Chic O'Pick

It has taken a while to refit the shop on Upper Ham Road but Chic O'Pick has now arrived. I was a little bemused just before it opened as all we had was the new name and the discrete windows which suggested, to my perverted mind, a house of ill repute.

But my suspicions were unfounded and Chic O'Pick in a delightfully upmarket shop selling ladies outfits and accessories thus filling the gap formed when a similar shop in the opposite corner of the parade closed a few years ago.

Corner

A long overdue picture of a garage captured because the corner is a serendipitous collection of colours and shapes as the Autumnal ivy collides interestingly with the rough construction.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

I took this picture just because Petersham Lodge Wood looks good at this time of year and I was enjoying my short detour through it on my way to nowhere in particular. It was only when looking at the photograph later that I noticed the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly adding just a few flecks of subtle colour to a montage of Autumnal greens.

Flowers and glass

I am not a fan of the cafeification of Petersham Nurseries but I appreciate that other people do as it is always seems to be busy when I wander around. And I do wander around often because there are still flowers and greenhouses there to enjoy.

Junction

The unnecessary and unwanted (by me at least) works on the footpaths converging by Teddington Footbridge continue recklessly. More of the paths are being covered in too-perfect tarmac and restrained by inappropriate fences. It's a blight on the natural beauty that surrounds it.

Flowers at Ham House

Ham House can look a little stark at the back as the large plants keep their distance but the rows of plants in their orderly pots add a little interest and a few specks of colour.

Cycle path

At a risk of repeating myself, one of my acknowledged faults, the thing I like most about living in Ham is the way that paths flow effortlessly through it allowing you to wander and explore. Some of these paths squeeze between terraces of dark brick houses while others, like this one, cavort delightfully through open spaces.

Trailers

Today was The Great River Race, the annual trek up the river from Docklands to Ham which brings with it all the people and paraphernalia needed to support the event. As part of this the recreation ground by the Ham Street car park gives way to cars and boat trailers.

Mind

This shop has been empty since last December when Wine Rack closed down and now it is finally coming alive again, though a charity shop is probably not what I would have wished for. But let's give it a chance to prove itself before making judgements.