On a damp and blustery day, Christine, Sue, Maggie and Sheila joined taskowner Karen Davies at Spital Cemetery in Windsor. While Karen put up some poppies for Remembrance Sunday, the rest of us tackled a wild rose overgrowing a grave belonging to 2 sisters who had both lived to a ripe old age. All of a sudden, who should make a surprise visit, but Amy and Rachel fresh from a Pilates class. Amy presented me with the most beautifully crafted medal adorned with a spade and GG cap to celebrate my 1000th Good Deed. We all continued working until we had finished the job and left the cuttings in a bag for Tivoli to pick up. As the rain began to fall, we retired to the shelter of the chapel doorway and enjoyed some delicious carrot cakes made by our very own super-chef, Rachel. Wonderful! Thanks to everyone for making the session so special - I felt thoroughly spoilt!

Margaret, Tessa and Sheila met on a warm but blustery day to help tidy up Spital Cemetery alongside other volunteers. And it turned out to be a prickly business. First we tackled the brambles running along the wall, cutting them down to ground level. Then we moved on to cutting back a holly bush which was was making access along the path a potentially painful business. Finally we tacked a bramble and elder combo which were obscuring a grave. Well done to Maggie for providing the two Hippo bags from her secret stash in which we could put all the prickly clippings. A job well done

...2 GoodGymers and one dedicated volunteer attacked bindweed choking some of the rosebushes in the Garden of Remembrance beds....we managed 2 bags full but need to return....

Sue and Margaret joined a session at Spital Cemetery to help tidy up this special place. Sue and another volunteer attacked the brambles whilst Margaret kindly sorted out a grave for a Cemetery Friend who lives a long way away. They also discovered a stash of empty cans and a handbag...."Can Goodgym do it...yes we can"!

5 Goodgymers joined taskowner Karen and another volunteer at Spital Cemetery for the first workparty of the year And we couldn't have picked a more beautiful day! Sheila, Christina, Tessa and Mary worked on revealing a gravestone from the brambles that were engulfing it. Eventually we were able to read the lettering- the headstone commemorated Helen Poraz, who died at the age of sixteen in 1887 and we think hailed from Courtachy in Scotland. Meanwhile Sue and Maggie worked in the woodland area, clearing the paths and they created a huge deadwood pile using several trunks and large branches, supplemented with smaller branches. This was partly buried with some clods of earth shoveled by Tessa, which will be great for wildlife. They also discovered 2 new graves which had been completely hidden A productive and satisfying morning's work

Halloween seemed an appropriate day to meet at Spital Cemetery for our last workparty of the year and to get ready for Remembrance Day. Maggie (complete with new knee) and I joined taskowner Karen and other volunteers. Our first task was to put up the poppies on the railings behind the war memorial. We decided to arrange them in a garland design, and after a quick bit of maths we fixed them to the railings, stood back and admiredour handiwork. While others litter-picked, and Karen spread some wildflower seeds, we had a stroll through the cemetery, checking that all the war graves were free from ivy, and then settled on a grave which was getting a bit over-run. No more workparties now until the spring