Contrasting semis

The two semi-detached houses that are being substantially remodelled in Maguire Drive are being coloured very differently. I am not sure what the point of this is as it is hard to pretend that they are not semis but I'll reserve judgement until the work has finished.

Busy in Sandpits Road

I was trying to get two updates for the price of one with a major project just starting at 11 Sandpits Road and a complete set of new windows going in just a few doors down the road but the story has grown since then. The major work at 11 resulted in the complete demolition of the end-of-terrace house, apparently without planning permissions.

Original garage in Woodville Road

Most of the original garages in Woodville Road have been replaced, either by new garages or by extensions to the houses, and I am delighted that this one remains.

More trees

The most recent of the ongoing improvements to Ham Village Green is the addition of a few new trees at the Ashburnham Road end.

Autumn Wreath

There is no tradition of Autumn Wreaths locally, as far as I am aware, though with examples as fabulous as this one perhaps there should be.

Approach to Latchmere House

The previous picture I posted of Latchmere House was from further back to show its setting, this time I wanted to show the new approach.

It is pretty enough and I hope that it stays that way but that will depend on how much, and what sort of, maintenance it gets. And maintenance costs money.

I am also concerned that the path to the front door is not straight as people hate taking the longer route, just consider all of the unofficial paths you use when a slightly longer proper one is available, and there is a risk that a path will develop through the central flowerbed. 

DN19 ZVG blocks my way

I could fill this blog with pictures of cars parked selfishly outside Greggs on double yellow lines and blocking the path to the pedestrian crossing but I limit it to the cases that annoy me the most, as DN19 ZVG did when I was crossing the road there.

Langham red

The prettiest ivy in Ham in Autumn is on Langham House on Ham Common so here is another picture of it.

No drainage

There has been enough talk about porous surfaces in recent years that I would not have expected mistakes this simple to be made. The bottom end of Richmond Chase is all hard surfaces and there is no water to go so it just sits there.

The Regency Apartments

What was once called Latchmere House is now being branded as The Regency Apartments, which is odd as Latchmere House is Victorian.

The refurbished building looks pretty enough from this angle and has the advantage of being next to Ham Common Woods which is just off to the left. Unfortunately just off to the right is the rest of the cramped Richmond Chase development.

Standing water

It has rained almost every day in October (so far) and this has led to standing water in all of the usual places and in some not so usual ones. This is Ham Farm Road at mid-day when the water had receded from its highest level, the damp area, but still covered both the road and the pavement.

Looking the other way, from the Upper Ham Road end, the extent to which the pavement had been covered is more obvious.

Ham dentist

It is the confusion of signs that drew me to this scene. The largest says Perfect Smile so that may be the name of the practice but it could just as well be Dental Surgery & Tooth Implant Centre. Along side these two names are two NHS posters and a telephone number. That makes five pieces all together each with a different style which creates the contusion.

Flowery van

I do not often post pictures of cars or vans (except when their awful parking demands it) but I had to make an exception for this flowery van discovered in Ashburnham Road. Something this pretty deserves attention.

Red chute

I night have ignored this work in Lawrence Road but for the red waste chute that does its best to look like an elephant's trunk.

Now for the second house

The first new house in this small plot on Craig Road stands completed in the background while the second house rises in front of it.

Garages gone

The last time I visited this site off Clifford Road, a couple of months ago, the garages were shells but were still standing. Now that they have gone it is more obvious just how big the site is.

A good extension

I spend more time that I would like here complaining about too obvious, ugly and inappropriate extensions so I am pleased to be able to praise this one that is nearing completion in Clifford Road.

The new bricks are a good match with the old, the new roofs look like the old one and the scale of the additions is entirely in keeping with the original house. This is how extensions should be done.

Seagulls

Seagulls are one of the many things that I know little about so I have no idea why they suddenly found the field between Burnell Avenue and the river so interesting. My guess would include rain and worms but that is only a guess.

New garage

I took a picture of this house on the corner of Sandy Lane and Clifford Road a couple of years ago when it changed from ping to grey and now it is gaining a new garage on the Clifford Road side to replace one that was there before.

Cleared site in Sandy Lane

54 Sandy Lane is one of the projects that I am watching and on this walk-by I was delighted to find the gates open. A van was parked in the main entrance so took this photo from the smaller one, that is the door on the left.

For only the second time in twelve years I had my motives questioned and one of the workers claimed that I needed permission to photograph the site. He was talking nonsense and I ignored him. And I'll be back. 

New wall and gates at Sandy Lodge

I posted a picture of this wall mid construction in June and now that it is finished it has become a worthy and appropriate addition to the house behind it.

The wooden fencing between the brick pillars is unusual, and it works.

Window boxes

This property on Sandy Lane, close to the junction with Ham Street, has no front garden but it makes up for that by having a stunning collection of window boxes.

Adding a second level

This is one of the two buildings being inserted between Dukes Avenue and Maguire Drive and with work now being done on the second storey the buildings can now be seen above the screened gates.

It is far to early to make any firm judgements on their appearance but the little bit of brickwork that can be seen suggests that they will fit in well with their neighbours.

Wet

Late Summer was very dry and the missing rain finally arrived at the start of October in some quantity with some flash flooding in the usual places, such as along Duke's Avenue.

Update on Craig Road

Finding gates unexpectedly open is one of the things that keeps this blog going after twelve years and this is a good example of that. This is the small development in Craig Road on a thin site that used to be garages and the screened gates at the front mean that most of the pictures I have taken of it have been from the path along one side.

Finding the gates open shows that the building at the back is almost complete and that infrastructure work is underway. The second property is emerging at the front behind the gate on the right.