Work underway at St Richards

St Richards Church in Ashburnham Road is, I would argue, the most iconic building in Ham so it is good to see the work begin to repair it after much planning and fundraising.

I believe that the plan is to replace the copper roof with a zinc one so it will look different when the work is complete but it will retain its shape and still be just as iconic.

Wrong place, wrong time

My brief investigation of signs on Ham Common ends with this one by Ham Ponds. The two things to notice are that it is not on a formal noticeboard, despite there being several nearby, and it is out of date. 

Given that HAPA&AG organise litter picks in that area every month it is a little surprising that it has not been removed yet.

Undulations

The landscaping of Wates Estate is a constant joy and I wanted to highlight this area, approaching the entrance to TYM from the south, because unlike most of the landscaped areas it is not flat. The recent mowing helps to show the contours but the best way to appreciate the undulations is to walk past it.

Lack of Information Board

Richmond Council went through a spell of introducing new signs for open spaces several years ago (I had a little moan then) and now I am moaning about the way that ones with display areas are updated.

This board on the southern tip of Ham Common is close to a Community Board on Ham Parade which may explain why it is not updated regularly, though that is no excuse for the lack of eye-catching content. I find it hard to believe that anyone ever reads these notices. 

 

The largest notice on display is a text-heavy announcement for last year's Ham Fair.

Corner

I think that it is fair to say that The Hive (the new community centre being built on Ham Village Green) has provoked mixed reactions and while I am not a firm fan I can see nothing wrong with it either. This corner, pointing across the Green, is particularly good with its subtle details and use of colour.

The Cottage grows

The extension to The Cottage on Ham Common seems to be substantial, from the limited amount of it that can be from the road.

Garden meadow

I had been watching the new building at 25 Ham Farm Road for quite some time and while my attention was mostly towards the rather nice house the new front garden is also a worthy addition to the road. 

I saw the meadow section arrive, like the lawn, pre-sown in turf and wondered how it would turn out and only a few months later spring has done its work and produced something delightful. When far too many front gardens are being given over to hard surfaces it is really good to see a garden like this.

The eyes have it

With very little of the house still visible it is hard to judge the nature of this project in Sandy Lane but I do like the way that it seems to be looking at you.

Lone post

There used to be a gate here in this footpath linking Stretton Road and Wiggins Lane but that has gone (probably quite some time ago) and all that remains is this solitary post.

And somewhere along the line, the concrete lamppost on the right became a metal one.