Golden Paddle Wheel Above the Market Square

A great golden paddle wheel rises between stone-walled canal arches in the middle of a cobbled market town. Its ornate rim carries a brass band under a striped canopy, children sliding along the top, and climbing roses with teal mushrooms. Each spoke frames a different painted room: fish, stars, leaves, suns, roses and crescent moons. Inside live little houses with red doors, washing lines, ladders and staircases, and a clock with turning gears sits in the hub. Pastel townhouses with flower balconies rise on both sides. Below, a fountain splashes, awning stalls sell fruit and bread, a cat sits on the steps and a crowd looks up and waves. The wheel's eight coloured wedges give the whole scene eight clear places to start.