One thing I proud of in England is our piers, we have many of them, I think just about every significant coastal town in this nation has a pier. They are a labour of love, the salty sea arosole spray from the waves is very corrosive. The coast is very windy and some of them have been restored after burning down. I think one of the most patriotic things a Brit can do is visit a pier, they usually charge you for going on them and use the money to maintain it and improve it. That is what it is about, seeing how far it can be improved and maintained.
I visited Southend pier recently, I noticed their new electric pier trains have been set aside because they're considered to be unsafe and they brought back the older diesel powered trains. They're investigating why the trains are faulty.
I guess sometimes things are so messed up it is easier just to rebuild it from scratch. Sometimes the complexity of a fix can lead to all sorts of problems.
It would also be nice if there was more stuff do do at the end of the pier, a small amusement park or an arcade or two.
