St Richards is enveloped

St Richards is a superb building so it is good news that it is being restored and even better news that it looks so good enveloped in scaffolding while the work is done.

Work underway at St Richards

St Richards Church in Ashburnham Road is, I would argue, the most iconic building in Ham so it is good to see the work begin to repair it after much planning and fundraising.

I believe that the plan is to replace the copper roof with a zinc one so it will look different when the work is complete but it will retain its shape and still be just as iconic.

Flowering egg

I do not know if this hedge was trimmed in to an egg shape for Easter but it was a good idea, despite the great deal of effort it must have taken to get the shape right. And it looks even better with some flowers growing.

This is a prominent junction and also close to a parade of shops so it must be enjoyed by many people every day. 

A proper path

The remade path that goes past St Richard's Church, to cut off the corner of Ashburnham Road, looks very good. 

As a fairly regular user of this path, I appreciate the wide entrance to it from this side and also the resurfaced pavement next to it.

Harris Beauty Clinic

After two years, the unit that was once a Chinese takeaway called Chef for You has finally found a new tenant and is to become Harri's Beauty Clinic.

Path improvement

A desire path was created years ago past St Richard's Church to cut off the corner of Ashburnham Road and while some work was done to formalise this busy route it was remained uneven and prone to water-logging. The rebuilding work going on now looks more substantial so I hope that the desire path becomes a proper one.

Charging point

A charging point seems to be installed on Ashburnham Road opposite the junction with Ferrymoor, which is an odd place to encourage people to park. 

Also, while the post it would fit well in the older parts of Ham looks somewhat out of place in modernist Wates Estate.

Ham Village Pharmacy

What used to be Kanset Pharmacy in St Richards Square has changed ownership and has become Ham Village Pharmacy. The branding tells you that is a partner to both Ham Parade and Ham Common Pharmacies.

The Hive from the south

As the scaffolding falls away, more of The Hive is revealed, this is the view from Ashburnham Road. The full impact will not be know until the hoardings have gone too but impressions are still good for all the reasons that I like the view from the north.

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.

New planting

It is only a short while since this area alongside Albany Court in Ashburnham Road looked harsh with the removal of a hedge and already there is cause for optimism with new planting.

Hedge removed

The area alongside Albany Court in Ashburnham Road is looking very stark, harsh even, with the removal of the hedge that used to be there.

Flowery shed

This flowery shed brightens up every walk I take along Ashburnham Road.

Untypical Wates Estate

A few days ago I posted a typcal view of Wates Estate and, in contrast, here is an untypical one. This is one of the hidden squares off Ashburnham Road which one of the residents has decided to decorate with artificial grass and fish carvings.

Work starts at St Richard's

St Richard's was consecrated in 1966 and has been an iconic building in Ham ever since. Age has taken its toll and a major restoration project is proposed if the necessary funding can be secured. Meanwhile work has started on some lesser repairs.

A new look for Jaflong

Jaflong in Ashburnham Road has had a major revamp most of which is inside so I cannot show you that, however, it was the external change that alerted me with the grey frontage becoming black, and I can show you that.

Sometime over the years the shop sign changed too, from what it was in 2008, but I failed to record that change at the time, despite visiting there regularly to get a Vegetable Ceylon.

CYCLE FiRST

CYCLE FiRST has opened where Ashburnham Carpets used to be in, unsurprisingly, Ashburnham Road.

It is always good to see an empty unit come back into use and it is even better when the new shop is something different and when it looks as attractive as this.

A large pile of earth

The work being done on this house in Ashburnham Road is at the back, as indicated by the posts and sheeting above the garages, and the extent of this work can be judged by the amount of earth that has been displaced and moved to the front garden.

A different look at The Hive

I took a similar picture of The Hive, the new community centre on Ham Village Green, not that long ago but it has grown taller since then and it looks a little different from this angle, looking across Ashburnham Road.

New play court

A new play court has been constructed in the extensive grounds of St Richard's CE Primary School in Ashburnham Road. It is early days and there are no markings or equipment to indicate what it will be used for.

It also has a separate entrance suggesting that it will be used independently of the school, at least some of the time.