The First Grassade, a campaign to recover Friars Gardens from the rule of invasive grasses, dates back to September 2023 when seven GoodGymers stood beside Friends of Friars Gardens in the Battle of Mini-Meadow. The dominion of the grass was crumbled by the manual power of shears and rakes. Nine months later, the grass army was rebuilt, sponsored by sunshine and rains. Juliet from Friends of Friars Gardens called the GoodGymers to join the Second Grassade.

The spies reported that the enemy forces besieged the garden plants, cutting them off from the supply of sun and nutrients. Galium aparine (a.k.a. sticky willy) was choking the last stand of lavender. The huge Monster Grass held its roots tightly in the dry soil of the gardens.

The relief arrived in the form of five GoodGymers: walkers Steph Ducat and Beata, and runners: Sevan, Kash and Anuj, making their way on foot to Acton from Greenford and Northolt. Steph, Kash and Sevan were coming as veterans of some serious grass-cutting missions earlier that day, with battle scars on their legs from hidden brambles and pieces of cutting lines flying off the strimmers.

"I will have dreams about grass tonight!" - Steph

Juliet welcomed everyone with a glass of cool water from a jug (no plastic bottles on her watch!) and cheese twists. The GoodGym team grabbed shears and secateurs and joined Friends of Friars Gardens in careful tactical operations to extricate lavender and other rightful occupants of Friars Gardens from the hold of grass and sticky willy.

After two hours, the balance of power in the inner circle of Friars Gardens has been restored, and the grass retreated to the compost bin. The weeds that didn't want to surrender were thrown onto a wheelbarrow and expelled from the gardens. The 120-minute episode of GoodGym's relief culminated in the removal of the Monster Grass thanks to the joint effort of two tenacious Friends of Friars Gardens and a duo of GoodGym black t-shirt special forces. Juliet made sure everyone could celebrate victory with cake, elderflower cordial and more cold water.