It was a lovely sunny afternoon and after a phone call with Mr S to check that he was back form Friday Prayers, I set off to his house ready to garden.

He had all the tools needed and his garage was very orderly, so it wasn't long before I was pushing the mower and and down the lawn. While I worked he chatted away about his family who are no longer local. I suggested he might want to go and sit down while I worked but he wanted to be on hand to keep me company. Eventually he disappeared, but then reappeared with a bowl of strawberries... and they were a delicious.

Next I started in the front garden where his hedge was looking rather unruly. In his more sprightly days he told me that his garden had been his pride and joy, and he was sad to see the hedge looking so shabby. So with secateurs and shears at the ready, I started to get the hedge back in shape. It wasn't perfect but Mr S seemed thrilled with my efforts. So much so that he wanted to pay me - which I of course declined and tried to explain to him about GoodGym being a volunteering organisation.

I said, "We do good to get fit." and he smiled and replied that he thought that I was very strong to get so much done and that the fitness element was really paying off, and that I had really done him a good deed too.

He was such a gentle man, it was a pleasure to make a difference to his garden and to see the smile on his face.