THE BBC's new series, Britain from Above, got off to a spectacular start on Sunday as Andrew Marr took an unusual view of some of  the nation's habits.

Viewed  via satellite from high above the British Isles, we certainly do seem to be both a beautiful  and chaotic country.

High-tech wizardry allowed the BBC's former political editor to give us an extraordinary insight into how we go about our daily lives. Examples ranged from how busy London taxis are at various times of the day, to a scary  view of the complexity and congestion of our shipping lanes.

Apart from providing spectacular footage, the first episode of this clever series raised some interesting  issues facing businesses across the country and, to some extent, the country's future economic prosperity. Worryingly, there are clear signs that parts of our infrastructure are close to saturation, or even breaking point.

The man in charge of the National Grid, for example, looked to be a pretty worried individual when he had to make sure he could generate enough juice to boil millions of kettles for a post-Eastenders cuppa.

Perched high above a major motorway interchange, we were also able to see how "phantom" traffic jams form.

Our transport infrastructure plays a pivotal role in our economic performance.

 Not many people make much money  from being sat stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.  On the contrary,  jams cost people  and businesses money.

As Britain from Above considered how our major routes  are coping with congestion, I found myself thinking of the Pier Head.

If you've not been down there recently, you may need a map when you return. 

Like a lot of the city centre, the waterfront has been undergoing a transformation recently.

Developments like the Arena, new hotels, museum and the new ferry terminal have risen high above the ground. But it's a big development that is partly underground which I found myself thinking of during the Andrew Marr programme.

It's the extension to the Leeds- Liverpool Canal.

By coincidence, or maybe not, a Sunday newspaper reported that Britain's waterways are on the brink of an astonishing revival as  road congestion, fuel costs and environmental pressures force us to review our transport  policy and provision.

How much freight, I wonder, is currently  hauled between Liverpool and Leeds via the M62? How much of it could be transported by canal in a cheaper and greener transport solution?

Tesco turned heads when they decided  to shift large quantities of wine by barge to a bottling plant in Greater Manchester.

Now, the most famous name in  road haulage, Eddie Stobart, is also reported to be expanding its interest in waterway routes.

Our rivers and canals have already helped drive one indust- rial revolution that transformed our economic fortunes.

Who would bet against them making another significant contribution?

And when they do, we may even see the BBC’s new hit Britain from Above merge with Coast.

MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group