Newtown


Robert Owen, the Scottish industrialist and philanthropist*
Robert Owen, the Scottish industrialist and philanthropist

I was under the impression that Newtown was so called because it was founded as a new industrial town by Robert Owen, the philanthropist, but when I got there I discovered that the "new" dates a good six centuries earlier. However the film we have doesn't go into the history of the town, but focuses on the man who put it on the map - Robert Owen.

Many people think that industry and business has to be hard nosed and ruthless if it is to succeed. Robert Owen is yet another example that that is not so. By treating his workforce well he was not only able to sleep at nights with a good conscience, but he established a reputation for a good quality product and became extremely wealthy.

Mind you, he did make one mistake that led, in the end, to an old age of poverty and disappointment ...