Baubles in the hedge

There have been lots of Christmas decorations on show this year and rather than swamp this blog with lots of illuminated Santas and snowmen I have chosen just a few things that are a little out of the ordinary and that includes this hedge in Ham Farm Road which has been decorated with Christmas Baubles.

Merry Christmas snowmen

I was not planning to cover Christmas decorations this year partially because I already have a backlog of unpublished photos and partially because there are a lot more decorations and lights now than there were a few years ago and I did not want to start a theme that could dominate the blog for weeks.

Then I saw these snowmen and my resolve weakened.

Trees hiding in the mist

Sometimes photos just demand to be taken and this was just such a time. I was walking past Ham Common, as I do very often, when the way that the mist was trying to hide the trees made a picture that had to be taken. So I took it.

Entrance to Bench House

The entrance to Bench House in Ham Street had always impressed me because of the solid arch and the bold way that the house name is announced to the world. Somehow the repair to the gate makes it look even better, like a flick of grey in the hair of a middle-aged man or a splash of unusual colour in an abstract painting.

Sails at Ham House

One of things that has happened to the gardens at Ham House, as more of them have been opened up on the right side of the house, is that the plot behind the Orangery (not a place many people go) has gained a little boat with two sails.

It's to find things like this that I walk to places that not many other people go to.

The Ham Village Centre comes to Ham Street

What was the Royal Oak on Ham Street is now being refashioned, after several years of being left empty, into The Ham Village Centre. I used to go to the pub and I miss it and it is good to see the building finally being brought back into use.

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.

LD58 EFJ deliberately avoids the empty parking spaces

There were several empty parking spaces on Ham Parade when I took this photo, including the one behind where LD58 EFJ chose to park, preferring instead to use the double-yellow lines and to obstruct the dropped kerb. And Christmas is meant to be the time of year to think more about other people, not to put your own selfish interests first.

Pretty Teddington Lock

I am a frequent visitor to Teddington Lock these days (other players of a popular smartphone game will know why) and I enjoy every visit because the lock is both pretty and interesting.

The gardens next to the bridge are the prettiest part and the first two pictures show why. The top picture is looking back towards the bridge with the main lock off to the left and the one immediately above is on the other side of the garden and looking in the other direction.

There are other pretty things on the island to enjoy such as this plot stuffed with flowers that is nicely highlighted by the white paint behind it.

Ham Lands

There is no particular reason for posting another picture of Ham Lands it is just that I love the area a lot and I like to post occasional reminders of why. For me, Ham Lands is one of the defining features of the area and one of the main reasons that Ham is such a great place to live.

AL16 EJC is very selfish

The heavy mist this morning does nothing to hide this piece of horrible parking by AL16 EJC. Not only is the parking selfishly blocking the dropped kerb (that is why the double-yellow lines are there) it is technically bad too with the front wheel on the pavement and the rear sticking out into the road.

Winter sun on Ham Pond

I walk passed and around Ham Pond a lot, several times a week, and while it is undeniably interesting it is not always that attractive with areas of muddy grass and other areas where the vegetation is a little sparse for my liking. I had no such reservations this Winter evening as I caught the pond basking in the clear sunlight that, when it appears, makes this time of year so pleasing.

Progress in Cedar Heights

Cedar Heights is a little off my beaten track as it is on the boundary of the area I cover in Ham Photos and there is little purpose in walking down the road as it goes nowhere. Since early in 2016 I have made more of an effort to get there because of the new house that is going up and after a slow start it is now taking shape.

From the inner shell the house looks very traditional, boring even, which I think is a shame as there are some interesting modern houses in the road. Perhaps it will look better when the skin is added. I will be going back to see.

Parakeets feeding

I was walking from Teddington Lock towards Riverside Drive when I heard parakeets making a commotion. I looked around to see what all the fuss was about and it was only when I got to Riverside Drive that I saw that they were enjoying themselves with a bird feeder.

This was a good time of day to see them, around 3pm, as the sun while low was still bright and it shone almost directly along the path to hit the block of flats full on.

Dragon through the trees

I have walked along Ham Common and past Forbes House countless times and still I was surprised to see this dragon today. It is on the outhouse to the right of the main house.

It may be that the metal structure that it is on has some practicable purpose and the dragon is there to add decoration but this is not clear as there are flaws with both options, the structure has no obvious purpose and whimsical design is out of keeping with the rest of the fairly austere house.

This view is only available at this time of the year when the many trees around it are devoid of leaves.

I walked a little along the road to get a view without the trees in the way and the only one is this from almost dead in front which is very different as it hides the majesty of the wings.

New trees at St Richard's with St Andrew's Primary School

St Richard's with St Andrew's CE Primary School has got some new trees; lots of them. At the moment they are quite small and are dwarfed by the bamboo canes used to support them but in years to come they will turn this stretch of their grounds, alongside (appropriately) Woodville Road, into something of a forest.