7 Goodgymmers got a clean bill of health at the doctors this week as they lent a hand at the Hornesy Central Nrighbourhood Health Centre

Doctor's Orders

Our wonderful host for the evening kindly sent the list of tasks we achieved at our mission tonight. He says: "sheet mulching open soil with corrugated cardboard, mulching paths with woodchip, reusing a surplus pallet collar to create an instant raised bed, part filling the raised bed with part broken down oak and softwood logs, filling up the bed with part composted brewery waste, planting a selection of mint plants into repurposed Haringey Council Recycling bins, rehoming a beautiful Sedum or Ice Plant, watering in all of the new plants with rainwater."

Can you believe we managed to do all of that in an hour? Never mind the limited access due to the car parked uncomfotably close to the gardens entrance. Highlights of the evening included Julie and Sarah becoming de facto elevators to help get the many wheelbarows used tonight onto the garden, and poor Sam and Gramps in a race to outretch each other as they worked on the massive pile of composted brewery waste. Ooof, what a smell!

In the end, an evening that had threatened to be a damp squib turned into a lovely sunny evening full of fun and games.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Tonight's task was a last-minute replacement for a task that fell through. Tonight's task leader Sarah was also a last minute replacement, as Euclides' day was not running to schedule.

The job at hand was to tidy up a tree pit near a flower bed that is looked after by some of the Friends of Elizabeth Place. The flower bed is lovely, and frankly the tree pit was lowering the tone of the neighbourhood.

Fortunately Sarah lives close by so was able to turn up with spare tools, gloves, and a council garden waste bin.

She was the first to arrive at the task. And also the last!

Undeterred, she selected a pair of trusty secateurs from her arsenal and got to work.

It wasn't long before the trim was complete. Sarah packed up her tools, along with an empty can she found in the tree pit, and took everything home, ready for tomorrow's recycling and garden waste collection.

4 GoodGymers converged on Lordship to get a thorough workout hauling logs

After a brief and somewhat indecisive run from Wood Green (where will we cross Westbury Avenue ? Who knows‽ (I've only been doing this for a decade!)), we met up at Harmony Gardens.

Congratulations to Paul on smashing out a fantastic 10k last weekend. And commiserations to Paul for getting too caught up and booking in for 2 more 10ks in the next few months!

The weeding we did last time has made a big difference. And the chat started with what's fruiting at the moment. Apples, blackberries, and plums all got nibbles as we went round the Rec. No mulberries left in the park, but Mark's got some going still.

The task was hauling some giant logs ¾ the way round the Rec, and into the long grass to make a bug hotel. More bugs means more voles, which means more birds of prey! Very cool.

This was a proper work out. Sarah regretted doing a pump class at lunchtime. And your mild mannered report Dave hoofed some truly enormous bits of dead tree (by making sure he was picking the already super light rotten ones).

The insects didn't seem very grateful with their new home, as the ignored high socks and bug spray aplenty to give a good biting.

Before long 8 o'clock rolled round, and we snuck in one last barrow load, and dashed off!