Grey gates

I had been waiting for these gates to be installed and they were worth the wait. I like that they are a subtle grey rather then the expected (by me) brash black. They also suit the existing walls and new pillars very well. They are now part of an impressive boundary.

Less impressive is the house behind it. Despite its size and the obvious merits of its design the overall impression of shabbiness, a good house slowly declining. Most of this is down to the windows and so could be easily solved. I hope to see that happen one day.

Sun with cupped hands

Clifford Road has been a surprisingly rich source of my photographs over the years and this sun with cupped hands plaque is another one.

Some quick research tells me that plaques similar to this are readily available but I have not found anything that explains the symbolism, if there is any. These are advertised as bird feeders or as hangers so it may be that the hands are just a functional feature and do not imply any meaning. They look welcoming none the less and the plaque is a welcome diversion from the uniform brick in the road.

Work to do in Wates Estate

Wates Estate still confuses me but I think this refurbishment project is in one of the spurs in Breamwater Gardens. What is more obvious is that major work is being done here. An obvious clue is that the tiles on the front of the house have been carefully removed and placed in the garden ready to go back up. 

What is less obvious is that this house has moved quite a bit, as have many houses in Wates Estate, and this can be seen in the upper window, the top left corner of which has drifted a few centimetres from its original position against the wall.

No parking opposite this gate

The request is reasonable (Sudbrook Lane is narrow) and the sign is notable. I am intrigued by the font which has exaggerated serifs on letters like "T" and "E" but more modest ones elsewhere.

Autumn colours

I really was not going to post another picture of autumn colours year then I walked into Sudbrook Gardens and was entranced by these leaves.

Close up the colours are even more subtle and varied. 

New project in Church Road

This is the (former?) home of the vicar of St Andrew's Church which is clearly having a lot done to it. So far the signs are good with little material change to the look of the building, and that look is worth preserving.

If I am reading the map correctly then the building is in Ham Common Conservation Area having been added in the 2007 revision. Mind you, the original Ham Glebe was also in the Conservation Area and that was demolished.

Window boxes in Sandy Lane

This window box can be found next to the former Ham Village Centre (Royal Oak) in Sandy Lane and it is so impressive that I have deliberately posted a second photograph of it. 

A year on and the plants have matured a little to provide even more greenery and the view from slightly further away shows how striking the plants are against the large white surround.

It is the prettiest thing in Sandy Lane.

Crash barriers

There is much banter on Nextdoor, and elsewhere, between motorists, cyclists, joggers and pedestrians with each blaming another group for poor behaviour and so I am delighted to provide some further evidence of motorists' culpability. The petrol station on Ham Parade has installed prominent crash barriers at either end of the line of pumps because for too many people manoeuvring a car into position is too difficult.

Obvious extension

Many of this type of house have been extended to the side but few as obviously as this one in Murray Road. They have done a good job in extending the roof, in matching the windows and in matching the brick styling above the garage door and below the window but the new bricks are just too different in colour blend to in.

That said, I am glad that they did not render or paint over the bricks to hide the difference as some have been tempted to do.

Large holes

A remarkable amount of construction work goes on at Tedding Lock given how not very busy it is and there always seems to be something being done to it. The latest project includes the removal of the low single-bar barrier alongside the towpath and the digging of lots of large square holes.

A good guess is that these are to hold posts for a bigger barrier and while I appreciate the safety thinking behind that I am a little surprised that this is now deemed necessary and slightly concerned that the new barrier might damage the view of the lock.

Rest In Peace

 

25 Hardwicke Road

25 Hardwicke Road is in the middle of this picture, at the far end of the row of houses on the right. The way that the pavement diverges from the road here, as it does frequently in Wates Estate, means that it can be hard to find for delivery companies and I presume that is why the owner has planted this arresting house sign on the grass next to the road.

It's autumn

There are many examples of autumnal colour that I could have chosen to mark the noticeable change in the seasons and, for no particular reason, I have gone for the long section of wall on Dukes Avenue just as it is thinking of becoming Riverside Drive.

New porch

These houses on Dukes Avenue were built with small semi-circular overhangs above the front doors (the house above still has its in place) and while they are attractive they provide little in the way of protection from the weather so it is no surprise that several of the houses have replaced them with something more substantial. Normally this is just a larger overhang with a pillar to support it but this house is going further and seems to be building a fully enclosed porch.

I suspect that other houses have not done this because the porch would impose on part of the bay window so I will be interested to see how this one turns out. I will also be interested to see how the new bricks blend in with the old ones, which is not looking great so far.

Site office

A site office has been constructed on Ham Village Green, you can just seen the sign for it in the middle of the photo on the portakabin on the right, though I do not know what it is there for. No doubt that will become clear soon.

Work at Ham Brewery Tap

The sign on the front of the pub still says that it is for sale so I do not know if this work on the garage at the Ham Brewery Tap is being done by the previous owner to help it to sell or by a new one as part of their plans for the place.

Paving the way

It is always a good moment for me when the hoarding come down on a construction sight and I can finally see the full scheme without struggling to peep through gaps and that has just happened at the new houses between Dukes Avenue and Maguire Drive.

The grounds of the houses are bounded by a tall brick wall and the rest of the site is open. This will be used for the reinstated path between the two roads and, I presume, some parking. I also presume that the middle section will have a different surface. The paving that has been laid so far is neat and impressive so my hopes are high for the rest of the path.

Please do not drive on my garden

This sounds like a heart-felt, and reasonable, plea from a resident in Petersham Road.