heard so many tree puns in one night. Which is kind of ironic because we didn't find many trees...

But it was still a good night for a run/stroll and we did find a few trees!!

We split into a few groups:

Charlie, Paul and I had a bit of luck finding two trees (one massive, one little) and one branch on the way to the tree drop-off point.

Catherine, Cat and JC (visiting from GG Greenwich 🥳) did a long route but alas only found a nice statue and a plastic tree :(

James, Clare and James took the hilly route to Sydenham Wells Park. No trees but 6k in the bag 💪

Better luck next year?!

Well done anyway for your combined energy and jogging. See you next week!