Dark and Stormy

With Storm Barney whipping our sport sock-clad ankles, 12 brave souls departed the cosy confines of E5 Bakehouse and proceeded, breezily, to a new location for the GoodGym crew; Rhythms of Life in Dalston. That is, after the obligatory power squats and lunges that are now an integral part of our weekly runs; and never fail to amuse Hackneynites passing by Mentmore Terrace at 7pm on a Tuesday.

Run by the charismatic Andrew, Rhythms of Life helps homeless and vulnerable people in Hackney and has just acquired a new premises, opposite their community café on Matthias Road, N16. And it’s here that 2km later, after a winding route through Dalston’s back streets and alleyways, we arrived ready to help Andrew as he revamps the space.

One Direction (Zayn-included) branded marshmallows.

Split into two groups: painters (in fancy red hazmat suits) and cleaners we set about working our GoodGym magic. Crates of donated food were moved and stored away, including a stack of One Direction (Zayn-included) branded marshmallows, packs of rice, pineapples and a very tempting cream cake. Floors were swept and mopped, cardboard boxes crushed and walls treated to a coat of white emulsion; all to the dulcet sounds of Pink Floyd. Andrew’s enthusiasm for our hard work was such that we were all treated to a cup of mango smoothie as the clock struck 8pm.

And off we escaped into the inky black night – back to base for muscle quivering planks, quad stretches and for a select few: a pint of ale at Pub on the Park. We hope to be back at Rhythms of Life for more transformative tasks and One Direction marshmallows soon.