1. More than 100 volunteers join Steve Coogan at an election rally in Clapham Junction for Will Martindale, who ran an inspiring campaign in Battersea

 

2. ‘Walking Tall’ by Bert Hardy is my favourite Battersea photo.

I only found out the moving true story behind it this year. Getty Images says the photo is from 1956 and shows: “Sean, a child who was given away by his natural mother because he had a hare lip, goes walking with his adoptive mother, Mrs Wiseman, in Battersea”

 

3. Playing in the ‘Community Kick About’ organised by Battersea Labour Party as part of the campaign to save Battersea Sports Centre (February)

 

4. Listening to voters with friends from Battersea, Putney and Tooting Labour parties (March)

 

5. Interviewed as part of the campaign against Wandsworth’s plans to pay council tenants to move to Birmingham to rent privately (April)

 

6. Volunteering on Jess Phillips’s Birmingham Yardley campaign. Jess was elected as an MP and has made quite a splash. This blog about how she first got involved in politics was one of the most popular on my website in 2015. (April)

 

7. Labour councillors Fleur and Rosenna at Wandsworth’s annual Mayor-making ceremony. Last year they overturned a Tory majority of 1,000 to be elected in Bedford ward. (May)

 

8. Tooting MP and next Mayor of London Sadiq Khan checks a young activist’s homework with the help of Wandsworth Labour leader Rex Osborn. (June)

 

9. I wrote an article in support of Tessa Jowell’s campaign to end the ‘transfer tax’ on money sent home to family overseas. This featured the story of Joseph, a security guard who lives in Latchmere and sends money home to Ghana. It was a pleasure to later introduce Joseph to Tessa at a Battersea Labour Party fundraiser

 

10. The sad end of an era for Balham as My Back Pages bookshop turns into Jackson’s estate agent. Wandsworth has 153 estate agent shops (July)

 

11. Corridors of power: councillors Sally-Ann Ephson and Candida Jones prepare for a committee meeting in Wandsworth Town Hall

 

12. A rare photo of Speke Road, Clapham Junction, shortly before it was demolished to make way for the Winstanley Estate. Posted as part of ‘Why was the Winstanley Estate built?‘ the most-read article on my blog in 2015.

 

13. With fellow Latchmere ward councillors Tony Belton and Wendy Speck after a canvass session listening to local people. (September)

 

14. More than 1,000 homeless local families with children spent Christmas Day in Wandsworth council temporary accommodation

 

15. In Wandsworth Town Hall’s council chamber as best man at at friend’s wedding. A bit surreal after so many council meetings in this room! (November)