Coloured masking tape

This chapter on the replacement of windows at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church on Ham Common is drawing to a close with the third central window back in place and being painted. I like that the masking tape is in three colours giving the window a temporary artistic and asymmetric look.

The third window

As expected, the middle of these three windows at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church is also being replaced, following closely in the footsteps of its two neighbours.

Three windows tell the tale

I always like to catch work in progress as I did when new windows were being installed at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church on Ham Common. Deliberately out of shot below the photo men were getting a window ready to fill the gap. 

The new window on the right had already been installed and is a pleasing match for the old window next to it. That window is showing its age with peeling paint so I am expecting that to be replaced or repaired too.

New windows

It is rather obvious that St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church on Ham Common is getting some new windows. I suspect, and hope, that they will be just like the old ones and that their newness will not be obvious because of that.

Thomas Aquinas Community Cafe

I will let Thomas Aquinas Community Cafe describe themselves. "We provide a safe and friendly atmosphere were anyone is welcomed and would meet old and new friends. We offer refreshments for Pay As You Feel to reduce any hindering reasons for people to come. We support the idea of social justice and of reducing food waste and collect surplus foods from a local cafe and bakers and hoefully more grocery shops in the future." 

The cafe is open every Thursday morning and this is advertised by a sign next to the entrance and a larger A-board on Ham Common.

Inside there is an impressive range of cakes and pastries.

On my visit the place was pretty full and there were several people that I know there, but this blog is about places not people so there are no pictures of them.

Large roof at St Thomas Aquinas

The large roof at St Thomas Aquinas is distinctly charming in the spring sunlight with its long sweep of tiles that through their colouring tell tales of wear from weather and vegetation, and also of gentle repair.

New bench as St Thomas Aquinas

A little over three years ago I posted a picture of the then new planter at St Thomas Aquinas and now it has been joined by a neat bench.

More flowers

Ham is taking the various In Bloom competitions very seriously this year with planters popping up everywhere. This small and pleasing example is at St Thomas Aquinas on Ham Common.

St Thomas Aquinas with snow

The brief appearance of snow gave me the chance to revisit St Thomas Aquinas Church, which I had been meaning to do for some time. Normally the dark roof contrasts with the lightly painted walls and windows. The snow changes all that capping the church in white and making the church look more at ease with itself.

Windows at St Thomas Aquinas

The south-west face of St Thomas Aquinas church has an absorbing collection of neo-gothic windows that push the roof up in to exaggerated points. They are also well positioned to capture the afternoon sun that bleaches the walls to a most un-gothic white.

Repairing St Thomas Aquinas

The repair works to St Thomas Aquinas on Ham Common have given me a welcome excuse to take another photograph of this lovely building where the crisp white walls and the smart grey roof combine beautifully. The imposing steeple is again occupied by a seagull and I like to think that it is the same one that I saw there back in February.

Whites in Lock Road

I like the way that even when treading familiar paths new things can catch your eye and this happened to me as I was walking along Lock Road towards the Common when the profusion of whites suddenly hit me.

On the left behind the fence is The Old Malt House (1 Lock Road) and behind that are the obvious features of St Thomas Acquinas. 

Bird on spire

This seagull has an excellent vantage point on the top of the spire of St Thomas Aquinas church on the corner of Ham Common. But it is not the Common that the bird is interested in, instead it is looking straight down Ham Street towards Ham House.

Window

St Thomas Aquinas Church on Ham Common looks every inch a Victorian school, which I presume it once was. This is one of the windows that faces on to Ham Street and, clearly, it needs some work doing to it.

St Thomas Aquinas Church

St Thomas Aquinas Church on the edge of Ham Common has some interesting shapes and angles that are best appreciated close-up when the building looks more like a church and less like a school.

St Thomas Aquinas Church

St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church has a commanding position on the junction of Ham Common and Ham Street. It makes the most of this with its bright white coat that is clearly visible from the other side of the Common.

Thomas Aquinas RC church

This is Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic church located on the south west corner of Ham Common. It once featured in a French & Saunders sketch where it was used as a school and Dawn French took her child there, on the "school run" in an army tank, crushing other cars on the way.