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Hospital Bridge Road, TWICKENHAM, TW2 5UL

This is beside the London Loop long distance path on one of its roadside sections. Deco enthusiasts can find quite a lot of similar places around here in these areas of extensive 1930s development, although mostly the architecture is more like the houses on the right. These two are on a corner, giving a bit more view from the wrap-round windows. The following is taken from a site called London footprints:- "The inter-war period saw the development of large areas of surburbia. Some was in the moderne style but this was less popular than the 'Jacobethan' although some of these houses managed to incorporate Art Deco motifs, especially the sunray. On the same theme the moderne houses featured wrap-around 'suntrap' windows although the internal layouts were the same as in the Jacobethan houses. They may have been less favoured because of the impracticality of their flat roofs, metal windows and white finished exteriors. Flats with streamlined styling were offering a lifestyle and some had communal facilities. The best Art Deco homes are probably those designed for a client such as Eltham Palace."

Looking towards Hospital Bridge Road

What these plants were in life, I don't know - reeds of some kind, I imagine. Their mortal remains seemed insect-like, putting me in mind of a flotilla of extra-terrestrial pond-skaters. If this image is at all puzzling, take a look at the left foreground in Image

The view is downstream.

No, it's a fungus. Found amongst leaf litter by the River Crane, a little way below Hospital Bridge. At first sight I mistook this object for discarded food, but on looking more closely realised that it was a huge fungus, apparently growing from the roots of a horse-chestnut tree. My friend ceridwen, who knows her onions, suggests the genera Fomes or Ganoderma. At a guess, this object was about 60cm (2 feet) across - my boot is size 42 (aka 8).

Hospital Bridge Road (B358) crosses the River Crane.

The path passes under Hospital Bridge Road just behind the camera. A connecting path ramps up to the road on top of the bank.

The path is a cycleway, but the bridge is very low, I went carefully on my bike to avoid bumping my head. The road goes from Hounslow through Twickenham to Teddington.