Not much of a pier in truth, just an old concrete jetty by the lighthouse at Maspalomas. There are archeological ruins nearby of an aboriginal settlement dating back some 1000 years, but the area is dominated by the Maspalomas Sand Dunes, and numerous holiday hotels. 
Sign outside our local barbershop. One way to attract attention …!
So tonight was a ‘date night’ spent at one of our local restaurants, where they were celebrating their first year of business with a special menu, and some live music. Thanks to Dan and Verity at The Town House, and to Luke Brown for his great accompaniment. 
Most of the narrow boats we see along the canal near here are either hired out for holidays/vacations, or belong to people using them for business. However, these few are permanent homes – the boats don’t move from one year to another, and some of the residents have created gardens alongside the tow path, complete even with sheds in some cases! 
This strange looking affair in Market Drayton is a WW2 ‘pill box’, a name given to reinforced concrete defence structures. It was built in 1940, and stands at the junction of Newcastle Road, and what is now known as the Shropshire Union Canal. It could be manned by a compliment of 8 infantry armed with rifles and machine guns. It’s the only one of its type remaining, and as such is a ‘listed’ or protected building.
– Well, not exactly. Today’s adventures included a trip to the Barrow Hill Roundhouse – the last surviving roundhouse of its kind in the UK. The locomotives on display (both steam and diesel) are mostly static, although we were lucky enough to see ‘Tornado’ – the 2008 built ‘A1 Peppercorn Pacific’ loco, here for some maintenance. An interesting evening’s photography, but tricky in such low light. Hopefully I’ll get to post some photos on my main blog – blog.nigelyoung.co.uk
… this paddling pool on the village green will be rammed with literally hundreds of kids. But for today – a cold, miserable, blustery January day, there’s no water in the pool, and just a few hardy dog walkers around…
This compelling mural was painted on a wall in our town (Market Drayton) to celebrate the centenary of the end of WW1 last year. It’s a lasting reminder of the sacrifices made by that generation. 
… with my strong arms outstretched, all alone but ever watchful. 
These few rusted sheets of corrugated iron are all that remains of the former army camp at Prees, near Whitchurch. Originally a WW1 training camp, an airfield was also built nearby at the beginning of WW2, and it later became a Prisoner of War camp. After the war it served as housing for Polish refugees and army families before being closed and abandoned in the 1950s. 
One Day At A Time... 