World Wetland Day

It is World Wetland Day, so a good time to celebrate the completion of the second flood basin in Salford, at Castle Irwell. If the site had been operational on the day of the 2015 Boxing Day Flood, a lot of houses and businesses would have been protected. 

The site is huge, and at the northern end a new wetland has been created - already visited by Salford's first little egret (not here today, we had to make do with a heron).

A bit of context - in the distance on the left is the Beetham tower in the city centre. And on the right the high rises at Pendleton. And much nearer, across the Irwell on the left, is the house where in 1639 George Crabtree first observed the transit of Venus, one of the defining moments of "modern" astronomy. 

Two extras - Emma Howard Boyd the Chair of the Environment Agency and Paul Dennett, Salford's (elected) City Mayor. And one of several structures painted by artist Tony Brady. This one commemorates the fact that this was the site of the Manchester Racecourse, which closed in 1963 - the last race was won by Lester Piggott. And Tony Brady standing in front of one of his murals - a bit of a tribute to LS Lowry.

I took loads of photos, so difficult to choose these four. And how lucky to have such fabulous weather for the afternoon.