Times change (contd.)- # 275

So here we see how the 18th century stables for the 70 barge horses have been recently coverted from an "old forge" (i.e. a car repair shop) to "upscale cottages" for "knowledge workers". Down below we see how the lane down to the river has gone from "approach route for industrial towing horses" and "muddy run for stream and village sewer" to "somewhere to park my Mercedes (if I'm lucky to get there first)".
The original posting was also an exercise in "how to evoke atmosphere by visual means". The picture was very empty because I wanted to evoke "change, passing, disappearance". (In my opinion it didn't work that well). Richard's (justifiably) acid comment was in the context of a discussion we have been having on the evocation of mood in photographs, and why some things fail, or provoke different reactions in different viewers.

The photos here are just illustrative "snaps" and would mean nothing at all without words. But some photos do not need words to evoke powerful emotions.

(For Ming in NYC......the rivers and canals have "tow paths" on either side. The horses tow the barges up and down the river and the bargee steers it out from the bank - a tricky operation. You do not have a horse on each bank. I hope that helps. There is a very old written reference to Ham being a change over point).

Times change - # 273

For more than 100 years until the arrival of steam power this spot - the end of River Lane, Petersham - was a hive of industry. Cargo barges sailed up and down river carrying important cargoes of grain, hides and other commodities to and from London and its great sea port.

At this point they had to change from sail to being pulled by horse because the river became inconvenient to navigate.

At any one time 70 barge-horses were available in stables ready to take on the next barge, or drop it off. This was no quiet beauty-spot, but an important transport interchange.

Nothing is fixed...........change happens, and it happens quickly.