White windows

Strolling along Sudbrook Lane I was struck by these these recently painted white windows set in a lovely brick wall; it's an image well worth sharing. The newness of the paintwork is confirmed by the flecks of paint on the pavement.

Hidden statue

This spring, the statue A Bird in the Hand by Keith Goodwin on the edge of Parkleys was made more visible by a fallen tree and then the trimming of all of the bushes in one corner and that seemed like a good compromise between the built and the natural environments only now that balance has changed and new planting hides the statue.

Beechrow

I had assumed that I had posted a picture of Beechrow but it appears that I had not so this is a welcome chance to redress that error. 

 

I was prompted to do so by the brand new architecture guided walk Perambulation Nº27—Richmond to Ham by Stefi Orazi. Over the next few weeks I will feature more of the properties in Ham listed here but with only the briefest of descriptions so you will have to buy the guide to get the full story.

Preparing the ground

The vans in the background belong to a ground preparation company and it is clear that is what they are doing. What they are preparing it for is unknown but Thames Water is a good guess given that this is where they had a test bore about a year ago,

2 Ashfield Close

I have been following the refurbishment of 2 Ashfield Close for almost a year and while most of the work was completed a little while ago I have been thwarted in my attempts to get a picture of the finished house by workmen and/or cars interrupting the view, until now.

I still think it is less exciting than the original house though I will concede that it is better than I feared during the refurbishment. The front garden is a big help as are the two sections of vertical cladding. It is also good to see a prominent house number.

The Hive (partially) revealed

While the construction of The Hive is still very much in progress we can see what it looks like from the north looking across Ham Village Green, and it is ok as it is pretty unobtrusive. There are just enough features to prevent it from being a solid grey mass but not too many to draw attention away from the Green.

Not so Little Orchard

The size and shape of the new Little Orchard (on the south-east corner of Sudbrook Lane and Bute Avenue) is becoming more apparent as it grows above the wall. 

It seems, to me, to have a similar footprint to the old house and it is still effectively a chalet bungalow so the reasons for the rebuild are not that obvious, perhaps they will become clearer once the work is completed and I can see through the gate.

Unstoppable Training Studio

Unstoppable Training Studio looks ready for business. The finer details of that business are hidden by the reflections but the sketches of bar weights on the window and the cycling machine on the right give a good indication.

Rear fence

These are the backs of properties in Randle Road as seen from the access road off Dukes Avenue whee something interesting is going on. 

The new trellice-topped panels look too grand for such a location (though they will look good from the other side) and the white sections seem to have been cobbled together from unwanted materials, presumably these will be replaced as part of the construction work being done in the garden.

185A Petersham Road

I presume that there always has been a 185A Petersham Road sitting alongside 185 in its pretty corner but it did not have its own gate before.

Wall up

In July I noted that the wall to 50 Sandy Lane had been demolished and while it looked good without a wall it was likely that it would be replaced, and it has. 

And a very good wall it is too, thanks to the decoration.

The Council raises the stakes

The Council's attempt to control bad motorists from abusing the approach to the small parking area on the north side of Ham Common started with small wood posts in April but these were soon damaged so now they have raised the stakes with taller concrete ones.

Extension and gate

This is hardly a major project as these things go but being on the corner of Horsley Drive and Chivenor Grove it is fairly noticeable. 

The brick matching is surprisingly good so it is a shame that they did not continue the double line of red bricks.

Parkleys corner

These days I am walking along Ham Farm Road even more than usual, to keep an eye on all the building projects going on there, and that means walking around this cornet where Ham Farm Roads meets Parkleys, and there have been a few changes here too.

Most of the trees in the area were removed a couple of months ago and on this passing I could see that the area was being prepared for some planting.

 

But before I could post the photo of the prepared ground more work had been done and so I am posting this update.

Behind the plastic fence grass seed has been strewn. I hope that this is just the start and that there will be some more interesting planting too.

The corner section is interesting. There used to be a series of wood posts there (I recorded their gradual demise here) and these have been replaced by more substantial concrete ones.

Further preparation

It is over two years since I first noted that this mid-terrace house in Upper Ham Road was being prepared for a refresh and nothing visible has been done to it, until now.

Apple trees

I have been so busy watching The Hive rising on Ham Village Green that I have overlooked the apple trees recently planted in the north-east corner along Woodville Road.

Every little improvement like this to Ham Village Green is a reminder of what could be done to Ham Common if it had the same attention.

Unstoppable

The unit on Ham Parade that Mervyn Smith used as a temporary location (while their original was repaired) is being brought back into life quickly as Unstoppable Training Studio,

Bare trees

I last took a photograph of these trees when they were pollarded in March 21 (with a much less dramatic sky) so I was a little surprised to discover them pollarded again and at a different time of year.

25 Ham Farm Road looks good

This time, I made a point of visiting 25 Ham Farm Road in the morning when the sun is at the best angle to see the front and on a Sunday when, as hoped, nobody was working there (the person you can see in the house is a reflection!).

The house looks good and the structure of the front garden is good too. This is going to be a fine addition to a road that has a few other fine houses (and some less interesting ones too).