Neat house in Sandy Lane

Sandy Lane seems to be in a continual state of flux, and more so than any other road locally, with more than one house being worked on every time that I walk along there. Somewhere in this turmoil this house, number 14, acquired a fresh coat of cream paint, some tidy grey windows and some well shaped trees to set them off. The combination works.

24 Sandy Lane is being renovated

Sandy Lane had a diverse range of house and these are gradually being extended and enhanced in diverse ways, further adding to the variety of housing in the road. I do not know the full extent of what is happening to 24 but the hole dug at the back shows the extent to which it is being extended in that direction.

I quite like the recent renovations in Sandy Lane and I look forward to seeing how this one turns out.

Greggs goes grey

In a recent refresh, not serious enough to be called a make-over, Greggs went grey; it had been yellow.

I was surprised to see that I had not taken a picture of the shop before (other than in a general picture of the parade) despite it being there for some years. I suspect that was mostly because the shop is usually very untidy with signs and bags of rubbish on the pavement outside and this view obscured by vehicles parked on the double-yellow lines.

Christmas lights in Craig Road

In looking through this blog I was surprised at how few pictures there were of Christmas lights so I might try to do something about that this year, starting with this jolly collection in Craig Road. The two reindeer pulling the sleigh are lovely and the setting is made all the better by the background lights from the house next door.

Ham Avenues

The paths and avenues that wind throughout Ham are one of the things that I like most about the area as they make it easy to get around on foot and to do so in pretty places untroubled by cars.

Great South Avenue, which runs from Ham Common to Sandy Lane, is a little bit too straight and ordered for my tastes but it is still far better than walking along a road.

As straight, but far more natural and with the benefit of a brick wall on one side, is that path that leads past Ham House to the river. It's a path I walk often, it is on my usual route to Richmond, and it still lifts me every time.

Curved window in Sandy Lane

Sandy Lane has more variety in its houses than any other road locally (probably) which means that it is worth looking at all of them carefully when walking along there.

Number 30 looks unexceptional on a quick glance and could be easily overlooked but that would be a shame as the window is lovely. Not only does it curve around the corner of the house but it is also set off nicely by the red tiles beneath the glass.

Getting ready for the Huf House to arrive

I spent most of the morning looking at Huf Häuser in Ulswater Close in Kingston Vale so I thought that I would check up on the one that is coming to Ham Street. The works are pretty well screened but there was just enough to be seen through a couple of gaps for me to know that it would be worth sticking my camera over the top to get a full view of the site.

Some of the features of the house can now be seen. There is a gap/trench between the external walls of the basement and the steel supports of the large hole that has been dug and this will allow some daylight into the rooms in the basement. The hole in the middle of the bed of concrete is for the stairs down to the basement.

The house is due to arrive in January and I am looking forward to seeing that.