Weston Green potboiler23 August 2010

The past few months have seen a number of positive outcomes, to a considerable extent reflecting patient and persistent work by residents and by your Association's councillors.

Refurbishment of the 1970s wing of flats at The Newlands is more or less complete and the Portacabins have been removed. Although that part of the building would win no awards for beauty, it does look much better with new windows. The marketing intentions of the owners are not yet clear: the wing had been used for accommodation for the elderly. Meanwhile earlier proposals to subdivide the main, Grade II Listed house have been superseded by planning application 2010/1489 which will preserve a main house with high quality renovation to match existing. The interesting and encouraging design statement can be downloaded here. The recent history of the Newlands has been a worry, but patient resistance to earlier proposals (and much research by Cllr. Tannia Shipley aided by residents) seems to be paying off with a constructive approach by the present owners.

The controversial cycle path along Hampton Court Way is set to be partly removed (where it crosses immediately in front of house driveways) and resited, following representations by residents to the Local Area Committee and support from our County Councillor Peter Hickman and Weston Green councillors Lorraine Sharp and Tannia Shipley. On 11 March they arranged a meeting with residents, WPC Jane Eames (Casualty Reduction Officer) and Martyn Williamson (Road Safety Traffic Management, Roads Policing Unit) at the site, and a subsequent meeting on the 17 March attended by residents from about ten houses affected. Cllr. Sharp had researched the matter and was able to hand over information that would help the residents object to the cycle path's unacceptable features. The Hampton Court Way Protest Committee was set up, and made various representations. Peter Hickman arranged a site visit with Margaret Hicks - chairman of the SCC's Elmbridge Area local committee, which met again on 21 June. Nick Handel, representing the residents, made an excellent 3 minute speech and after a brief debate senior Highways official Frank Apicella stated that that particular stretch of the cycle route was to be removed.

Meanwhile in the aftermath of the unheralded chopping-down of numerous cherry trees lining the Way where the cycle path continued - which despite representations by our county councillor, Surrey's rulers refused to replace - a qualified member of our forum has reported that the design plans provided by the contractor who designed the path actually specified the trees to be replaced as part of the design. All in all, another case where if proper consultation had been carried out beforehand by officials, and the results taken seriously, all this angst would have been avoided and a better job done.

Milbourn pond has again dried up this summer. However, many ponds in the Borough have been emptied by the prolonged dry spell in early spring. Our Weston Green councillors have continued to press for reappraisal and action to preserve the pond. They report that the Countryside committee's local experts agree that the pond is too small, too shallow and the wrong contour to retain a worthwhile amount of water that would prevent complete drying in spells of dry weather. This is progress. Late last year the clay lining of the pond was tamped down, and in early 2010 culverts and drains were cleared and cut to maximise use of runoff from the pond's immediate surroundings. In September there will be removal of some of the adjacent shrubs (which should reduce transpiration losses a little) and the bullrushes - a mistaken introduction to the pond which are now choking the life and water out of it - should be killed. A proper solution will almost certainly require re-contouring to a deep dish shape, and a liner, but for the moment there is no money available to cover this. At least there is growing consensus in the council committee, driven by Lorraine Sharp and Tannia Shipley, concerning what needs to be done when funds allow.

Despite the dry season, tenacious Tannia has continued to pursue the issue of flooding near Esher station - an issue with official records nearly a century old - and with the aid of longstanding resident Mary Robinson's local knowledge an old drain has been identified in the system near the Arch bridge over Hampton Court Way, the existence of which had remained unknown to current Council engineers. We wouldn't want to raise any false hopes, however - as Tannia always emphasises, the system of around two miles of drains and culverts over flat terrain requires continual clearing and maintenance by landowners, councils and Network Rail rather than the approach, seemingly customary, of waiting until the problem is too severe to ignore.

Less good, but not all bad, was the outcome on the complicated case of lights and extended hours for Daytona go-kart racing at Sandown Park. The upshot of the public enquiry in early June is that Daytona have been allowed to continue with their activities but that fresh conditions have been attached: whether they in turn will be enforced by a Borough Council repeatedly judged by residents as wanting in that area, remains to be seen.

And lastly: there have been two sightings of deer on Ditton Common in the past two months, with one being a carcase and the other lately seen immediately behind Newlands Avenue.

Pulse of the nation20 August 2010

An Ipsos Mori poll on the Government's first 100 days (downloadable from Ipsos Mori here) shows a general level of satisfaction with the way in which the Coalition has set about things - almost as high as was the case with Tony Blair's first 100 days. On issues with local reverberation:

◊   58% agree there is a real need to cut spending on public services in order to pay off national debt
◊   69% think the cuts should be done more slowly.
◊   The government’s priority should be to protect services for people who most need help
◊   Over 50% support: Freezing the amount of money the Royal Family receives from the tax payer (87%). Making single parents look for work when their youngest child goes to school (73%). Freezing the pay of public sector workers for 2 years (59%). Cutting housing benefit (59%). Freezing child benefit for the next 3 years (57%)
◊   Fewer than half want the pension age raised to 66 and fewer than one-third want VAT raised from 17.5% to 20%
◊   A majority thought that the 'Big Society' was a good idea in principle but won't work in practice, and that it was just an excuse for the government to save money by cutting back on public services.

How councils spend your money on web sites16 August 2010

Web sites are - or should be - a cheap, effective and fast way of communication. The Daily Telegraph carries an interesting study of how much councils spend on their websites, based on concerted requests under the Freedom of Information Act. If you follow the links they give, you can find the financial statistics here and here for nearly every council in the land. Locally, the results will surprise nobody:

Surrey County Council:

Total annual spend: £456,068.41 (latest figures supplied) comprising:
£372,000- Staff
£7,495- Parent Know How directory
£8,000- travel and traffic information
£48,000- WCN recruitment
£20573.41- third party tools to test and maintain

Verdict of a certified web developer:
"The website is of reasonable design and undistinguished. It mostly complies with less-demanding international standards. It has improved in recent years. Search filtering could be better: it is not always easy to find the information you want. The cost is outrageous - well above industry levels - and you don't have to look much further than the costs of in-house staff to account for this. A specialist web firm would be far cheaper and probably do a better job."

Elmbridge Borough Council:

Total annual spend: 2007/8: £10,247 and 2007/9: £5,832

Verdict:
"This is a very well-designed, bang up to date and easily navigated site overall, meeting tighter international coding standards than the Surrey site. Moreover, it's at a very fair price given the frequency with which it is updated. Very good value, and I am assuming that it is outsourced to a specialist web development company."

It will be claimed that the Surrey website offers a broader range of facilities (e.g. the online Library Services) than the Elmbridge web site and that is to some extent true. However, it does not go nearly far enough to account for the glaring disparity in cost and efficiency that we have so often come to expect when Surrey is compared with Elmbridge. Even on the basis of cost-per-inhabitant, Surrey's website is 52 times as expensive as Elmbridge's.

Council websites offer an excellent way of reaching nearly all citizens at what should be a fairly low cost - lower than print media. Figures released at the turn of the year during the Elmbridge public "Have Your Say" meeting reveal that 90% of Elmbridge residents have access to the Internet either at home, work, friends/relatives house or elsewhere. 86% have access at home. Less than 4% under the age of 45 have no Internet access. This increases to 16% for the 65-74 age group and 47% for the 75+ age group. We'd add that all citizens have free internet access at their nearest public Library.

Footnote: And what are the figures for the web site of the Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents' Association? Around £20 a year, all up, for the domain name and the apportioned costs of shared hosting. Production and maintenance is by voluntary service.

Conservatives scrap Audit Commission13 August 2010

Communities Minister Eric Pickles (Conservative) is scrapping the Government Audit Commission which was established under Mrs Thatcher's administration in 1983 and notably exposed gerrymandering in Conservative-run Westminster Council later that decade: see Daily Telegraph which notes also that earlier this year, the Commission paid nearly £60,000 to lobbyists who advised it to "combat the activities of Eric Pickles", then the Tory party chairman. That surely would not have influenced the Minister's decision.

The Audit Commission monitors and reports on the effectiveness and efficiency of local Councils. Mr. Pickles said that instead, councils would resort to the profitmaking private sector to audit them. He did not indicate how objectivity would be ensured when councils chose and paid their own auditors.

Locally, Elmbridge, which under a Residents Administration achieved the top grading from the Audit Commission, has lost a grade since the Conservatives resumed office in 2006 while Surrey, which has been governed by a Conservative administration ever since county councils were established by Lord Salisbury's government in 1888, has achieved poor grades in recent years. They may not be sorry to see the back of the Audit Commission. But will we ordinary residents?

Ye Olde Harrow development7 August 2010

There is a new planning application for Ye Olde Harrow (ref: 2010/1690). It coincides with the summer holidays, potentially minimising the public response.

Earlier applications:

    ◊ Application ref: 2008/2555 for 7 houses was refused by Elmbridge because "its size, footprint, depth and position would be unduly prominent, cramped and overbearing in this sensitive location bordering the green belt". The developer went to appeal but the Inspector upheld the decision by Elmbridge and said: "the proposal would adversely affect the character and appearance of the surrounding area."

    ◊ Application ref: 2009/1827 for 7 houses on the site was also refused by Elmbridge "the proposal has not overcome the reasons for previous refusal and would create a form of development that would, by virtue of design, scale and overbearing nature with minimal separation distance, be inappropriate and out of keeping in this sensitive location bordering the Green Belt and would detract from the character and appearance of the area."

We await the outcome of an appeal on the last one. Thank you to all who sent letters of objection.

The new application is for 6 houses, but the 6 planned are bigger. The four houses on Weston Green Road would still be 3 storey but are taller than in previous applications. The 2 storey houses at the rear have a larger ground floor footprint. The houses are taller than neighbouring properties (which the 'artist's impression' does not somehow convey), and are densely packed. The design style is less uniform.

Residents accept that there will be housing development on this site but such development should suit the local area in terms of size, design style, and density, not closely overlook existing properties and be sympathetic to the outlook from Weston Green. The outcome for this site will set a precedent for future local development nearby.

If you agree, please write with your objection to the new application (2010/1690) to:

Martin Parker, Head of Town Planning, Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SD
or you can send it via email to tplan@elmbridge.gov.uk or online at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/planning/comment.htm

You must include your name, address and the application number (2010/1690) for it to count. Online objections must be lodged on or before Wednesday 11th August although letters received after that date will, if custom is followed, be taken into consideration.

Credit deficit6 August 2010

Today the Surrey Comet recycles news that former HSBC and Credi Suisse banker Henrietta Leung, of Kingston, who then earned in six figures, has turned to topless modelling instead. Made redundant by the credit crunch, 38 year old Ms Leung reportedly asked a friend to take some photos, and built up a portfolio of "nice sexy pictures". If you are male, you will probably be thinking something right about now, and the answer is here on the 'what's on in Xiamen' site.

This is another in the topless gossip series. Earlier in the year, decency prompted us to suppress (with correspondingly suppressed guffaws) a story that a local Figure In Authority was married to a particularly pneumatic ex-page three girl with form in blue films. After all, our aristocracy has not been immune to such charms. It does liven the place up a bit: a Comet reader comments; "So absolutely nothing worth reporting has happened in Kingston this last week? This article is surely a new low in the Comet's history. June Sampson must be furious."

Vestry ghosts nod approval at yew cull5 August 2010

As part of the renovation programme, St. Nicholas has applied to Church authorities for permission to remove a number of the yew trees that now overcrowd the churchyard. Significant trees including the cedrus atlantica will remain - also the remarkable and cherished 'blasted yew' near the church door which re-grew a trunk, though split by lightning, and which in the half-light can resemble a crucifixion. The scheme outlining which trees are to be removed, and which retained, may be viewed inside the church. The period of reflection on the matter closes on 12 August. Permission has already been obtained from EBC.

Many of the yews marked for the chop have a controversial past, and you may well imagine rumblings of assent to these proposals from beneath the gravestones. They were planted about 140 years ago on the initiative of Thomas Earl, a corn and coal merchant with premises behind 25 High St. who was Churchwarden from 1865 - 72. He met the cost of prettying up the churchyard from his own purse, but on retiring billed the vestry for £144 including interest! In those days the sum would have covered the salary of the parish clerk, or the school teacher, for two years... The Surrey Comet of 27 April 1872 records that this surprise "engendered a bellicose and antagonistic spirit in the vestry, and a noisy altercation occurred, during which strong and uncomplimentary epithets were freely exchanged." The vestry denied any responsibility, accusing Earl of failing to present any yearly accounts and of having exceeded the allowable expenses for church upkeep. Rev E.H. Rogers thereafter presented Earl with "a very elegant present" as token of goodwill, nonetheless. The story is recounted in Mercer's 'More Thames Ditton Tales and Scandals' 1965, available in our Library.

Museum Pieces4 August 2010

Exhibit A:

The Elmbridge Museum costs not far short of a quarter of a million pounds in taxpayers' money every year, but in the past year fewer than 7,000 people visited it. For comparison, our wonderful Dittons Library gets that number of visits in less than three weeks. In the whole year the number of hits on the Museum website was about half those that this site gets in a month.

So, with works on the building being imminent in any case, councillors are taking a hard look at the Museum. The administration has published an 'options paper' which you may read here. There are four options:

• Option 1- Transfer the Museum service to an as yet unidentified site in the Borough, Walton Town Centre being the preferred location.
• Option 2- Transfer the Museum service to another local museum, potentially Brooklands Museum.
• Option 3- Close the entire Museum service and stores
• Option 4- Close “front of house” service but retain artefacts and provide public with an opportunity to view by appointment, or online as well as retaining the education service.

The leadership prefer Option 4. (Your webmaster suggests putting some of the more interesting exhibits on a rolling display at venues like the libraries and the vast acres of airy unused space at the Civic Centre, plus an archive where visitors can search). If you have views either way, write to our councillors (see contacts page). Meanwhile - have you visited the Museum? It's in Weybridge.

Exhibit B:

Last year the Elmbridge Museum was itself 100 years old, and during 2010 it's been promoting a project called "The Elmbridge Hundred." Conceived as a participatory exercise in local history for local schools and other interested parties - an excellent idea - a number of historical characters have been selected and potted histories written about some of them prior to an artistic trail being set up over coming months. The selection has had its endearingly idiosyncratic aspects, and at least as far as figures local to Thames Ditton are concerned there are some inaccuracies. (Comment: Although the website which has been set up solicits contributions and corrections, two corrections* put in from here months ago have been disregarded.)

The Museum is keen that residents should contribute pieces on some of the characters and invites you to join in. Beforehand, you may wish to note that all the material that appears on the Hundred web site is not, as one might have hoped, licensed for public use under Creative Commons but that copyright is owned by the artist, Alastair Grant, to whom all rights are reserved.

* These are: (a) Naval historian Sir Julian Stafford Corbett is listed on the Hundred website as "born and died in Thames Ditton". This was probably taken from an old Wikipedia entry, since corrected. While Corbett was associated for many years with Imber Court, owned by his parents, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - a reputable source - states that he was born on 12 November 1854 at Walcot House, Kennington Road, Lambeth, and died of heart disease at Manor Farm, Stopham, Pulborough, Sussex, on 21 September 1922. (b) William Talman is said by the Museum site to have "bought an estate in Thames Ditton" which he later sold to George London. There is no documentation we know of to substantiate this: whereas there are references to him buying a "Borough Farm" in Long Ditton, a different parish, and to the gifted horticulturalist George London building Upper Long Ditton House (ref Long Ditton local historian Peter Fussell 1994).

That was June and July...4 August 2010

Tales of the Riverbank

Our thanks to all the residents and others who wrote or emailed with news during the past two months. In June several residents whose sobriety was not in any real doubt drew attention to the presence of a seal in the Thames along Albany Reach. Another contacted Residents' councillor Sandra Dennis to complain of carp-fishers leaving their ordure along the Reach - a recurrence of problems two years ago which led to a campaign to make anglers more socially responsible (the police are not allowed to regard anglers' "bivouacs" as tents, it transpired).

Another reader notified us of a steel safe dumped in the river alongside Kingston Grammar's boathouse, in a wheeliebin. Its door, also in the river, had been cut out. Police were notified: we can only assume that the wheeliebin with the safe in it had been too heavy for the binmen to remove, and that someone had found an alternative way of disposing of the safe, desecrating this lovely stretch of river in the process. If you have any information, please report it.

From Ambridge to Elmbridge

In early June the Ember Centre's new home in Thames Ditton Hall was formally opened as the Thames Ditton Centre for the Community. There is provision also for youngsters at the Hall again. The facilities are good, and spacious, and this is a satisfactory outcome for the centre, the community and the Hall in which everyone can take pleasure. Nonagenarian June Spencer OBE, the oldest surviving member (Peggy Archer) of the original cast of 'The Archers' who still plays a role there, did the honours. It was good to see Elmbridge's Leader John O'Reilly paying tribute to several key figures in the development of the Centre, not least Cllr. Ruth Lyon, while resident Gerry Mitchell MBE (who with her late husband began the Weston Green Over-60s Club a very long time ago) also paid tribute to the role of our Residents' Association in protecting the interests of the elderly in this venture.

In general, the stance of the Elmbridge administration under its new leader has so far been notably more constructive and intelligent than was the case under his predecessor, which is welcome. The Council is restoring a part-time Arts Officer function and there are signs of some cross-party support on other issues. There is as yet no progress to report on a sensible solution to best use (and more profitable use) of Ashley Road car park; but perhaps we can hope for a more constructive and flexible approach to that issue.

Resident Tony Charlesworth wrote in to draw attention to the Coalition government's plans to prevent garden-grabbing, reversing the legal categorisation of gardens as brownfield sites by earlier Conservative administrations (the sad fact is that it was they who first introduced the categorisation). We have been amongst those calling for this action, which goes beyond policy commitments of the recent past, and Minister for Communities Greg Clarke's announcement is warmly welcomed.

Residents in the Angel Road / Thorkill Road area have emailed to express concern that a new housing project behind Thorkhill Road has caused traffic problems in the area, while careless manoeuvring of contractors' plant and equipment has damaged a lamp-post and obstructed a watercourse. The site has been completely cleared right up to the banks of the River Rythe. Three houses are planned, with very limited access for residents, refuse trucks and emergency vehicles. 

Doings - and a little gossip

The village squash team, Colets, won the men's England club championship again for the fourth year running, beating Pontefract 5-0. This was the 11th time overall since they first won it in 1994, a tribute to the leadership and organisation of coach Dave Peck. The men's over-35 team also won their category, beating Dunnington 5-0. The women's team were creditable losing semifinalists. Colets now go forward again to represent England at the European Championships, which they've won once and have come close to winning on other occasions, in mid-September.

Thames Ditton Junior School retained the winning trophy for the District Sports field event for the 7th year running.

Jayne Thomas of Speer Road won silver medal for her Midsummer Night's Dream garden at the RHS Flower Show at Hampton Court. Mrs Thomas is a lifelong gardener who, after raising a family, studied for a degree in garden design and set up her own firm. The show garden, voted for online by popular acclaim, contained more than 200 grasses, 200 lavenders, and thousands of wildflowers. You can see it taking shape here.

In Spring 2008 Thames Ditton Today carried an article castigating the local depradations of urban foxes. That was before the case publicised last year in North London, where two small children were badly bitten by a fox that got into the house; and an episode this summer when a teenage girl camping in her garden in Long Ditton was bitten by a fox which ripped into the tent. The Council will take no action to control these pests. If they were dogs gone wild, rather than foxes grown into urban ASBOs, it might be a different story...

A village wouldn't be a village without occasional gossip, although not much of it is suitable for publication! During the period, a well-known lady alcoholic from a nearby Ditton made off with part of a resident's rockery and newly-delivered turf in a 'borrowed' wheeliebin, but was stopped and made to return it; while in a rather tragic case of bereavement a young fellow in an apparent state of intoxication dressed up in women's clothing and heaved a brick through a neighbour's window. But these things are best kept in the family, don't you think?

Troubled Jolly Boatman development3 August 2010

This overscale development envisages a new railway station at Hampton Court plus a care home and other accommodation and a four-storey hotel facing the Palace across the river.

You will recall that the last Elmbridge Council Administration steamrollered through the planning permission to developers Gladedale, who fought a ruthless PR campaign, over the heads of all the local ward councillors and a popular petition of over 3,000 signatures opposing it. The proposal and the decision attracted widespread criticism, indeed some derision (see article in Private Eye), at a national level. In the fine tradition of English law at service of the citizen, architect Keith Garner took up an exemplary lone legal fight against the validity of the decision. Elmbridge has spent a great deal of your money attempting to justify it in the courts. They appear to be losing.

At the end of 2009 Mr. Justice Nicol in the High Court ruled that EBC failed to act strictly in accordance with Article 22(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. In his judgment he said that the Council "were required to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the setting of Hampton Court Palace, and, in view of the duty, an important issue was whether the river frontage of the site should be kept free of substantial development. There is in any view a clearly arguable case, as evidenced by the officer's report, that, while detailed consideration was given to the design of the proposed buildings, the Council failed to apply the statutory requirement."

In May 2010 the Office of the Information Commissioner ordered Elmbridge to release Gladedale’s viability statement, so far not seen by the public. In this matter of clear public interest and importance the council. which professes to be wedded to open government, appealed against the decision on the grounds of 'commercial confidence'.  

Mr. Garner was not at that stage awarded a Protective Costs Order, but nevertheless soldiered on against the might of Elmbridge's resources and those of Network Rail. However, in July Network Rail who had earlier threatened to seek their own costs from Mr. Garner declared that they would not now be seeking their costs if he lost. There was tremendous progress on 29 July when Mr. Garner succeeded in arriving at a realistic protective costs order and recovered previous costs. He will have to pay Elmbridge £5000 if they eventually win, while if Elmbridge lose they have to pay £35,000. Elmbridge Council was also ordered to pay £15,000 of Mr. Garner's costs in preparing for and attending the appeal hearing while the £3000 awarded against Mr. Garner at an earlier hearing has been overturned.  The brave and tenacious Mr. Garner has now, therefore, not only established prima facie that Elmbridge were likely at fault in the planning process, but enhanced his standing to pursue a judicial review of the planning decision - the crux of the issue - and at a realistic proportion of costs. The full hearing is likely to begin in October.

Meanwhile, the Star and Garter Home, whose image was exploited by the pro-development lobby during the bid for planning permission, has announced that it will no longer be part of the development. Gladedale, whose financial difficulties have been extensively reported in the legal, finance and property media (they recently replaced their MD after a gap of two years), have stated that it will go ahead with "a different care home."

See Keith Garner's web page for source documents and updates. He still needs donations towards the legal team's expenses.
Some Gladedale internet references:
Troubles in Scotland
Refinancing £1bn of debt
Entrepreneur sues Gladedale

The Baskets of Queens Road...7 July 2010

That competitiveness that runs through us all can reach its keenest edge in horticulture. To walk down Queens Road towards the river on the Saturday before the RHS Flower Show opened at Hampton Court Palace was to sense electricity in the air as residents awaited the judges' verdict on the Hanging Basket and Window Box competition. Here are some photos to give you the idea...

Organised by resident Pam Bannister and sponsored by The Albany, this competition - now in its second year - stimulates the road's inhabitants to deck out their neat Victorian houses with floral artworks, and primp and tidy their front gardens so that the road becomes a charming spectacle for those on their way to the pub or, indeed, the small ferry that runs this week from the Albany to the Flower Show on the other side of the river.

Some competitors go to certain lengths to keep their exhibit out of sight before Judgment Day. People are wary: some talk darkly of nipping down the road with a pair of shears to nobble the front-runners. There are few rules. Suspicously prolific bloomers would almost certainly fail a drugs test for Phostrogen use.

On the day itself, residents assembled with merriment in the Albany to calm their nerves in the traditional manner while the three judges, headed up by Elmbridge Lifestyle's Arts Editor, Carol Cordrey, went about their work steadfast in refusing offers of drinks and other inducements.

Exhibits were assessed for their impact, health, selection of plants and colour, style of container and the all-important context of house and front garden. The amount of effort residents put in was remarkable, and the judges' choice wasn't easy to make. Number 19 (Sue Bentley) was winner of the Best Window Box in a fine harmonious display, well planted, which beautifully complemented the pink door and pale washed walls of the house and an immaculate front garden. Number 39 (Mathew Thomas and Susan Boardman) was awarded Best Basket with a magnificent whopper, bursting with scarlet ivy-leaved geraniums, fuschias, verbena and white bacopa. Both received a prize from the Albany worth £50.

Runners up with a pair of good tickets each to the Comedy Club at The Angel were Number 30 (Delia Ridewood), for a well-planted and very cottagey window box; and Gillian Steward at Number 25, whose overall display was outstanding but whose baskets and box were each pipped to the post by a rival. Andrea and Alan Cunningham at Number 6 won a bottle of Albany champagne for a contemporary wooden window-box planted with an imaginative and well-tended mix of pitcher-plants, sempervivums, and purple fennel, designed to withstand the burning summer sun.

All in all, this is a great thing to be part of. Pam's initiative has brought residents together in what was already a very friendly road, and prompted all to put in willing effort to make it pretty, tidy and bright. As I left the Albany a while later to the sound of merrymaking, she was talking of organising a pumpkin competition for Hallowe'en...