Level fence

The rebuilt and extended house at the near end of this terrace in Sandpits Road has chosen to continue the white picket fence and to maintain the alignment at the top, which has produced a significant gap at the lower end that, I presume, is going to be filled with something else.

This is a slight departure from what was there before. Previously the fence was shorter (because the house was narrower) and was slightly lower than the rest.

The step-down that was there before started with the gate on the second house up and now that the new fence has matched the top level of the main section of the fence that gate now looks odd as it sits lower than everything else.

Broken tree

A damaged tree is always a depressing sight and it is even more so in this case as it is in a very prominent position next to Gate House Garden on the cornet of Ham Common. 

44

House number signs are an easy way to show some individuality and I like to feature some of the more unusual examples here. This simple but effective 44 sign is in Meadlands Drive.

KT67 EBC on the pavement

There is simply no excuse for parking on the pavement here.

Flooding in Ham Farm Road

The recent spells of heavy rain have caused flooding in Ham Farm Road. The rain had stopped when I took this photo but the piddle was still very large and the wetness of the pavement shows how bad it had been,

The likely problem is this drain outside of number 7 which is not draining anything. I have reported it to Richmond Council, and I presume that other people have too, so I hope that it will be fixed soon.

More coffee's

It is almost thirteen years since I last reported an unwanted apostrophe in coffee's and it was a little disappointing to find another one in Ashburnham Road.

A combination of old and new

Sandy Lane remains a busy area for renovations and rebuilds and this one has taken the approach of leaving the period structure, with its bay windows and arched entrance, and added some distinctly modern features in the ubiquitous grey. I am not yet convinced that this combination works but nor am I convinced that it does not. It may swing on the final appearance of the garage.

What I am convinced about is the ugliness of the front garden, if garden is the correct word here. Not only has all the space for greenery gone, which is bad enough by itself, but the hard surface that has replaced it is uniform and featureless.

Mr Panda is open for business

I was planning to post a picture of Mr Panda in operation, and would still like to, but when I went past it last packed inside and out with children and I try to avoid taking pictures of people and of children even more so. And it was too packed with the virus spreaders for me to go inside to see what a bubble tea and kitchen actually does, something else for another day.

At least the new exterior can be seen and while this is a little bare the few seasonal decorations add some interest.

New door

This house in Arlington Road has had a lot done to it recently, including a few solar panels, and while the period look of the house has been largely retained I find then new front door a little incongruous. It also lacks a little imagination looking like every other new door.