Cupola repairs

The former stables for Ham House are always attractive because of their design and detail and on this day I also appreciated the colour of the tree, the structure of the scaffolding and the drama of the bright sunlight.

Weathervane

I thought that I had already posted a picture of every weathervane in Ham but I saw this one when walking out of Bute Avenue into Sudbrook Lane and took a photo just in case and if I have posted it before then it was not tagged as such.

Weathervane in Dukes Avenue

Considering that I have made a point of recording weathervanes and that Dukes Avenue is on my doorstep, I was beyond surprised to find that I have not posted a picture of this one before. My lesser error may have been to have posted a picture and not tagged it correctly. Either way, previous errors are now corrected.

An even closer look at Toad of Toad Hall

I use the weathervane of Toad of Toad Hall in Ham Farm Road to test the zoom of any new camera I get. I last did this with my Canon Powershot 230HS in January 2012 and this picture was taken with my new Canon Powershot 620HS.

It is still a point-and-press camera with very few buttons and an easy size and weight for jacket pockets yet the zoom packs a powerful punch. The image stabilisation is brilliant too and I took this without any form of support to steady the camera.

Weathervane off Lock Road

I hope that this is a new weathervane otherwise I am not sure how I missed it before.

It is on a shed behind a house in Lock Road and can be seen from the lane that leads to the surgery and then the pumping station.

Weathervane at Ham Manor

I have simply no idea how this weathervane escaped my notice until now. I can only assume that either somebody has sneakily installed it recently or I had seen it before and assumed that it had already be included in the blog.

It resides on one of the buildings at Ham Manor in Ham Street, but not the main one.

Galloping horseman

I discovered this weathervane during my visit to Woodbine Cottage during Petersham Open Gardens 2014. It was perched neatly on the house next door on the north side.

Flying fox

I do not know how I missed this weathervane previously, perhaps it is new (or is that just a desperate hope). This flying fox is chasing the wind as it scuttles over Sudbrook Lane and can be found about half way down on the left as you approach the golf club.

Weathered weathervane

This weathervane is looking suitably weathered and it must be getting close to the time when some brave soul has to climb up and give it a fresh coat of paint. Until then you can see the gently rusting monument on top of one of the rabble of buildings next to Ham House on Ham Street.

An even closer look at Toad of Toad Hall

I love this weathervane immensely, which is why I've taken three photographs of it in the last four years.

The magnificent Toad of Toad Hall first appeared in this blog back in March 2008.At the time I was using a Canon Ixus 55. Then, in February 2009, I took another picture with my then brand new Ixus 80 IS with its better zoom and image stabilisation software.

Three years later and my camera has been upgrade again and I now use a Canon Powershot 230HS which has an even better zoom despite still being small enough to fit easily in to a pocket.

I think that this picture shows that the upgrade was worth it.

Weathervane at Petersham Manor

Petersham Manor in River Lane proudly boasts a traditional weathervane which confirms that the road is almost due north-south at this point.

Weathervane by Ham House

There is an interesting clutch of buildings on Ham Street by the path to Ham House, one of which has this lovely dome and weathervane.

Golden weathervane on St. Peter's church

My exploration of the weathervanes in Ham (and Petersham) brings me to St. Peter's church where the fairly simple design, appropriate for a church, has been given a golden touch that makes it worth viewing for a few moments.

Weathervane on the Old Coach House

The Old Coach House to Sudbrook Lodge has a simple but rather charming weathervane which shows us that warmer air is blowing up from the South and is heading North along the Petersham Road towards Richmond.

A closer look at Toad of Toad Hall

I took a photograph of the wonderful weathervane in Ham Farm Road almost a year ago but a new camera means that I can now take sharp close-ups easily and so it was worth a second look.

Toad of Toad Hall

Toad of Toad Hall grandly points the way on a rooftop in Ham Farm Road, the artiest road in Ham.