Friends of Tooting Common have not been able to run our usual annual Fun Dog Show on Tooting Common this year, because of coronavirus. Instead, we have run a ‘virtual’ Fun Dog Show, which we broadcast on Sunday 17 May. It was a very enjoyable event, with a total of about 120 entrants across seven classes – Best puppy; Best rescue dog; Best looking hound; Best looking bitch; Best veteran; Best trick or action video; Dog that looks most like its owner.

A report on the Show – which lists the winners in each of the classes (with photos) is here:

The Show itself is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-esB9nb8cs 

Many thanks to everyone involved, particularly our judges: Councillor Jane Cooper (Mayor of Wandsworth); Mark Callis (of the Wandsworth Council Animal Welfare Service); Jacqueline Said (of Dogs of Tooting Common Facebook Group); Tim and Sally (of Downtown Woof); Matthew Billson (of the Tooting Commons MAC); Nick Heath (broadcaster and sports commentator); and Constable Selina Hill of the Wandsworth Parks PoliceThe virtual Fun Dog Show has been fundraising for the St George’s Hospital Charity’s Coronavirus Appeal. We’ve raised over £450 so far. We would welcome any further donations, at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fotcdogshow2020virtual

We hope it might be possible to run an ‘actual’ Fun Dog Show on the Common later in the year, but this will of course depend on developments on coronavirus.

Stay safe and well!

In most years, around the end of April Friends of Tooting Common arrange a walk to see the bluebells in Graveney Woods. This walk isn’t possible this year in the current circumstances: but with the photos at link below – which are of both Spanish and English bluebells – one can do a “virtual” walk: 

Bluebells Graveney Woods

Many thanks to Leonie (Cooper) for these.

Stay safe and well.

Friends of Tooting Common

Tooting Common has been looking particularly good recently, despite the current circumstances. A number of people have been posting photos on the FoTC Facebook page, particularly of trees and plants.

A set of photos and posts, from over the last few weeks, is at this link: FOTC April/May 2020

Many thanks to all of the photographers, and particularly to Roy (Vickery) for his very informative posts, and for sharing his botanical expertise with us.  Many thanks also to Eamonn (Richardson) for drawing these photos together.

We will aim to produce a similar ‘compendium’ of photos and posts every few weeks. 

Stay well and safe

Reflecting our consideration of the application, and following consultation with our members, Friends of Tooting Common have not either supported or objected to the application for development of the Triangle site overall.  We recognise that there are a number of welcome benefits to the plans, but there are also significant concerns about the impact on the Common and some users, if planning conditions/mitigants are not applied.

We therefore indicated, in the comments we made, as below, that if was decided to approve the application, a number of conditions should be added, including free access by schools to the redgra pitch when enclosed; reduced charges for the “play and stay” facilities; measures to ensure that noise from the site is kept to a reasonable minimum; and measures to ensure that the adjacent children’s playground can remain fully in operation, safely, throughout the building work.  

The application has now been approved by Wandsworth Council’s Planning Applications Committee.   FOTC are very disappointed that these additional conditions we proposed have not been added, nor were they considered at the PAC meeting.   We will seek to engage with further consideration of the operational arrangements for the development, to try to ensure that these concerns are covered there.

Wandsworth Council’s latest guidance on using greenspaces is in this open letter from Neil Blackley (Enable Head of Parks) to everyone visiting greenspaces in Wandsworth over the end-May bank holiday weekend, stressing the need to observe social distancing:

https://wandsworth.gov.uk/news/may-2020/open-letter-from-head-of-parks-on-need-to-maintain-safe-distancing/?utm_source=Wandsworth%20Borough%20Council&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11559583_May%2022&dm_i=XWH,6VRFJ,76W0WI,RN22A,1

Friends of Tooting Common strongly support the comments in this letter.

Among other things, given the heavy usage of the Common at present, and consequent levels of litter, we encourage all users of the Common to take litter home with them, and certainly not to leave litter adjacent to bins which are full.

We are though raising with Enable and the Council the need for an increase in litter collection.

Wandsworth Council have also issued several previous Press Notices for people using greenspaces in Wandsworth during the current COVID-19 outbreak:

• on maintaining ‘social distancing’ (2 metre gap between people) :

https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/march-2020/two-metre-rule-vital-in-keeping-safe-and-preventing-spread-of-virus-in-parks-and-open-spaces/

• on keeping dogs on a lead:

https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/march-2020/why-must-dogs-be-kept-on-leads-in-parks/?utm_source=Wandsworth%406&utm_campaign=c318eaa9e4-Wandsworth%406&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fbd64a91fa-c318eaa9e4-398471425

• on joggers and runners giving other people space

https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/april-2020/joggers-please-give-people-space/

All information from Wandsworth Council on Coronavirus – both for people needing help, and for those volunteering to help – is here: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/coronavirus

Similar information from Lambeth Council on Coronavirus is at https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19

Stay safe and well. 

Friends of Tooting Common have decided that, regrettably, we will not be running events on the Common for the time being, in the current circumstances of COVID-19.

So among other things, our planned litter picks on 25 March and 22 April will not now take place; and our annual Fun Dog Show, which we were planning for Sunday 7 June will not now take place then, but we will aim to reschedule it for later in the year.

We hope to run a full programme of events later in the year including, among others, litter picks, bat walks, viewing of the full moon and of meteor showers, and the annual Pumpkin Parade, as well as the Fun Dog Show.  However this will depend on developments on COVID-19 and on Government advice.  We will post full information about future events on this website when the position becomes clear.  

In the meantime, people may well of course continue to walk or exercise on the Common individually.  But if so please do remember to ‘socially distance’ from other people.

Do take care and stay well!