Squares and rectangles

I admire this window in River Lane every time that I walk past it, which is quite often. The proportions are just right and I like the layering of the railings, window and blind which produces a pleasing mix of simple shapes.

Back on Teddington Lock Island

It was really good to be back on Teddington Lock Island after its extended closure triggered by the covid pandemic (which is still here by the way) and even better to be able to watch several boats pass through Launch Lock.

The only change that I noticed was that this wooden noticeboard has replaced the old green metal one which had panels that could be rotated separately. It was an unusual beast so, naturally, I took a photo of it.

Reopening Teddington Lock Island

Teddington Lock Island is open to the public again and there is a sign to prove it.

The confusing thing, for me at least, is that Environment Agency are calling the space between the two main locks Teddington Lock Island whereas I have always called the island under the footbridge that. The two spaces are connected so I'll now assume that they are both part of one island.

LC67 DSO

Trench in Lock Road

It is hard to resist the temptation to look in to a hole, and I did not even try. The most interesting thing about the trench is that it is not straight and the yellow pipe moves left to be nearer the pavement. The second most interesting is the number of other pipes that have been exposed, including some light green ones towards the top of the picture and some terracotta ones in the centre. 

Work restarts at 31 Ham Farm Road

The orange ladder make a striking pose as work restarts at 31 Ham Farm Road. I was able to capture this picture because one of the builders left a gate open.

This was something of a surprise as the original planning application was refused and a second one is still in progress.

Restoring The Cottage

I see secretive projects like this one, hidden behind large hoardings, as something of a challenge and while this photo is enough to show that work has started on The Cottage in Sudbrook Lane and to give some idea of the extent of that work, I am hoping to see more of the it before it is finished.

An extension starts

The hole to the right of this house in Woodville Road raises expectations of an extension to come. It is quite a prominent house on a reasonably busy road of similar houses so its final appearance matters.

Coloured glass

This is another example that proves the "look up" rule.

These delightful railings punctured with coloured glass sit on top of a high wall that guards the house on the corner of Sudbrook and Hazel Lanes.

Extension in Meadlands Drive

The little spur of Meadlands Drive lying between Clifford Road and Sandpits Lane only has a few houses and it seems that all of them have been substantially updated in the last couple of years.

This house at the Clifford Road end of the terrace is being extended as well as refurbished.

Statue at All Saints

The former All Saints Church in Bute Avenue is now a (very expensive) private residence but it retains its religious iconography including what I presume is a statue of Jesus on top of the tower.

External work at The Hand and Flower

I have been waiting for the exterior work to start on the restoration of The Hand and Flower and finally some scaffolding has been put up. It looks like the main work is being done on the chimney but the extent of the scaffolding also suggests other work on the first floor, which is much needed as a closer look at the wall to the bottom-left corner of the middle window shows.

New roof

I walk along Clifford Road regularly (because the alternative route along Petersham Road is pretty ghastly) and there I have been keeping an eye on this new roof being installed in a quiet corner.

It looks neat and tidy and pleasingly matches the not quite as new roof to the right of it, if not the original roof to the left.

After the rain

Lots of things were glad to finally see a drop of decent rain including several groups of black birds who were busy pecking away in Petersham Road. 

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.