Thanks so much Craig for your kind comment. Yes, the unnoticed and “mundane” in life and on travels really do catch my eye more and more.
In terms of the book idea, yes modernisation is clearly the trend here – moves to make things better in ways that are clearly a wider common good, though I am not sure that they lose their uniqueness. Indeed, doesn’t their bypassed nature mean they remain somewhat unique? Albeit that their unique features in terms of their decline may not be entirely welcome or positive aspects…