It was a scorcher of a morning as Vix, Chris and JP joined Sharon and the merry band of Friends of Ham Lands for some light work on an area of brambles choking the progress of a rose bush.

We grabbed loppers and set to work on the brambles, dragging the chopped tendrils out to be chopped up and bagged. They put up quite a fight, managing to scratch us with their thorns (it being too warm for long sleeves and two of us wearing shorts), leading to a chorus of yelps to accompany our work.

Despite our legs and forearms showing numerous signs of the battle it was a very satisfying task and when Sharon called time for teas and coffees we were proud of what we had achieved. So much so that we decided to reward ourselves with a coffee at the Swiss bakery and a natter before heading off for the rest of our sunny Saturday.

Next time on the Ham Lands will be Saturday 10th May - sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/goodgym-richmond-helping-the-happy-ham-landers