I couldn't if I tried....

Apologies for the shitty photo.  Pah ha ha ha See what I did there? 

I stay on a little peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland.  By Peninsula I mean a sticky out bit of land.  It points west, a physical landscape, a pointer to Arran.  

Because it has this finger pointing out to Arran, we have a North beach and a South beach.  We have ONE public convenience on the South Beach.  There used to be three that I can remember.  One centrally, one at the very far end - half way along the finger... and one at the other end - near the Royal Troon Golf Course, not just closed, but gone from our minds eye too.  

We did have a public convenience on the North Shore.  Sadly it was closed many, many years ago, and the building that it once was  has sat derelict and abused right there, on the road along the shore, like an eyesore chasing people away from the beach before they even disembarked. 

The North Beach is massive, a wild grassy promenade stretches almost two miles, the favourable wind conditions mean that it is a paradise for Wind Surfers, Kite Surfers, et all.  Sadly however, there is only car parking on solid surface for approximately 10 cars next to the derelict toilets.  There is also a sectioned off grass parking area for several more cars, but as the West of Scotland is also prone to HEAVY rain, there are more spaces which are unusable than usable.    About 600 metres down the grass from the "toilets" is a further car parking area.  It is sectioned by a barrier to prevent the access of those vermin traveller, but in all honesty - the stretch of grass the chose for car parking is suitable only for travellers.  Four by fours must love it, families in their reasonably-priced family saloon must hate it.  Pot holes, rabbit holes, mud, salt, sea weed.  Add to this, the fact that there are no public conveniences and it all makes for a fabulous place to trek 30 miles for a day out.   Did I mention there are no cafes / shops on the beach either?  

However, this weekend; everything changed.  

These are the new PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.  They EVEN have a sign. 

I reckon this is because planning permission has finally been granted to knock down the stinking, derelict, old public convenience to build a brand new beautiful eatery, takewayerier, and CHANGING ROOM AND TOILETS for the sports men and women, who every week I see kindly holding up towels for each other and they try their hardest to slip, discreetly out of their wet suits. 

What joy. What Joy.  The kick in the teeth.  This is the second time the planning permission has been put in.  The sticking point the last time.  The folk living in the "posh" flats which were built on the beach - where the Caravan park used to be, complained that a large, modern, functional building would be an eyesore, for them, in their pretty, balconied, pied a terre .   Yeah, that would be an eyesore compared to the derelict, shit hole and mud bath which has sat in front of your house since you moved in?