8 goodgymers braved the slightly wet weather to paint the town (i.e. Ocean Youth Connexions) white (pun credit:Ilana. Task owner Kamal provided us with overalls to prevent us getting covered in paint. A few drops snuck in somehow but we all emerged relatively unscathed.

Rohan, Kareem, Dnyaneshwari and Tom were team Green Container. I hear there may have been some tuneful humming to make the most of the acoustics.The rest of us headed to the stairwell to paint everything but the stairs. Partway through Oliver upgraded his roller by attaching it to a big stick, allowing him to reach the taller parts of the wall.

Team GC needed to change paint partway through as the stuff they started with wouldn't stick to the walls - a paint rebellion! But Kamal soon sorted them with a more co-operative emulsion.

Team Stairwell made their way slowly down the stairs, leaving behind fresh white walls in their wake. No trips but potentially some drips.. Not wanting to mark the stairs, Ilana may have caught some with her own head - very considerate indeed.

It was an enjoyable, focused task. We all seemed to get so into the rhythm of painting that we seemed to be painting anything and everything white by the end. In fact. Team Green Container were so engrossed in their work, they stayed for an extra 5 minutes, determined to get the job done. The pull of the paint is strong.

Well done all and a massive congratulations to Kareem for completing his 50th task!

Before the task, early arrivers indulged in a spot of bat watching and we were introduced to the bat detector!

At 7pm, we gathered around as Ken took us through the ABCs of bulb planting. Then we were on our way across the park with our trowels and head torches. We dug deep (to save the bulbs from the squirrels!) and planted 200 bulbs between us around the park. Looking forward to spring to see our handy work bloom and the park come alive with tulips and crocuses!

Shout out to our newest members of the group Beth and Ryan. See you all again soon!

Well done to our early morning training team, who smashed a tough Kenyan Hills inspired session.

3 x 8 minutes @ approx tempo pace, with 2 min walk recovery

Up and down the famous Mile End parkrun slopes, with a push over the rough climb near Chris' Woods each lap. Not for the faint hearted!

Thanks for joining us.

And keep an eye out for our next session:

Stepney Green Strides Thursday 2nd October, 7.50am Rinkoff Bakery, Stepney Green