14 April 2026

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.

13 April 2026

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.

10 April 2026

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.

9 April 2026

Another garage gone


Turning garages into habitable rooms is nothing new and this one, in Kingfisher Drive, is one of many in Wates Estate. While there is nothing particularly wrong in that, each conversion damages the consistency of the area.

7 April 2026

Ramp


When the island in Ham Common Pond was rebuilt two years ago I was concerned about how high the island stood above the water and it seems that others agreed and have installed a crude ramp to provide access to the island.

6 April 2026

Dangerous poster


Posters are regularly put up on the railings next to the pedestrian crossing on Ham Parade and most people know that they should be facing the pavement and not the road. This is so that pedestrians can stop and read them but facing the other way they are a dangerous distraction for drivers as the approach the crossing.

The people who put up the poster on the other side of the crossing, for a fair at Hampton Court did it properly.

5 April 2026

Some progress at Grey Court


It has been a month or so since I lasted posted a picture of the new building at Grey Court and while there has not been much change in that time a bit more of the building is visible and enough of it to suggest that this is going to be a fairly traditional building.

4 April 2026

16 Upper Ham Road


The Hand and Flower has been closed for some months with little visible evidence of this other that no lights and no customers but the arrival of a crude security door confirms the fact.

It also gives the property number as 16 when it has almost always been referred to by its name. Hand and Flower, rather than the number. This may suggest a possible change of use.

3 April 2026

Ferrymoor tree


This end of Ferrymoor may be scruffy but the tree helps to make up for that.

The garages in the bottom left have been doomed for over two years but are still there for some reason.