Do we really know what we're doing?

Someone asked.

Know where we can find a book on painting?

Was how our happy group of 8 started at Belsize Community Library on Wednesday evening.

We'd already braved and toppled a sun drenched Haverstock Hill, and we busily combined our rehydrating efforts with pouring paint into trays.

The office and corridor walls had previously been painted by a local group of children. Who'd done a brilliant job, but just on parts of the wall. We were there to fill the gaps and apply a new coat.

Which we got to speedily and whilst catching up with one another.

It's a joy to be in special community spaces, in spring long evenings, and whilst the usual hubbub has passed. We enjoyed the space and we made a difference across a fast 45 minutes.

Thank you, all, for your work, time, and joy - it was lovely to see you!

Maria arrived early at Elm Haven community garden on her bike, and helped the on-site team plant chillies, courgettes, pumpkins and flowers.

John and Jackie walked over in their lunch hour and cleared the paths of weeds, before making use of the nice cafe in the Garden Centre.

During the task, Phil the co-ordinator explained how the garden had helped people make friends and fight loneliness.

It's a 2 mile run tonight, folks!

We'll stay completely together, too!

What a gorgeous evening for a run, hey!

Isn't the last road a big hill?

Well...

It's called Haverstock Hill, right?

Ummm...

That sounds like a hill, Alex

Look! A bird!

Which was how our happy evening started.

Our wonderful group of Akshay, Faye, Jackie, John, Steve, and I met by an evening King's Cross, and we took a sun peppered run through Camden, past Chalk Farm, and over to Belsize Park.

Arriving at the special Belsize Community Library, we were met by the brilliant Emily, who'd cycled on down.

It's a special site, this community library, nestled by an allotment and within an innocuous North London street. It's become the de-facto meeting space for the local community, and we arrived to the evening's final readers and a local council residents surgery.

Fay and Jackie got to one task swiftly, heading out to paint one of the bike racks a fresh shade in weather resistant paint; whilst Akshay, Emily, John, and Steve took to the inside, picking strewn litter under the bay window seating, vacuuming the cleared area, and giving the top shelves a well needed dust :)

I, on the other hand, browsed the books. It was great. Consumed, I was! A little noise from some folks in red 'doing good', but all in all, the perfect reading environment!!

Thanks, everyone, for your time, work, and lovely company - here's to next time!!

Elm Haven is a unique space for the community to come together to grow fresh produce and learn more about gardening. The upper level of the garden is managed by a dedicated volunteer, Phil, who runs community gardening sessions with a focus on food growing and therapeutic gardening on Mondays and Wednesdays mornings.

GoodGym are there to help every Wednesday, and sometimes on Mondays as well. Today we were weeding again - making sure everything came out by the roots.