Almost 30 people turned up for our New Year's Day walk to kick start the NY resolutions and explore all 12 areas of the Common. Our pool of swan and duck food baggers met again, filling an astonishing 850 bags to keep us going into February - the ducks need fuel especially in the winter months so come and join in. We held our first Heritage group meeting, to establish what historical material already exists about the Common and to plan a programme for the year; we have heritage walks/talks planned for April & June - watch this space. A joint Friends/MAC delegation met the Council officers drawing up the new contract for re-tendering the Common’s maintenance contract, teaming up with our colleagues from Tooting Common and Battersea and Wandsworth Parks. A growing band of litter pickers, ranging from 5-year olds to octagenarians, picked up another 20 or so bags of litter - half of it recyclable - including the proverbial kitchen sink (see picture). Local birder and Friend Nick Rutter helped us host the Big Garden Birdwatch on the Common, spotting 23 species from blue tits to an amazing 50 black-headed gulls. The month ended with your committee meeting to plan the year ahead, including our first AGM in May. There’s a lot going on and if you’d like to help in any way we’d be very pleased to hear from you.