New Road closed

There are more road works on Ham Common and these block off that end of New Road. It will not happen but I would like this to be made permanent to remove that break in the pavement on what is one of the major walking routes in Ham.

Red roof

This new roof being shared by two cottages in New Road are looking belligerently red in their newness, though not quite as red as the chute.

New Road closed

The problem of heavy parking in a narrow road like New Road is demonstrated here as a removal van has blocked the road (and part of the pavement). If climate activists had blocked the road then there would be an outcry and claims of emergency vehicles being blocked but when a resident does it then it's a different story.

Dog with bow

I seem to have featured most of the front gardens in New Road at some point and the dog with a bow gets this one a mention.

A nice thing about New Road is that almost all of the gardens are too small for cars so the owners are forced to keep them as gardens and many have risen well to this challenge. A bad thing about New Road is the lack of off-street parking means that one side of the narrow road is solid with cars which destroys the beauty of the street.

Maranda Court courtyard

A couple of months ago I welcomed the repainting of the once shabby Maranda Court in New Road and now it is the turn of its courtyard to get some praise. This is something of a nothing space that has been brilliantly transformed through the addition of several pots and a few hanging baskets.

Maranda Court changes colour

Maranda Court always looked a little out of place in New Road and I was quite rude about it in 2007. It is still architecturally at odds with its neighbours but painting the orange brickwork a contemporary grey/green (Dulux calls it Tranquil Dawn) echos colours used elsewhere in the road and is a substantial improvement.

Two pots

The front gardens in New Road are small and so some effort is required to make them interesting. Luckily most owners have risen to the challenge and it is a pleasing street to walk down (once you've managed to mentally blockout the parked cars). These two pots are simple and that is why they are so cheery.

Two birds

Just another reason to walk slowly down New Road and to look around you carefully as you do so.

Easter Bunny

New Road is the most arty road in Ham which is one reason why it is always a pleasure to walk along it. (It is also the most spoilt by cars, but that's another story). Number 17 is celebrating the season with an imaginative rabbit that would brighten anyone's day.

Tall pots and more

This house in New Road (off Ham Common) has had a refresh, in November I showed the work in progress and now it is complete. The outcome is a pleasing mix of shades of grey (!) with some nice contrasting greens.

It is a shame that the front garden has been sacrificed to a car (it took a few attempts to take this picture because the car space was occupied) as most of the north side of the road is free of cars while the south side has the worst car blight in the area.

New frontage in New Road

Every walk down New Road is rewarding thanks to its pleasant mix of pleasant cottages and sometimes there is something new to see too. This time I caught the early days of a building project that looks to be making substantial changes to the front of the house.

New Road supports the NHS

New Road looked like a young children's play area with games and drawings chalked all along it. I tried some long shots to show the range of things there but the chalk could not compete against the cars and so I had to settle for this close-up of just two of the drawings, chosen for their bold colours.

Street closed

London's Car Free Days is not until Sunday 22 September so it is something of a surprise to see New Road closed on Sunday 23 June.

Another large job

I think this is New Road but the exact location is not important. I took the picture for the rich combination of white wall, grey scaffold polls and bright blue sheeting. Add to that a few bricks, a couple of signs, some planks and even a touch of greenery and suddenly the picture is full of interesting things to look at. 

Makeover completed in New Road

After months of extensive work it looks as though this substantial makeover (and small extension) in New Road has been completed. It looks rather neat but I think that if I was doing that much work to it then I would have built a larger extension.

Fortune House

Fortune House sits proudly on the corner of New Road and Craig Road and has this modest nameplate on the Craig Road side. The ivy had just been hacked back substantially to reveal the sign which deserves to be seen.

An extension takes shape

As with the previous pictures that I have posted of this extension in New Road, it is the clutter associated with the construction that attracts me as much as the actual building.

The extension is looking good though and the use of bricks is welcome. I hope that they do not suffer the same fate as those on the main house and get smothered with a layer of white paint. Bricks are too pretty for that.

What a difference a porch makes

Previously I had been critical of the bland look of the reworked Ham Institute in New Road but it suddenly looks a great deal better with the addition of a porch and lantern above the front door.

A little extension in New Road

New Road is sort on my way to work (I have various routes to choose from) and that is giving me the opportunity to check the progress of a new extension being built in New Road. This is how it looked on 31 January.

Almost a month later, 25 February, the walls were taking shape and the dimensions of the extension were more obvious. But the main reason that I took this picture was the collection of materials and tools that the construction demanded as they enlivened the scene with interesting shapes and colours.

28 New Road is now for sale

The remodelling of the former Ham Institute in New Road has finished (apart from the kerb needed to give a car access) and it is on the market at a challenging price of almost £2m. For what it offers in terms of useable space I think that it compares badly to other properties of a similar price in the area but, as every seller knows, it only needs one person to like it at that price to sell.