After a welcome chat at our meeting place about our favourite boardgames (from Catan and Articulate, to the Very Nasty Horse Race and Bananagrams) we trotted off up Penge High Street towards Cator Park.

We wondered on the way if we've seen the last of the hot weather - good for plants, good for those running the Big Half in a few weeks, but bad for it being the end of summer already if so.

We arrive at the park and headed over to the Tiny Forest - pleased to see how much the trees have shot up since we were last there. Millie reminds us that we want the tree roots to plunge down deep, so could we empty a bucket of water round each tree if possible. We started with the smallest trees, those in the shadiest spots, and did a bit of weeding around too.

A couple of us move over to the park edge, trimming back the hedge so we can see the millennium marker again, and chopping back holly from the pavement side too, to help pedestrians fighting for space on the path, til the next time the council can cut it all back to the fence.

After buckets and buckets of water have been filled and emptied over and over, we say our goodbyes and head home. Thanks all, and see you next time!

We had our second outing to help Jeannette and Alan dismantle the smaller chicken coop at Dorset Road Allotments tonight. Assisted by some power tools (handled by Alan) we made great progress and managed to take off one of the sides and most of the roof, not to mention many wheelbarrows of weeds and brambles that had grown since the last time we visited. Special shout out to Laura who was visiting from Mali and chose to spend her limited time off helping us out!

Once we'd finished the task, we were treated to a selection of allotment-grown fruit and veg as a thank you for our hard work, which was a lovely surprise!

Tonight we had a septet of GoodGymers shifting a whole lotta woodchip for the Blenheim Arpley Residents Association. They've done an awesome job starting a community garden and getting loads of trees planted and asked us for a hand with spreading woodchip around the new trees.

Toilet humour

It was a short run, after a little intro question about fave toilets. Some very amusing stories and some good choices!

When we arrived at the task there were two huge piles of woodchip, some wheelbarrows (in various states of repair...), shovels and a few different areas for us to spread the woodchip to; tyres, shrub beds and 3 patches of trees.

We split up and managed to complete most of the job!

It was great to have Mariah at her first session 🥳 and shout out to everyone else for risking the chance of rain to smash out another task 👍

Another session at the amazing water tower base and we're (sadly?) gradually getting to a point where our work will be done on this 18+ month project!

We had a top team of excavators in the form of Catherine, Kelsey, Hannah, James, me, John and new-to-the-crew Livia! 🥳

We were digging the remaining soil out of the old pipes, removing soil and digging down until we (hopefully) reached concrete, and pulling out weeds and dead tree roots.

We ended up with a decent-sized pile of soil, a big collection of dead vegetation, a little more knowledge, and even some smiles for the photo 📸

Nice one, team! 💪