From the air Heathrow airport looks like a giant doodle in the face
of the planet. The word鈥檚 busiest airport is reduced to a symmetrical pattern
of lines that only on closer inspection reveals the telltale outlines of
aircraft.
Britain鈥檚 Changing Environment by Tim Bayliss-Smith and Susan Owens
(Cambridge University Press, pp 252, 25 Pounds is a fascinating colection
of aerial photographs of the British countryside. From motorways to power
stations and the eponymous white cliffs, the photographs reveal people鈥檚
innate ingenuity in finding ways to disfigure the countryside.
But this is more than a catalogue of warts. The photographs show the
crop marks of old river meanders and prehistoric settlements, while the
flying lens graphically captures the immense natural challenge of coastal
erosion. Living in towns such as Peacehaven is literally a cliffhanger,
with whole streets poised to vanish.
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