Tuesday 24 July 2007

Industrial Economy meets Knowledge Economy - # 178


We are staying with the waterborne theme up at Brentford, immediately north of Richmond.

Here is the Grand Union Canal, completed in 1805, to bring industrial goods by canal from Birmingham to London. This was a very important stepping stone in the advance of the economy. Within about 40 years it was struggling to compete with the new railway. Today it makes a pleasant recreational area at the foot of the huge Glaxo Smith Kline HQ complex, but the canal is still an active and well used resource.


3 comments:

  1. Happy to learn that some canals are still in use, not only for tourists?

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  2. I think it is a really nice recreational area despite having a building next to it.

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  3. I guess drugs are part of the industry of today - I prefer canals though. Many of the canals in the UK are well used as cycle paths and also help preserve a certain type of environment and bio-diversity

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