Friday, 18 April 2014

Now which way is a good way to go.

Sunny day outside, and I'm playing with maps inside. My next door neighbour is chopping a tree down so I keep looking out of the window to see how he is doing. Not a very big tree, but in the wrong place. Now it's getting a bit technical, he's just tied a rope to it. I think a branch needs to fall towards the road so it doesn't bring down the telephone wire. There are three men on the job and none of them are wearing any protective equipment whatsoever. No helmets, no goggles, and just an ordinary ladder to shimmy up the tree. Now the rope has been taken off and re positioned higher up. There's a lot of conversation going on, do it this way, no do it that way.  There goes a big branch, must stop being nosey and get on with this. 
Maps, now which route should I take? First look on an atlas. 
Then stick some pins in a bigger map on a board. Guess the route at this stage.
Aha, another use for pegs. Borrow some Ordnance Survey maps from the library, fold and peg them together and lay them on the floor. 
Now look at the maps in more detail, searching for the best options, not too far from civilization for a better chance of finding a bed for the night. Note down on a piece of paper several possible routes, then check the footpaths between towns and villages. 
Simple isn't it. The last big branch has come down, just three tall stumps left now to chop down. I'll carry on with the map reading. Have a nice day. Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.

9 comments:

  1. I didn't know you could borrow maps from the Library I thought you could only look at them in the building, handy top tip thank you x

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  2. Hello PIC. It's only Ordnance Survey Landranger maps from our library. Can borrow for three weeks, renew if no one else wants them. They are coated in plastic so they don't get crumpled, but not suitable to use them on a walk because they are too heavy and it's difficult to fold them in different places. I take the covers off my own maps so they are a bit lighter, I also scribble on mine, and use a highlight pen to mark where I have walked.

    My library has other maps as well, atlas types, but these are for use in the library for reference only and cannot be taken out.

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    1. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks! lol x

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  3. How exciting! I`m guessing you are going over the Pennines and over into the Lakes?

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  4. What maps show footpaths? Natalie

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    1. Hi Nat. Ordnance Survey Landranger, and Explorer. The Explorer has more detail, also shows field boundaries. Try this post I wrote about map reading.
      http://meanqueen-lifeaftermoney.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/map-reading-and-navigation.html

      Or this one.
      http://meanqueen-lifeaftermoney.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/youve-got-to-have-map.html

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  5. I always start by looking in my atlas, i don't think that i could trust a sat-nav. I've accumulated a bag full of AtoZ maps, some are quite old now and i was getting laughed at the other day because my Hull map hasn't got Clive Sullivan Way on it. I can usually find my way to most areas, and i've got a map app on my phone so i can hopefully find tha place i want.
    The town maps are fairley well detailed enough for a short walk but you can't beat the ordnance survey.
    Dave

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    1. I've got some old A - Z maps with missing roads, ha ha. Funny how I sometimes dig them out to look something up though. I can't bring myself to throw them away.

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