GoodGym returned to St Mary's churchyard for the first time in 15 months and there was a huge change from previous visits. In much of the area, the bramble invasion of the old days was under control and there wasn't a jungle of weeds. Still, with such a big area to look after, there's always more work to be done.

Today's task was to help task owner Cliff and regular volunteer (and today's DJ) Paul to clear the area around the graves on the far side of the churchyard which, once upon a time, were hidden by brambles. Cliff and Paul explained that they'd been working for 3 years to get on top of everything and, as well as tidying up, had managed to do some new planting in the centre too.

Before starting on the weeds, there was a big log to be moved. It was resting on a gravestone, so everyone got involved with rolling and flipping it towards the compost pile. With the heavy work complete, it was on to the simpler stuff.

As the team worked out from one corner, the usual suspects were found and dug up or pulled. Nettles and brambles, then Kash removed ivy from a boundary wall, then holly was found, which led to:

"I hate holly. I hate ivy too" - Paul
"I guess you're not a fan of the Christmas carol then?" - Sevan

Even if Paul didn't appreciate The Holly and The Ivy, he had some music blasting out throughout the task. It started with 80's disco and modern remixes of it. He explained that his children were into 80's music too as part of its revival. Then, there was a change in era and genres to suit Kash and Sevan, with a new playlist that included some 90's/2000's alt-rock and nu-metal like The Cranberries and Linkin Park.

Back on the ground, there were saplings discovered that were growing in places that they shouldn't. Awkward places that needed them to be dug and levered out, which they were. The group achieved lots of little wins that had a big impact and it led Cliff to uncover a grave that was marked with the date 1824. It was still in great condition even after being there for 200 years!

At the task's end, one area of the graveyard had been cleared, and the soil was visible again. With Cliff's dedication and a little help from GoodGym, they'll work to keep it that way.