On a beautiful Saturday I walked over to meet Natalia outside the property and in we went. We met Miss J and she showed us the jobs at hand, which were clearing the weeds from the sides of the path, between the pave stones, and in the flower bed. There was also a trampoline in the back of the garden which had been taken over by brambles, which Natalia did an amazing job of tackling! We forgot to get the before shot but she cleared a big area in front of the trampoline so that in the future the brambles in the trampoline could be tackled. We ploughed through the jobs in an hour and a half and managed to completely fill the green bin! Miss J was really grateful and we left feeling like it was a job well done.

With the beautiful camelias of Chiswick House blooming in GoodGym red, it must have been time for our visit back to help out with jobs in the garden!

This week we were met by George with an emergency job - GoodGymers assemble! The Kitchen Garden is due to open today but the team has just discovered that there is a dangerous lintel by the normal entrance which means the public can't use it for the time being. There is an alternative pathway in, but it has been neglected over the winter and become clogged with weeds. That's where we came in!

Our task for the evening was to clear the path of weeds, grass and other undesirables. We were given a demonstration on the various roles.and told that it was imperative that rakers take the lead and must stay ahead of the pack. they were followed by hoers and forkers. The choreography was everything.

With the light rapidly dropping we worked worked hard, fueled by discussions of books, travel and weekend races. A massive well done to Michelle, Florian, Alan, Steph and Matt for taking on the Queen of the Suburbs in tough conditions and for some epic running!

After 45 minutes of effort we had reached the end of the road. You can see what the path looked like before our hard work, but I wish I had a decent after shot to show you. You'll just have to take my word for it that it was path perfection!

Next week Michelle will be leading the group to help with the new season of planting for Hounslow Foodbox at Chiswick allotments. You can find the details here and sign up. We also have anice litter picking task at Baron's ponds this Saturday if you're ale to help out.

Well, wasn’t last night a double whammy of excitement? Two tasks, double the fun, and a whole lot of running to get us there! We had two teams of GoodGymmers heading off in different directions, each with a unique mission.

Team Duke - clearing the pathways

Alan led the group on a run to Duke’s Meadow, a beautiful park offering a fantastic space for locals to enjoy. It’s a lovely community green hub which needs a lot of looking after. So, that’s exactly what Alan and his crew delivered.

Upon arrival, they were all ready to dive in, no problem locating brushes and tools, and soon enough, they were busy clearing the area of twigs, branches, and debris. The only challenge? The dark conditions. But armed with their tools and determination, they worked like absolute troopers, clearing out everything in sight. By the time they were done, the area looked much clearer, ready for people to enjoy without tripping over branches!

And as for the mileage, they definitely covered their fair share, with a small detour on the way back. Kudos on getting in some extra steps!

Team Chiswick Pier - sorting out the planters (or that was the plan...)

Meanwhile, Team Chiswick also had a slightly more interesting route to their task at Chiswick Pier Trust than originally intended. Chiswick Pier Trust is an incredible community project aimed at preserving the natural beauty of the Thames and offering locals a space to connect with nature. It’s a hub for educational events, boat tours, and environmental conservation. The Trust’s work not only helps keep the river clean but also gives people a reason to love and protect their environment, and GoodGym was there to lend a helping hand.

Upon arriving at the site, we met up by the river and waited for the tas owner to arrive. And waited. And then waited a little bit more. Eventually we took matters into our own hands! With scrubbers and steel wool in tow we tackled the algae and gave the planters a good old scrub-down. We also cleared weeds and litter, and Chris cracked the secret to eliminating the green scum - plenty of water. Thank you, Emily, for your emergency water bottle! By the time we finished, the planters were looking much clearer and more presentable and hopefully we stopped the beginning of rot.

Reunited at the Town Hall

After our respective tasks were done, we all regrouped by the Town Hall for a good stretch. Two tasks, plenty of running, cleaning, and good deeds done. Before we wrapped up,there were a few exciting things to mention. We’ve got a mission coming up helping out at Baron’s Ponds, and we need as many helping hands as possible! If you’re available, come join us!. Don’t forget about our regular Sunday task helping out at Junior Parkrun at Osterley. It’s always a blast and a great way to get involved in the community. There are also not one but two opportunities to help protect the Chiswick eyot this weekend.

Lastly, a huge good luck cheer to Alan, Michelle, and everyone else taking on the Queen of the Suburbs race this weekend. We know you’re going to smash it!

We took the hangers out of the clothes, tidied the clothes then put away the hangers

We had that extra bit of brightness to power through our tasks at the local school under the light of the full moon last night. It was our second week on this project, and we were ready to take on our two main jobs. First up, we had the task of moving heavy rocks across the playground, turning soil, laying down membrane, and filling the whole area with rocks. It was a proper workout—are there any sore arms out there today?

But of course,it just isn't GoodGym if we don't find find some treasures along the way. Last night these included:

Steph finding a bin lid, which he wielded like a true gladiator, using it as a shield against Kash, who was dramatically reenacting the Battle of Strand on the Green with a pair of secateurs. In a moment of triumph, she also recovered the glove Jon lost two weeks ago. And the pièce de résistance: we discovered a massive piece of astroturf. What was it doing there? Who knows! But it made a fine addition to our collection of weird finds, adding to the bike we found there last time.

Meanwhile, Chris and Alan were busy clearing the relentless buddleia and turned a once-unattractive area into a much more inviting space. Great work team.

As the temperature started to drop (thank you, false spring) we decided to ditch the fitness session at the school (not before a fun photo in the magical little playground) and head back to our starting point, stopping for fitness stations along the way. It featured oblique crunches, toe taps and tricep dips - but I completely forgot the last station. Funnily enough no one reminded me. So, in the spirit of making up for it, next week we’re going to do a two-minute squat challenge to finish things off instead of the planned one-minute challenge!

We wrapped up the night with stretches, and a trip to the pub for Thai food to warm up. A big shout-out to everyone for making the magic happen even in deceptively freezing conditions. There are more missions coming up in the next few days, including this one to improve the river habitat tomorrow. See you at the next one! 🌕💪