Our visits to Sydney Gardens have increased in frequency this year, and since it is such a beautiful location we are all the better for it.

Sunday saw 4 dedicate GoodGymmers rock up to help once more clearing the foliage away from the two secret grottos. Now these were created in pre-victorian times - a natural reservoir collecting water from the hill was covered over with a dome, into which two entrances still exist. Their plan is to clear these entrances in order that visitors can gaze excitedly in to the 'dungeons and dragons' style caverns within.

Shout out to GoodGym Bristol as joining Bath stalwarts Cosmo and Meyrick were Bristol Area Activator Melanie and Richard; Richard of course joined us some weeks ago to help paint a pavilion in Batheaston.

Today's job was to clear more foliage, there is still much remaining. Long term, they plan to clear the rubble that has collected around these portals to the underworld but the first task is clearing a safe way to them.

We made quick work, with some excellent assistance when needed from the local pack of volunteers. There is still more to do so expect a return, and I can't wait to see what these look like when the task is completed.

It's definitely summer now, after months of trying we've finally had some nice warm days and evenings to enjoy. This evening was no exception.

Five GoodGymmers arrived in the always beautiful Sydney Gardens to help clear away weeds form a really interesting area that the organisers would like to open up to the public. Cosmo, Stephen, Helen, Vicky and Meyrick were the team.

Did you know there were grottos under Sydney Gardens? Apparently back in 1794 a roof was built to enclose a natural reservoir at the top by the tennis courts. There are to gates blocking entry to this area, which as far as I'm concerned is a grotto, and the organisers want to clear the area to allow the public to view inside.

Weeding we are good at, and we made quick work of it. There will be a lot more to do to clear enough soil from the doorways in order to get to a place where the public can view through the doors into the mysteries of the grottos within, but this was a start.

Well done GoodGymmers, when this is complete we can say we helped with this.

On a humid Sunday morning, 5 Goodgymers went to Syndey gardens to help the gardens community group. Armed with wheelbarrows and spades we were tasked to shovel sand into the wheelbarrows and deliver to the sandpits.

There were 2 huge ton bags to empty, but the team were confident that they could empty these within the hour.

As we filled the sandpits the local children were keen to help and spread the sand around.

The time flew by and a few minutes before the end of the session the bags were empty! Super impressive by the team. Well done everyone!

4 Goodgymers met to help Sydney gardens volunteers move tons of woodchip into the children's play area.

Armed with spades and wheelbarrows the team worked quickly and moved at least 18 wheelbarrows of wood chip into the play area where the Sydney gardens volunteers racked the woodchip around the plants.

It was great to meet new Goodgym member Sam who has recently moved to Bath. Welcome Sam!

We also welcomed Cosmo sister from London. It was great to meet you too!

Enjoy your week everyone and hopefully see you at the next task

On a damp, dreary and unseasonably cold Sunday morning, GoodGym returned to what has now become a regular slot at Sydney Gardens. This was always a beautiful park, but the work that has been done to it in recent years has added to it's glory, and I'd like to think GoodGym have had a part to play in that.

In attendance in this glorious paradise (weather notwithstanding), we Cosmo, Richard and Meyrick plus the addition of Cos's sister for today who has a connection to the park in that she knows one of the landscape designers of the gardens.

Last time we were here it was sand, this time it was wood chip. Lighter to transport, thankfully, but there is always a fair distance to transport the goods from depot to required location. Once again we were delivering to the new adventure playground, helping to tidy up the flower beds in the bottom end of the park.

It will come as no surprise that we shoveled and wheelbarrowed our way through the majority of the pile we were introduced to at the beginning of the mission, by our ever friendly hosts.

And would you believe the Sun started to emerge as we finished off, it might not feel like Spring yet but we had a spring in our steps.

They have a really great new play area at Sydney Gardens. One of the features is a sandpit, through which runs a water feature from top to bottom. Problem is with sand is it disappears with time.

Some of this could be explained by he usual processes of fluvial erosion but in this case enthusiastic children likely contribute in the course of doing exactly what they should be doing, play.

The task for the 5 GoodGymmers that attended was to replenish the sand in order that play could continue. Naturally the location of the backup sand was the furthest distance away from where it was needed. I'm beginning to see a common rule here, the need for a 'heavy to transport' material is inversely proportional to its distance from the location it is needed.

Undeterred, GoodGymmers Stephen, Mark, Kate, Jane and Meyrick set about the task. We had three wheelbarrows though, so our output was limited. Plus one of those wheelbarrows suffered a puncture at the start to we improvised.

We mus have made a dozen trips though, gratefully received by the on site volunteers who were raking the sand over to return the sandpit to its former glory.

No doubt this will be required again as play resumes, but all in all a Sandtastic effort from all involved.