Ham sign in Gate House Garden

The welcome refuge of Gate House Garden has gained a sign proclaiming that this is Ham. It was put there by Ham Amenities Group (HAG) and was a couple of years in the planning.

 

The signs does a pretty good job of encapsulating some of the key elements that define Ham without being overly fussy.

Ham Fair 2014

There was good weather for Ham Fair this year which helped to make it a great day out. I went twice, once to look around and the second to help on the HUG stall. I also judged the children's photography competition for HAG on my first visit.

The layout was ever so slightly different this year but it was essentially the same as in precious years. Why change a successful formula?

The Ham community stalls were clustered together which I found worked well as there were a lot of connections between us.

Ham Fair is on Saturday 14 June 2014

This publicity is rolling out for this year's Ham Fair and the most prominent piece is the banner above the Gate House Garden on the south-east corner of Ham Common.

Further details are given on the noticeboard at the front of the garden. The leaflet on the left advertises the photography competition that is being run as part of the fair which, as the leaflet explains, I have been asked to judge because I run this blog.

The disappointing thing is that the community board that Richmond Council installed on Ham Parade says nothing about Ham Fair or, for that matter, Petersham Open Gardens. Last year HUG were forced to stick posters on the outside of the glass on the community board. What is the point of community boards if the community cannot use them?

Gate House Garden off Ham Common

Gate House Garden sits on the south-east corner of Ham Common formed by Upper Ham Road and Ham Common (the confusingly named road). It is maintained by Ham Amenities Group who purchased this little plot of land for that purpose.

Behind it sits Morgans House and the Cassel Hospital. Morgans House is the block with the white rendering and the brick section next to it. To the right of that is Cassel Hospital with the railings over the windows.

The point of Gate House Garden is to provide a spot of tranquillity and beauty and there is seating to encourage people to pause for a while and to take it all in.

The garden is long and thin, stretching along Ham Common (the road). From one of the seats you can look over the garden and the road toward Ham Common (the common).

The planting is thick and varied, which compensates for its small size.There is a surprising amount to see and enjoy there and like to walk slowly through it at different times of the year to see what changes the new season has brought.

Gate House Garden is only small but its prominent position, precise design and careful maintenance make it a real asset to the area.

HAG garden

The garden maintained by Ham Amenities Group on the south-east corner of Ham Common (opposite the Hand and Flower) is quite small and still manages to make an impressive visual impact. That is why I keep taking pictures of it.

Ham Amenities Group garden

The little garden on the south-east corner of Ham Common is looking very good at the moment, thanks to the work of the volunteers in the Ham Amenities Group (HAG).

HAG garden in bloom

This little garden maintained by the Ham Amenities Group looks good in full bloom. In the background you can see the building works on the Cassel Hospital site.

A pretty place to sit

On the junction of Upper Ham Road and Ham Common (south-east corner of the Common) is this little refuge where people sit to enjoy the garden before joining the bustle of Ham Parade. It is maintained by local volunteers belonging to the Ham Amenities Group (HAG).