I've just returned from a holiday in England. Our touring took us to the Northeast, the Midlands, the South and to London.
While enjoying all the wonders of history and tradition, I could not help but observe some things that I believe may bear upon us and our ways.
As an example, one can see many areas adjacent to larger towns, especially near London, where old industrial sites are being converted/recycled to high rise residential condos and rental suites. It's similar to the migration of people to the city centre that we are seeing in Vancouver. However, the prices in England make Vancouver prices look modest.
In another example, we saw an old industrial site being reactivated. For hundreds of years it had been the home of a manufacturer of fine bone china. Then in the 1980s it finally closed due to "international competition." A new occupant moved in a decade ago with brand new designs -their own -and business has grown to a staff of over 200.
While some tasks are still hand done, many techniques are now "state of the art." No longer looking for mass production, the business now focuses on innovative and changing products. It exports all over the world to customers via an Internet catalogue.
In travelling, we witnessed (from the upper level of a double decker bus) the effect where a two-lane (each way) divided highway was configured to one lane for cars, one lane for buses and a cycle lane on the shoulder.
The buses travel though congestion in the city at an impressive speed. Cars can queue for several cycles at intersections, but buses seem to roll right on by. Congestion fees are assessed as a car approaches the city centre. Congestion, yes, but it seemed manageable, and far better than Southeast Asia.
We travelled by train and Underground and found their integration of transport to work very well. The masses of humanity rapidly moving about, especially in London, took some time to absorb. The combination of a rail pass and the Oyster card made travel quite efficient. We need to get on with introducing these types of ticketing conveniences.
In lieu of money, everyone seems to use debit/credit cards exclusively - even for very small purchases. While coins and bills are used, they are far less common with younger people, and in major centres.
In contrast to here, few people seemed to use their smart phones on the Underground. The absence of Wi-Fi signals in the Underground and the need to otherwise register to access free Wi-Fi may be a factor, though Wi-Fi is widely available in coffee shops, etc.
Most housing we stayed in looks to the past, but gradually major centres are moving ahead with innovative approaches to old problems.
Is this dèja vu, or a peak at the future? Certainly, change is happening.
