24a Dysart Avenue by Eric Lyons

I was well aware of the existence of the new house at 24a Dysart Avenue but it was only recently that I discovered that it was designed (in 1948) by Eric Lyons before he became famous with his Span company for developments like Parkleys.

Open door to a hidden garden

One of my favourite things (I lead a simple life) is to find a door unexpectedly open as I walk past. This one on Ham Common Avenue let me see into a small courtyard garden and hinted at a larger garden beyond that. The wheelbarrow made the view even more interesting.

Ham Common Library

As the former Giftbox becomes another charity shop on Ham Parade it reveals something of its past. Behind the old Giftbox sign are the remnants of an even older sign for Ham Common Library.

Clearing the way

This bungalow in Ham Street has intrigued me for years but it has spent most of that time all but hidden behind its mature garden. Suddenly the garden has been cleared and the bungalow has nowhere to hide.

Late Summer flowers on Ham Village Green

It is well into September and the wild flowers on Ham Village Green are still putting on a jolly display. They certainly brightened up my walk across the Green to Ham Street.

Wild flowers are very popular at the moment, and it with displays like this it is easy to see why, so I am pleased that Richmond Council is gradually spreading them across the area. They can now be seen from the Dysart to Dukes Avenue and I hope that there are more to come.

The New n

I have not been paying as much attention to the signs on The New Inn as I should have done.

The two signs used to read, left to right, "The New Inn" and "Ham Common" but the sign on the right is far more visible to passers by that it made sense to swap them around and put "The New Inn" in the more prominent position.

Now other changes are being made, though I do not know what yet. On the night this was taken (I had just popped in there for a drink) the "Inn" had been reduced to "n" and a day later the sign was completely letter-less.

Watch this space to see what happened next.

LC61 EJV on double-yellows

When I retire I am going to offer to work part-time for Richmond Council taking photos, like this one, of people breaking the parking regulations on Ham Parade. If I could get just a small share of the fines collected then I would be well paid. Until then all I can do is name-and-shame a few of them.

I had the bonus this time of being seen by the returning driver so he knows that his crime has been recorded and, just possibly, the shame of that may make him think a little next time.

A fresh look at Oak Lodge

I took a few pictures of Oak Lodge during the extensive works to the grounds and I thought that I would end this story with a picture of the house as now seen from Ham Common.At the moment it looks very white and very stark, and I like it like that, but the new trees will grow all too quickly to obscure the house once again.