Twas the week before Christmas... and one special group (Amna, Emily, Jacqui, Jackie, John, Rose, and Steve) of good-deeding Camden folk were about to meet three Christmas ghosts...

After a traditional (as seen in A Christmas Carol) festive game of count to (20)24 and an inclusive run through Christmas Camden, this wonderful group arrived at Cecil Sharp House.

Head out of Camden Town and look for giant trees. This is the best way to find Cecil Sharp House. Home to music and creativity, it's also a resting place for a deep archive of folk music.

We don't know whether the evening's ghosts knew (/know) the real Cecil Sharp nor whether they like folk music, but we do know their names...

...the first ghoul was called The Ghost of Leaves Previously Picked, and this friendly spirit (who had a leaf on their head) delighted in showing us the clear lawns and tidy pathways that were the result of GoodGym's work this winter - several of our group joined TGoLPP by jumping up and down and shouting "but where are the leaves - there aren't any leaves!"...

...which was when The Ghost of Leaves Still to Pick popped up from behind a bush, and this fastidious spirit (who had a torch on their head) waved their (transparent) hands to show us oodles of hidden leaves in the bushes - and our group joined TGoLStP by bagging bag-upon-bag of leaves in the bushes and on the flower-beds - and then we were done and about to leave...

...which was when The Ghost of Leaves Yet to Fall stood in the gateway, and this forward-looking spirit (with a diary and pen in their hands) reminded us about the gardening work that is never really complete, and we booked in our next visit for 2025!

Thank you, everyone, for your work and energy - I had a wonderful evening seeing you all!

Here's to 2025... and next time!

When I was a child I think I was middle-aged.

Other children liked Pokemon - or Power Rangers - or other popular past times like playing.

Not for me - I knew what I liked - and what I liked was the 8pm-9pm slot on Monday nights on BBC One: Ground Force and Changing Rooms.

And last night - thanks to the frost-beating efforts of this wonderful group - I felt like my childhood friends (Alan Titchmarsh and Carol Smillie) were present in shaping our very own garden makeover at Cecil Sharp House!

Seven of us - Alex, Gosia, Jackie, John, Rose, and Steve (and me) - met in the King's Cross buzz and we became the only group (of adults) in London to be outside playing Simon Says whilst icicles formed.

Taking our smiles (like Carol Smillie) with us, we started our journey up and through Camden, meeting Emilie early en route!

Arriving at Cecil Sharp House, we met Natalia and Yumei, both of whom were on their first day of GoodGym good-deeding - a huge welcome, both!!

And then our makeover started. I am not certain how it happened. All I do know is that I turned round to find my gardening gloves and a million scattered leaves had already been placed into a neat pile.

It genuinely was miraculous - the lawn and paths were a sea of fallen leaves... and then they were grass and paving again - it could even have been a spring night :)

Thank you, everyone, for your work, time, and fun - it was great to see you!

Here's to next time!

The English Dance and Song Society, situated at in the heart of Camden, is a registered charity which relies on wedding hire to make ends meet. Marriage ceremonies rely on good pictures, and the beautiful Cecil Sharp House and gardens, the society’s HQ, needs to be kept looking smart and well maintained.

Which is where GoodGym Camden came in. To clear the grounds of fallen leaves, which look a mess and prevent the grass from flourishing, we used a mixture of a rake, two brooms, a large leaf grabber and – for the first time, in my experience - a leaf blower, as used by the local council and which we’ve all secretly wanted a go on. This meant we could clear the grass of stifling leaves without the rather crude raking which risks harming the turf itself. The leaves were blown onto the paths, to join their fellow fallen, which were then all swept and raked into strong plastic bags.

The six GoodGymers joined over-worked task owner Susannah with clearing the back lawn, but such was our speed and hard work, we had time to clear the front of the building, and then to tackle the side paths as well. By the time we’d finished, we’d filled about twenty bags with leaves, and it only remained to somehow cram them into Susannah’s car, for transporting to the recycling centre.

A special welcome to Rose, taking on her first ever GoodGym task tonight. We look forward seeing you again for many more Good Deeds!

We've got further tasks next Wednesday evening https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/friendly-group-session-setting-up-the-cold-weather-shelter-at-the-american-international-church,

on Saturday week https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/friendly-group-session-moving-timbers-digging-earth-autumn-gardening-at-st-cuthbert-s-church,

and every Wednesday lunchtime! https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/help-a-green-environmental-project-2c4dfb10-3e02-4987-9a2d-a169b836f988

I have just been leafing through the book Leaves... whilst sitting in my flat in North London (often described as 'leafy')... and I had been thinking I should just leave it but then I decided I couldn't just leave it... and now I've found the chapter I've been looking for: Leaves: To Leave or Not to Leave... and you, dear reader, are now likely bored and will probably leave... and I should just get back to the report!

Our wonderful group of Andy (on their first good deed - welcome!!), Jackie, John, Nivia, and Steve shared an autumnal and active task yesterday - we were at the special Cecil Sharp House, which sits just West of Camden Town and is home our very own home of folk - they celebrate and the old and the new in that scene, and it's a creative haven for many in our community.

Welcomed by the ace Susannah, who maintains gorgeous gardens in CSH's grounds, our task was simple - sweep the leaves, collect the leaves, bag the leaves! The grass and plants need light and air, and the fallen leaves can snatch that from them - our work will give these living bits of green the space they need to thrive this autumn.

Whilst chatting and sharing stories, our merry group of 6 bagged over 10 bags - amazing work, everyone!!

Thank you so much for your time and kindness, and we'll be back at Cecil Sharp House this November!

Tonight, three GoodGymmers met up in Camden to help Cecil Sharp House.

Cecil Sharp House is home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society, which is a charity championing the folk arts at the heart of England’s rich and diverse cultural landscape. They raise some funding through hiring their gardens as an events space, but having limited funding for maintenance of their grounds.

Our task this evening was simple: we were to work on clearing weeds from the paved space in the rear garden.

Such a clear remit needed to be balanced a slightly unclear start to the task as we sought out any tool pointy enough to act as a scraper to the weeds. This resulted in a plethora of tools at our disposal (some of them perhaps unsuitable when considered from a purely practical perspective, but vital when considered from the necessity of whimsy). At any rate, it was often easier to pull the weeds up by hand rather than use a more specialized tool, and it was certainly more congenial to chatting as we worked.

At the end of our hour there, I took an after photo so that people could imagine what it would have looked like before we started, and got a quick group shot for this report.

It was good to meet you, Victoria and Adeel. Adeel, I hope you enjoyed your first GoodGym task, and, Victoria, I hope you enjoyed your visit to Camden. Catch you guys at another one soon! ☺️

Our first mission back at Cecil Sharp in the day light!

Great little neglected job was achieved by clearing behind the shed, a space that is the first viewed buy visitors to the garden and often forgotten, great work on the the Rosemary and Liz.

We’re also able to make a home for some of the unwanted plants for a school project in Somers Town.