Enter Sandman

I have never posted a still from a TV show or film before but I had no choice here.

I first read The Sandman comics when they were originally published in the late 1980s/early 1990s and have bought several different editions since then, including the oversized Absolute version and digital copies just for rereading. It remains one of the most important comics of all time and has remained in print because of that.

News that Netflix were producing a version was very welcome and I am enjoying it immensely.

Episode 6 was a particular treat because so much of it was filmed locally at places like Richmond Green and Twickenham Riverside and the icing on the substantial cake was the scene set in The New Inn.

Rebuilt wall

The end section of the side wall of the New Inn along Petersham Road has been rebuilt, not just repaired. I am actually a little disappointed as it looked like a major project when it was underway and I was hoping for something more substantial.

A gap in the wall

A bonus from the gas works in Lock Road is the opportunity to see the back of 26 Ham Common while the wall along Lock Road is down.

Rust

Rust is a clear sign that something is not working but here I think it adds something colourful to the already attractive clutter.

Back Lane closed

The gas operations that have been ongoing around Dukes and Broughton Avenues for some months have expanded into Lock Road and Back Lane leading to the closure of the later.

It has also brought in parking restrictions in Lock Road but VO64 AVD has chosen to ignore those and has moved some bollards so that they can park where the road has been narrowed.

 

The barrier is substantial but the sign suggests that it will soon be gone.

The road closure seems to have had little impact on local traffic and I saw no issues when walking around the area. Back Road is one of those where the balance between road and pavement is ridiculous and this closure demonstrates that it does not need to be a major thoroughfare for people to get around.

Blue bricks

Great Fish and Chips has changed its look slightly and after two iterations with grey bricks below the window they have now gone for blue bricks separated by white lines. It may be to mimic the sea or the owners may just like the colour but whatever the reason it is a more brash look.

New windows

I have been watching this extension in Upper Ham Road for almost two years and, after a period of no visible activity, suddenly some windows have appeared. 

Long drought

I last posted a picture of a drought worn Ham Common in 2018 and while it is hard to make comparisons from these photos the data suggest that 2022 has been drier but there is a limit to how dead grass can get.

Autumn is coming early too with many trees deciding that it is not worth hanging on to their leaves any longer. The ground is already littered with discarded leaves and up in the trees other leaves are turning brown in anticipation of their imminent fall.

Barriers

I am really struggling to understand the argument that Richmond Council used to erect these unsightly barriers on Teddington Lock Island to try and stop people getting to the beaches there, less than two years after steps were installed to make access easier.

Apparently they were put there to stop antisocial behaviour, which is ridiculous. I cross the bridge many times a week and have never witnessed any such behaviour there, there are no properties nearby and innocent people are being punished for the perceived crimes of a few. It is a ridiculous decision.

 

But then Richmond Council has an unimpressive record of making ridiculous decisions, such as coating this section of the bridge with more barriers to stop people from jumping off.

They would counter that with arguments around safety but then consider how little they do to make roads safer.