More photos to be uploaded from Chi.

24 GoodGymers and a few non-GG friends gathered in Victoria Park by The People's Park Tavern to enjoy a socially competitive round robin rounders tournament.

Unlike the first tournament in Clapham Common last month, the weather showed up and brought us blistering heat and sun! One could be mistaken that we were in a park in Spain, Italy or France 😳

With the gazebo set up and rounders set laid out, all we needed to do was put on some summer tunes and wait for everyone to show up.

One by one and in groups, GoodGymers from across London (from Hammersmith & Fulham to Bromley and from Haringey to Lambeth) gathered in the predetermined spot. It was a "first come, first placed in your team area". Sam knew there weren't going to be more than 30 people, so the original idea of four teams playing semis, 3rd/4th place and a final was scratched and replaced with a round robin tournament of three teams with the third team being a mix match of GoodGymers from all areas - GoodGym United.

The defending Champions were on first. "Ninety Nine Problems but a Northerner ain't one" decided to pitch first as the "Southern Softies" fielded. In the first game, we decided to do two innings as the first innings went by in a flash. Northerners scored 3 rounders as the Southerners replied with 6 & 1/2 rounders. Yet, after a water break, the Northerners used the blaring sun to turn on the heat by going 6 rounders ahead. It was a tense and long second innings for Southern Softies as they were four players down and still needed to score 1 & 1/2 rounders to win! Marta got the first 1/2 rounder and then Sam stepped up to the plate to score and showboat the winning rounder (to umpire Jonathan dislike).

We reduced the second and third game to one innings as that second innings from the first game took forever to complete!

Southern Softies wasted no time and were on against GoodGym United who batted first and scored an unbeatable 13 rounders with half of it coming from big hitting Ed. Southern Softies reply was just a 3 rounders and 5 players were out before the ninth player Sam could even bat! 😳

GoodGym United showed us that they were the team to beat as they had a good setup in fielding and in batting.

The final game was GoodGym United against the defending champions "99 problems but a Northerner ain't one". If the defending champs won, it would have been all square for wins and losses for each team, but it wasn't to be! Fast spinner Denise, backstop Ed and first base Emma had an effective system like they did against "Southern Softies". They reduced "99 problems but a Northerner ain't one" to 3 & 1/2 rounders. So it was only time that the team made up of members from the North & South of the river plus non-GGers would hit 4 & 1/2 rounders to claim the trophy - a Prosecco shower 🍾💦

• 1st: GoodGym United - 2 wins out of 2
• 2nd: Southern Softies - 1 win out of 2
• 3rd: 99 problems but a Northerner ain't one - 0 wins out of 2

Congratulations to GoodGym United: Laura (team captain), Emma, Bella, Denise, Vicki, Darren, Ivy, Ceiling and player of the tournament, Ed

Thanks to everyone for showing up and getting into a very social and respectful tournament of rounders! It was a pleasure to organise and until next time, take care!

It was a nice-sized team who came together to help the Parkview Planting Team tonight.

A toasty 28 degrees didn’t deter team members from gathering for a run, cycling and walking their way to this enjoyable task.

We were joined for the warm-up and run/cycle to the task by our Chi, who we haven’t seen for ages, and whose presence is always a wonderful surprise and addition.

What were we doing and why?

The Parkview TRA is an active, committed small group of volunteers who help keep this large estate running smoothly. Committed to supporting the environment, maintaining a healthy green space for all residents and caring for the gardens of those residents unable to tend to them themselves, they can always use a hand from a productive, energetic group of GoodGymers.

And so to the briefing…

Gathering in the Community Garden at 7pm, Catherine and Liam instructed different teams to different tasks, along with new task owner, Seb.

Teams spread out all over the estate, wheeling multiple full buckets and watering cans to young trees who don’t appreciate the absence of rain as much as we do.

Runners also popped a few plants into the ground on their way round, and a dedicated team remained in the garden to plant dozens of new baby plants for the resident plant giveaway! It was here we learned from Sara that baby plants can appreciate a little light massage, along with the correct technique!

As always, the time flew by and it was soon 8pm and we were returning barrows and buckets to the Community garden; hosing down trestle tables and figuring out the best location for our final pic.

Fantastic work, everyone!

Shout-outs from tonight’s task

• To Kellie, who recently joined our Task Force, and will be joining us in future Group Runs to learn the ropes.

• To Chris and Sam who led the running group back to base post-task.

• To Sam, who joined us again from Southwark, and who reminded us that we will be playing a seasonal game of rounders again this Saturday, from 4pm in Victoria Park.

And next week…

…we return to the Meath Gardens watering task.

Until then.

It was a perfect hot sunny evening for a paddle along the canal.

we strapped on our buoyancy aids and after the difficult task working out if we wanted left or right paddles we made our way to the kayaks.

This was the tricky part get in and out of the boats is the point we we're most likely to fall in the water, safe say we all made it in and out ok, not with out a a few worrying moment's

A small competitive moment when we we're tasked with linking 5 boats together to form a raft and race. Congratulations to the team for linking together and steaming ahead to the bridge for the win!

it was great to meet Good Gymers from neighbouring areas and get up close with so many young coots and other waterfowl on the water.

Thank you Ritsu for the fab photos!

Skies were blue, sun was out, temperature mild...It was the perfect backdrop to a terrific Monday evening task.

We were due at the Hollybush Estate at 7pm, to help Margaret trim the laurel hedge, by the family area.

Why were we doing this?

The laurel hedge bordering the fences of the estate's allotments and garden is pretty, no doubt. It creates an important microclimate for the raised vegetable beds belonging to the estate's residents.

However, it can grow a little high, and it can grow outwards, taking over vegetable beds, making the area hard to access, as well as becoming a bit of a pest to pedestrians as they navigate narrow pavements on the other side of the fence.

And so it was up to a 14-strong team, to help Margaret of the TRA chop the laurel and other greenery back, bagging and binning, sweeping and clearing as they went.

It was hot, it was hunger-inducing but it was successful. And it was an upper body extravaganza, as the team reached for the higher branches, working skilfully in pairs to tackle the hardest-to-reach top of the hedge in the absence of a step ladder.

As always time, flew, and it wasn't long before we were tying the handles of the last bin liners; sweeping up the final lime-green laurel leaves and posing for that farewell pic. And congratulating our Liz on her 50th good deed :)

We split into three groups at 8pm: those running back to the hotel; those heading home for dinner, and those stopping at the pub to rehydrate.

Until next time.