Gate House works

Following in from its clean-up, Gate House in Upper Ham Road is having more substantial work done to it, including the rendering of the brick wall on the right.

Irrespective of the merits of this, I cannot find a planning application for it and the building is in Ham Common Conservation Area so Richmond Planning may have something to say on the matter.

Richmond & Kew FC

The sports facilities have been on Riverside Drive for a while but the sign for Richmond & Kew FC is new.

New door and windows

This picture is similar to the one I took of this property in Craig Road three months ago though a careful comparison reveals some differences, notably the new door and windows and also the scale of the rather modest extension at the back.

New benches at Ham House

As excuses for posting another picture of Ham House go, the arrival of some new benches id pretty flimsy, but it will do.

They are a reminder that Ham House is well maintained and subject to change, good reasons for going back regularly.

Changes at Grey Court School

There have been many changes to Grey Court School over the years and while many of these have been incremental I believe that these works signal the demise of the futuristic pod.

I am sure the school has good academic reasons for removing this unusual building but it is an architectural loss. There is (was?) one at Meadlands School too but that is not visible from the main road.

Riverside trees

I like to celebrate the good things in Ham, the things that are so easy to take for granted, and these trees on Riverside Drive, with part of Kingfisher Drive behind them, look reassuringly commanding.

Pavement repairs

Too often when pavements are dug up for utility works they are repaired with no attempt to match the existing surface, leading to street scars which blight areas like Ham Parade, so it was good to see that the pavement along Riverside Drive is being resurfaced appropriately. 

Snowdrops

This distinctive tree in a corner of the The Plats at Ham House is made even better by a thick cluster of snowdrops beneath it.

Gate House clean-up

The former Gate House on Upper Ham Road, at the top end of Ham Parade, as been empty for a year and this is the first sign of activity that I have seen there since then. 

Time will soon tell whether the cleaning and tidying-up are for a new tenant or the effort of the landlord to try and entice one.