Mapping Your Life

I like ordnance survey maps, it's a bit geeky I know, but I love all the information displayed in the twirly contours and winding roads of different colours. There was something quite enjoyable about finding a new symbol on the map and checking the key to find out what it meant. I used to enjoy geography lessons where you had to draw a cross section of land from the map and make a lovely little diagram - which was always a river valley. There is something soothing about rummaging in a pencil case to find the right coloured pencil and doing a bit of careful colouring in and ending up with the predictable blob of blue at the bottom of the valley.

As I flipped through the maps, I realised they reflected most of the summer holidays I had been on from childhood through to recent years. The North coast of Scotland (honeymoon), the New Forest (with the children), the French OS equivalent (cycling in Brittany with friend) and so on. I hadn't realised how much of my holiday history was reflected in the maps. The old maps that my parents owned are a bit brittle and faded, but the cartography looks nicer somehow - they lack the over perfect polish of computer generated artwork. There is also the guaranteed moment of frustration with OS maps when you try to fold them up again in the right way. It's all part of the vibe.

Forget the digital holiday snaps, just have a look at your old maps and enjoy memories of train journeys and tricky bends in roads and beautiful views.