LD14 HBB

The driver of LD14 HBB clearly made no attempt to park their van reasonably here, it is up on the pavement and also obstructing the dropped kerb.

White Picket Fence

I liked the low brick wall when it was constructed in 2021 but I am less keen on the white picket fence that has been added to it. This may have ebb under pressure from Richmond Council who wanted an unbroken fence across all the cottages even though there was not one there before, there is still a large gap at one end and the new section of fence looks quite different to the older fences either side. 

LV08 KBK

I use this crossing to Ham Parade several times a day and if you obstruct it unnecessarily then I am going to take a photo of you doing so, especially if you are wearing a Richmond Council high-via jacket as the driver of LV08 KBK was.

The Cutfather

The Cutfather has been open for a couple of weeks and it has taken this long for me to take a decent picture of it, particularly one with no cars.

It is a fairly modest frontage, verging on bland even, which is welcome given some of its brasher neighbours. The window etching is a nice touch.

Pit

I do not know why Kingston Council let the owner of a property in Wittering Close enclose a piece of open land on Horsely Drive and I have even less idea why they then dug a big pit there.

Changing windows

I seem to have developed something of a window fetish and in evidence he is another post about them. This St Andrews Place on Upper Ham Road which is in the process of being extended and updated and part of this is the replacement of two windows at the front of the house.

I was expecting the new windows to look something like the old one next to the front door but they are decidedly different and a lot more modern looking. I actually quite like the new windows and the discord between them and the entrance area to the house can easily be addressed by modernising that too.

Emergency throwbag

There always had been (and still are) some lifebuoy rings around Teddington Lock and these have been joined by an emergency throwbag which I guess is more useful as you can use it to pull the person in trouble to shore rather than just keeping them afloat in the middle of the river.

Rear extension

Unexpectedly open gates and gaps in fences are the curious wanderer's friend as they reveal hidden things, such as this rear extension in Lock Road that can be seen from the footpath connecting to Mead Road.

Clear path to nowhere

I wrote about this path a few years ago and I still do not know what is going on and as the situation has repeated itself I am repeating the story.

This path leads from the north-west corner of Mead Road and it branches from the other path that goes through to the Lock Road spur. This path does no go anywhere, other than to the back of a few properties in Mead Road, so there is absolutely no reason for it to be this pristine.

Following the path, as I was obviously tempted to do, gives a different view into the Thames Water Pumping Station where a large box with "Danger" written on it makes the exploration worthwhile.

Enter Sandman

I have never posted a still from a TV show or film before but I had no choice here.

I first read The Sandman comics when they were originally published in the late 1980s/early 1990s and have bought several different editions since then, including the oversized Absolute version and digital copies just for rereading. It remains one of the most important comics of all time and has remained in print because of that.

News that Netflix were producing a version was very welcome and I am enjoying it immensely.

Episode 6 was a particular treat because so much of it was filmed locally at places like Richmond Green and Twickenham Riverside and the icing on the substantial cake was the scene set in The New Inn.

Rebuilt wall

The end section of the side wall of the New Inn along Petersham Road has been rebuilt, not just repaired. I am actually a little disappointed as it looked like a major project when it was underway and I was hoping for something more substantial.

A gap in the wall

A bonus from the gas works in Lock Road is the opportunity to see the back of 26 Ham Common while the wall along Lock Road is down.

Rust

Rust is a clear sign that something is not working but here I think it adds something colourful to the already attractive clutter.

Back Lane closed

The gas operations that have been ongoing around Dukes and Broughton Avenues for some months have expanded into Lock Road and Back Lane leading to the closure of the later.

It has also brought in parking restrictions in Lock Road but VO64 AVD has chosen to ignore those and has moved some bollards so that they can park where the road has been narrowed.

 

The barrier is substantial but the sign suggests that it will soon be gone.

The road closure seems to have had little impact on local traffic and I saw no issues when walking around the area. Back Road is one of those where the balance between road and pavement is ridiculous and this closure demonstrates that it does not need to be a major thoroughfare for people to get around.

Blue bricks

Great Fish and Chips has changed its look slightly and after two iterations with grey bricks below the window they have now gone for blue bricks separated by white lines. It may be to mimic the sea or the owners may just like the colour but whatever the reason it is a more brash look.

New windows

I have been watching this extension in Upper Ham Road for almost two years and, after a period of no visible activity, suddenly some windows have appeared. 

Long drought

I last posted a picture of a drought worn Ham Common in 2018 and while it is hard to make comparisons from these photos the data suggest that 2022 has been drier but there is a limit to how dead grass can get.

Autumn is coming early too with many trees deciding that it is not worth hanging on to their leaves any longer. The ground is already littered with discarded leaves and up in the trees other leaves are turning brown in anticipation of their imminent fall.

Barriers

I am really struggling to understand the argument that Richmond Council used to erect these unsightly barriers on Teddington Lock Island to try and stop people getting to the beaches there, less than two years after steps were installed to make access easier.

Apparently they were put there to stop antisocial behaviour, which is ridiculous. I cross the bridge many times a week and have never witnessed any such behaviour there, there are no properties nearby and innocent people are being punished for the perceived crimes of a few. It is a ridiculous decision.

 

But then Richmond Council has an unimpressive record of making ridiculous decisions, such as coating this section of the bridge with more barriers to stop people from jumping off.

They would counter that with arguments around safety but then consider how little they do to make roads safer.

A walk in dappled shade

With the relentlessly dry and sometimes unpleasantly hot summer we have ben having it is fantastic to have Ham Common Woods on the doorstep to escape into.

Flower field

I always like an excuse to take a photo of Ham Lands and a recent walk through Ham Lands North brought me to this delightful field of flowers. That was a couple of weeks ago (it usually takes around that long for a photo to go from camera to blog) and with no rain since then I suspect it is not as healthy now.

Shrunken Brook

The casualties of the long hot dry summer are all around us, particularly in the crisp yellow grass, and Latchmere Brook is one of these, so much so that it is hardly visible in this picture having shrunk massively.

Glasshouses at Orford Place

The Ham United Group (HUG) Architecture Walk around Orford Place included the substantial gardens and they were a big disappointment as they are no longer maintained to the same standard and some of the objects the sisters had to aid contemplation etc. had been removed.

The one saving grace is that the glasshouses in the kitchen garden have been retained and they showed healthy signs of use too.

The other disapointment is that it took a HUG event to get to see the gardens again when I understood that part of the conditions for the giving planning approval for Orford Place was allowing some public access. When it was St Michaels Convert they took part in Ham Open Gardens but the new owners did not do that. 

Orford Place

Thanks to a recent Ham United Group (HUG) Architecture Walk I was able to get into the grounds of Orford Place and to take this picture of the main building with the assistance of good sunlight and without the restriction of the front wall.

Also thanks to that walk, and out guide Richard Woolf, I learned a lot about the architecture of the site including how the older sash windows, those on the main building, are flush with the wall but the later ones, like those on the building on the right, are recessed. 

It was through clues like that that Richard was able to explain the history of the buildings though the evidence was not always clear and he pointed out a few examples where the sequence of the building was uncertain.

Damaged wall

This is the wall between Ham Common Woods and Richmond Golf Club close to Ormeley Lodge. The damage looks quite extensive without any obvious cause, though a fallen tree seems likely.

Construction in Lock Road

This construction project is in the short stub of Lock Road that includes the surgery. I always like projects like this where walls have been taken down allowing you to see through the building.

Improved Majestic Way

I do not normally walk along this path from Ham Street by Ham House past Ham and Petersham Rifle & Pistol Club as I prefer to walk through the field on the other side of the hedge on the right and I was surprised to see it in such good condition with evidence of recent mowing.

This path is the section of Majestic Way constructed from an existing path and is easy to use, the further section was cut through the woods and is uneven and often muddy.

Tidying up

There has been a lot of work going on at The Hand and Flower since the new owners took over but not much of it has been visible until now when the front area got a serious tidy-up which included the removal of some of the rubbish.

Of course there is still a great deal left to do but this is welcome progress.

Beware of the cats!

Anyone who walks through Royal Park Gate regularly knows which cats these are.

Keeping paths clear

Almost a year ago, I said that I had reported this path between Riverside Drive and Hardwicke Road as it was blocked by vegetation and I expected it to be cleared soon, and now it has!

It will be interesting to see how long it remains clear enough for the cycle lane on the right to be useable  and if the brambles there have not been dug out then they will grow back.

Elsewhere in Ham there are other paths that need some attention. The Council and residents do work to keep some clear but a more comprehensive approach is required,

Great South Avenue at its best

I took a similar picture of Great South Avenue (between Ham Common and Sandy Lane) last year but this one is angled differently so that you can see the healthy grown on both sides of the path. As last year, I took the photo because this is Great South Avenue at its best and I am always saddened when it gets mown back.

More Locksmeade building works

There has been a lot of building work done across the Locksmeade development in recent years and there are two new projects in this photo of Thamesgate Close.

 

The work at number 6 looks more substantial and, for me, makes for a more interesting picture. The scaffolding was enough for me to take a photograph and I like the contrast of the almost yellow wood and insulation.

New wall and paving

I like the colour and the styling of this new wall and paving in Craig Road but am disappointed that the paving takes almost all of the front garden.

Tree decoration

This pretty wall decoration can get more appreciative looks than usual thanks to being placed on a garden fence. I love the simplicity of it and the three blue birds are a delightful final touch.

New windows at Ensleigh Lodge

I was surprised to see replacement windows being put it at Ensleigh Lodge on Ham Common as the previous owner spent a small fortune doing the house up just after they bought it in 2015.

The house is listed and distinctive so, as with the previous work, I presume that the new look will be indistinguishable from the old one.

Incidentally, in researching this post I got caught in a Ensleigh v Endsleigh argument. The Richmond Council planning database says it is Endsleigh but the house sign says Ensleigh so I have gone with that and updated my previous posts accordingly.

No parking at any time

Two very clear no parking signs have not deterred this driver. Sadly too many motorists think that parking and speeding rules do not apply to them.

Hidden window

I love light rooms so I find it hard to understand people who deliberately obstruct windows like this. The road is pretty quiet and I would have thought that no screening was necessary, let alone both a hedge and a blind.

Dinosaur

Lots of strange and unusual objects can be found decorating front gardens and I like to feature the strangest and most unusual of these. A dinosaur certainly qualifies.

Leaks

I have just spent a bit of time reporting some leaks to Thames Water, neither are very large but all leaks are wasting water and need to be fix, which they can only do if they know about them.

This one in Northweald Lane is the most annoying as Thames Water think they have just finished fixing a leak here. Last week there was a hole surrounded by barriers here while a leak was fixed only for water to reappear once the hole had been filled in again.

This leak is on the junction of Richmond Road and Tudor Drive.

Signage at Redknap House

I have not specifically shown the signage at Redknap House in Cleves Road before though there were hints of the old design in 2008 and this new one in 2016.

The design looks modern but has problems; clearly there is not enough contrast between the "Welcome to" text and its background, the font suffers from comparison with the rightly hated MS Comic Sans and the graduated green background is overly fussy and also impedes readability. I can sympathise as these are all mistakes I have made myself in the past but that was quite some time in the past now and I would not make those mistakes today.

 

It looks as though a different colour graduation has been used for this sign with more emphasis on the lighter shdes, it is off-brand and harder to read.

Changes at Sandy Lane Playground

There are changes being made to Sandy Lane Playground. It is many years since my children have played there so I am not familiar with the equipment enough to be sure on what has changed but I am pretty sure that the trampoline pit is new.