I’ve just discovered a great blog called Strange Maps. Scrolling back through past entries I found the London Underground Map Animals I blogged on 22 May alongside some other fascinating entries: a map of J R R Tolkien’s Middle Earth related to a map of our World, a map showing the enormous size of the continent of Africa in relation to the combined areas of Western Europe, the USA, China, Argentina and India, plus two maps of France, one about regional types of French bread and one about the voting geography of the recent French elections. I shall continue to watch with interest.
For good measure, I add here the London Schools Challenge Map, an unusual map issued by the office of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. It is based on the standard London Underground Map but substitutes the names of high achieving schools and pupils past and present for the stations. When it was published I was delighted to see my alma mater, now attended by my daughter, Walthamstow School for Girls (known in my time as Walthamstow High School for Girls). The school occupies the place on the map for Blackhorse Rd Tube Station rather than that of the much closer Walthamstow Central Tube Station, at the northern end of the (pale blue) Victoria Line. I don’t know why. However, well done girls. Keep it up!
If you are reading this as a former pupil of Walthamstow School for Girls, whatever it was called during your time, there is an active alumni society and an annual reunion for all former years, to be held this year on Saturday 30 June. The society sends out a periodic newsletter to members. Contact the school for more details. There is due to be extensive demolition and rebuilding work at WSFG in very near future and the reunion this year will be the last opportunity to see the site in Church Hill in its current state before the changes take place.
