It finally time for some warmer outdoor sessions and Wednesday was the perfect day for it!

We have been working with Walthamstow Toy Library for a while and have completed many an indoor task but this week we had the pleasure of completing some weed trimming and seed scattering around the grounds.

As usual, we arrived to a warm welcome from Helen who provided us with a range of tools and gloves to get to work on the overgrown bushes pushing through the fence. We made quick work of trimming this down to manageable lengths before moving onto the weeds lining the pavement.

In between tugs of weeds, we came across seed bombs encased in clay that had failed to dissolve in the soil. Between Ramon's recommended foot twisting mechanism and a few whacks with the tail ends of our tools, we were able to break them apart and redistribute them along the soil beds and will hopefully be singing some wildflowers sprouting soon.

3 plastic bins filled to the brim with weeds and some very good conversation later, we could stand back and admire the fruits of our (relatively) intense labour.

Our task was made considerably more entertaining by some of the unbelievable Alpaca facts dropped by Sarah, so if you are looking to learn some wildlife facts while spending some time in the great outdoors, be sure to look out for our next task!

Our first physical task of the warmer weather!

A deceptively difficult foray into all things tree felling (or the aftermath thereof), we braved fairytale style thorns and walking the plank in order to clear up the paths that had been blocked by tree trimmings.

Gloves on and ready for (almost) anything, we took turns hoisting branch piles above our heads and tramping single-file to the designated spot behind the shed. A few, "oofs" and "ouches" later, we realised that the thorns and jagged edges were going to require us to be a lot more vigilant.

Refusing to be beaten, we quickly made light work of the pile of plant waste and were off into the evening for some well-deserved pizza!

Hurrah! Another trip for GGWF to Walthamstow toy library with the lovely Helen C.

After a short run there, we (Alex, Charlotte, Ramon, Ercole, Dan, and another Helen for good measure) met at the task, and finished off with some hill reps (ok, the stairs). For Ercole, this was a walk in the park after 40 reps of the Springfield Park mound today!

Our task? Sorting out fancy dress into categories.

Dear Reader, this may seem simple, but let me assure you, that this task could be over thunk. Especially with yours truly around. Do all the princess costumes go in the Disney pile? What about Star Wars costumes, aren’t those owned by Disney now?! Shall we keep all the cowboy/sheriff costumes together with Buzz costumes? Robin Hood- historical figure or fictional character? Will mixing Marvel and DC superhero costumery cause a rip in the fabric of the space-time continuum?! And, arrrrrrrrrrrrr these trousers piratical 🏴‍☠️ enough to go here?! We pondered all these, AND MORE.

But mostly we had a very jolly time, with some outstanding dressing up and accessorising (although worth remembering what Coco Chanel said (@Ramon) about taking off the last thing one puts on!

And I’m afraid there were devastating scenes breaking the news to one GoodGymmer that the unicorn 🦄 costume belonged in the “mythical creature” costume pile, and not the “animal” pile. Ercole, we hope you’re doing ok now..

Anyway, fairly speedily we had things categorised and wrapped up, faster than you can say “professional web-slinger, coming through!”.

Reader, our task was done. We helped with locking up, and sped off into the (Dark K)night.

This session was a nice (technically) indoor tasking, helping the GreenHouse Project organise their shed.

It is always a pleasure to complete a task and be able to see the fruits of your labour. That was definitely the case at Trencherfield Allotments, where some teamwork and clever tetris-style planning by Charlotte who was able to get into all the nooks and crannies and create space seemingly out of nowhere !

Definitely one of our shorter tasks, we were in and out within 45 mins and opted for a stroll back towards Stratford where Ramon shared some very useful tips for tight calves, quads and plantar fasciitis If you'd like a free consultation, you'd better catch him at the next session!