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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to find OS maps utterly wonderful?

99 replies

Ormirian · 27/07/2011 16:43

I know it's a little bit tragic for a grown woman to love maps sooo much but I do.

I have just ordered one for our holiday so I can plot walks for us to do - we won't do them because no-one else much likes walking and I won't do them alone because I'd feel guilty going off on my own all day. So the map is entirely theoretical really. A hangover from the days when I was child-free and could go where I wanted or even persuade DH to come with me.

But even now Buying The Map is an essential part for our holiday and if I didn't do it I'd feel lost. The DC had learnt now and whenever we arrive for the start of our holiday they all chorus 'Mum! Map shop!' when they see a likely looking place.

Eventually I will have the entire British Isles in maps and one day will lay them all out in one big super map! Grin

OP posts:
WillbeanChariot · 27/07/2011 19:48

Another map lover here! I also took over the navigation from my mum at a young age. I love OS maps but the A-Z can also keep me entertained for quite some time...

Did you know you can order OS maps centred on anywhere you like? DH got me one centred on my favourite place. I have it on the wall and I love it.

JenniL1977 · 27/07/2011 20:09

I used to manage my company's account with OS and have been to their headquarters many times. It's amazing, all the archives and the old maps and everything. Sadly, because the government have utterly slashed their funding, the OS has had to outsource everything.
You can order maps centred on anywhere you like, at any scale up to 50k, from pretty much any time period you want - as the archives get digitised and all current mapping is digitised as well, it's all there to be manipulated as you please.
Probably the best place to get this service is here as they have walk in places all over the country but there are loads of others if you go on the OS website.
Nowhere in the world has a service like the OS. v proud to be British, I love them!

coastgirl · 27/07/2011 20:12

TalkinPeace, I am so jealous of your Russian target map! That sounds cool and creepy at the same time, like all good things.

VitaEstBonus · 27/07/2011 20:18

I like an old map. I work for the local authority so can freely nose through the really old maps when I'm skiving.

I like seeing how things have changed and how naming conventions have changed eg 'County Lunatic Asylum', you wouldn't see that nowadays..

Andrewofgg · 27/07/2011 20:19

Utterly YANBU - when I was 16/17 I bought, one by one, the entire One-Inch collection, 190 of them. Probably worth a lot now.

PortBlacksandIsleOfDogs · 27/07/2011 20:19

oooh i love maps too. Maps and.....plans.

House plans, boat plans, caravan plans - where the beds go, the cupboards, the kitchen etc. I could peruse boating holiday catalogues and caravan brochures for that very reason

Original poster
Ormirian · 27/07/2011 20:28

We used to have a couple of worthy tomes of all the archaeological sites on the Isles of Mull and Iona. I would find the sites on our trusty OS map and drag my entire family (protesting in parts) miles across bogs and mountains to find a little heap of stones or a deserted village. But that was my parents and DB - they were made of tougher stuff than my DC. My DC would fall to their knees weeping and begging for death if I made them do those sort of walks. Wimps. Ha!

OP posts:
TalkinPeace2 · 27/07/2011 21:03

I have just come back from a pub supper at the Four Horseshoes.
Which, for anybody who knows, meant I had to walk past the new Ordnance Survey Headquarters
the alternating pull of Maps and Cider !!!

Maps are wonderful
Satnav is useful but maps are an art

How else would I know where Golgotha was in East Kent !

steviesmith · 27/07/2011 21:24

Harvey maps are actually much better than OS ones

Original poster
Ormirian · 27/07/2011 21:31

Never heard of Harvey map. So I had a look and they look interesting but there are lots of gaps! Not even a map for where we are going apart from the coast path.

OP posts:
frankie3 · 27/07/2011 21:40

I also love maps! I will quite happily read maps in bed and when we book to go anywhere on holiday I have to look it on google maps, including the satellite view. So useful to know how far the shops are etc. I also love looking at large scale os maps of my local area - think it is because I am nosy and I can see how big peoples gardens are and all the interesting back alleys etc. the book Map Addict is a good read for people like us!

MrsGypsy · 27/07/2011 21:48

I like maps too. My DH tries to ignore that part about me. Also the part where I go hysterical because he doesn't always fold them up properly. It's VERY IMPORTANT to follow the original lines.

My brother has maps going up the the wall of the stairs. My DS likes maps too.

ChristinedePizan · 27/07/2011 21:58

I would actually like to decorate my bedroom with maps but I don't because I think people would think I was stark staring mad bonkers if I did it. But how beautiful would it be?

ChristinedePizan · 27/07/2011 22:01

I wore map tights to my graduation. My best artworks are map-related. I'm actually obsessed ...

I am going to order the map of my house now (even though I have both OS maps of our area) so that the house is in the middle. That will mean a lot of sea on the other side as we are less than 1/4m from the coast but I am going to stick it on the wall behind my bed. And if people think I'm bonkers I don't care :)

nannynick · 27/07/2011 22:03

MrsKrbnr - If they were mostly Aldershot, Basingstoke, Winchester, Guildford and other places in Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire then they could well have been mine. Mind you, I expect I'm not the only one to have a lack of space and thus ditch maps which I have in newer versions.

Anyone remember building model hills using the contour lines on an OS map? I recall doing that when I was maybe 9 or 10. Possibly at cub scouts, thinking about it.

nojustificationneeded · 27/07/2011 22:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JenniL1977 · 27/07/2011 22:08

ChristinedePizan, one of my customers decorated her whole downstairs toilet with maps all wallpapered together. I'll see if one of my staff still has the picture and I'll link to it if I can. Who cares if people think you're odd?!

TalkinPeace2 · 27/07/2011 22:13

I used to have a wonderful set of notepaper and envelopes made from misprinted OS maps

ChristinedePizan · 27/07/2011 22:20

Me too talkinpeace! I still have some of the envelopes (they have Manchester on them).

You're right Jenni - this is my house and if I want bonkers maps on the wall I will! There's not enough land here to do the whole thing though.

Ooh got to go - it's Wednesday fireworks! :o

PenguinArmy · 28/07/2011 00:45

I knew they begun with a H, but got stuck at Harvard. Yes they take a little getting used to but are great.

We've just been road tripping around the US and the maps the national parks give you are not very good. Only one had any terrain info on it.

MadderHat · 28/07/2011 07:35

I too love OS maps, and have a habit of buying one for every holiday. I'm currently trying to decide between Landranger and Explorer for the Isle of Man. My DH isn't quite sure whether we can afford the space or not, but it's only two thirds of a shelf so far...
My work has the complete set of Landrangers as well (useful for planning where we're going to set up instruments when we're doing field experiments, though we usually then get an up-to-date one for the exact area we'll be working over, so no map joins).
I think it's very important to be able to map read, and plan to spend some time doing map games with my children when they're old enough (DD is old enough to eat/tear the maps so it'll be a while yet.) I've got quite a few map games under my hat, being a Guide leader.

AlmaMartyr · 28/07/2011 07:53

I adore maps. My Dad is a geographer ad obsessed. He taught us all to read maps and navigate when we were very small. I could study a map for ages and have been known to read them in bed (like my DDad and DBro). I did work for a little while doing some stuff with maps and saw the German target maps for Exeter and Plymouth which was cool. It's lovely to see how maps change over time.

I need a new Road Atlas which I am pathetically excited about.

Iwantacampervan · 28/07/2011 08:08

I too love maps and always buy the OS Explorer map, as Landranger not detailed enough, when we are going away in UK (and the French equivalents). I then keep them all, building up a good collection. I hjave also got older versions of local maps which is interesting to see changes to roads and housing developments.
Has anyone read 'Map Addict' by Mike Parker ?
Wilf's Cafe in Staveley (near Kendal, Cumbria) has maps as wallpaper in the toilets - that and the lovely paintings/photos around the walls are definite reasons to visit.

Soups · 28/07/2011 08:11

YANBU

I have a program on the pc and download OS tiles, great for planning :)

whats4teamum · 28/07/2011 09:43

You can subscribe on OS site and print maps. It is great as you can plan walks and it shows you points of interest ie. Pubs etc. Can zoom in on complex bits of walk and get overview as well. Plus as it is an A4 sheet you can just pop it in your pocket and if it gets wet etc you can print another. I have made a file of all our favourite local walks. Think it is about £30 a year but they did have a discount for a while. Maps are fascinating!