Tube maps and Lego are taking me on yet another ‘journey’ ... I set off to see an exhibition in Oxford this week (more anon – that is a serious subject!) ... and lo and behold in the free rag that comes out for train travellers was an article on Lego ...
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| Oxford Botanical Garden - one of their greenhouses with the golden stone building .. |
... then when I was letting my eyes roam the Botanical Gardens sheltering from the wonderful beating sun in the shadows of a tall Oxford golden-stone wall ...
... a lady, who with her sister (aged 70 or so), had just walked the five hundred miles along ‘El Camino de Santiago’ – the Pilgrim’s Way of St James – from the Basque country in the Pyrenees across ‘the top of Spain’, sat down next to me to idly survey the Gardens ... and we got chatting, as one does! ...
... when, as she was seeing her grandson, I wondered if she knew about the Lego tube maps which are up in some of the Underground stations, see this post ...
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| The long wall .. |
... she then asked if I’d seen the Tubular Fells map of the Lake District – of course, I hadn’t ........but I’m not about to let a gem for a post like that be forgotten about .
It’s extraordinary how one aspect is mentioned and before too long a new mental link comes to light ...
We used to holiday in the Lake District for the first ten years of my life ... before my mother’s first husband’s family moved south (he had died in the War) ... we had such fun times up there ...
... so the Lakes resonate with me and that part of the world is just so beautiful ... the title of this map is one of our times “Tubular Fells” ...
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| c/o Tubular Fells website |
The blurb on the website reads “Inspired by nearly 20 years of London life, linked with his own love of the fells, Peter Burgess geographer and teacher, has now created a topological map of Alfred Wainwright’s 214 fells, akin to the London Underground map devised by engineering draughtsman, Harry Beck in 1931”.
Alfred Wainwright’s books remain among the most popular for their depth, detail and unique style (see my post for moreinformation on guide books).
Wainwright’s division of the Lake District into seven areas and choice of fells to include ... gave the cartographer,Peter Burgess, the inspiration for his Tubular Fells map ...
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| A snippet from the Snowmotion map - note the Lake, the Ridge, and cottage included along the Snowmotion lines |
Having manipulated a topological map to emulate the characteristics of a transport map featuring the Lakeland’s fells ... both Peter Burgess and Harry Beck (the Underground map) have created iconic cartographic and graphic art ...
Tubular Fells has inspired a new topological concept based on the Munros – all 283 of Scotland’s 3,000’ peaks ... this time creating a quasi-surreal rail network ... “MunrOverground”.
Then there’s ‘Snowmotion’ ... featuring Snowdonia, but including the eight narrow gauge steam railways ... note the ‘Os’ as railway wheels – so creatively clever – then including them in the Logo ...
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| "For those who enjoy the big hills" ... map of MunrOverland |
The three maps can be seen on the TubularFells website, plus information on the creative spirit behind their production, along with two brief videos – well worth watching ... especially for all train lovers amongst you (or your children, or partners!) ...
Well time to catch the train back for a film ... “The Spirit of ‘45” ...
The film, which is well worth catching if you have not yet seen it, is Ken Loach's highly acclaimed feature length documentary The Spirit of '45. This very personal film looks mainly at Britain just after the war and it is undoubtedly the work of a committed socialist.
The Chairman of our Film Society feels that it is a highly accomplished piece of filmmaking which features both old footage and specially filmed interviews, which are splendidly balanced, while the quality of the old images is such that if displayed in an art gallery they would be regarded as an outstanding portrait of an era.
The film relates mainly to Britain, but there are references to Europe and particularly America ... as well as other overseas territories ... I found it a fascinating documentary film and hope to see it again.
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| Keswick town and Derwent Water - the Skiddaw massif in the background, taken from Walla Crag |
Essentially it covers the pre WWII years to the present day – but details the post war politics of trying to get the country back on its feet ... so there’s a little back history reference to WWI and brief comments of the effects the British people have on their history ... tying it all in to the film’s title: “The Spirit of ‘45”
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| Looks a little like the London Underground tube map |
I’d highly recommend this film with its historical reminders of life in the 20thcentury ... before the technological age took hold – yet including references to the politics of today.
Quoted from Wikipedia’s page: Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian acknowledged that the film could be seen as “patrician-nostalgist” but said he was “swept along by the calm simplicity of its presentation” --- while The Daily Telegraph described it as a “stirring film” that was probably Loach’s best since 2002. I’d concur.
It’s play time and thought time ... more Lego! On my trip to Oxford an article appeared about an artificial leg being made out of Lego ... Christina, aged 31, an American occupational therapist, who through a freak accident lost one of her legs, has made a video about her creation ...
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| Christina Stevens making her prosthetic leg |
She was determined to turn the tragedy into a positive experience ... and set about working on the Lego attachment after a joke suggestion from a work colleague.
Now her Lego leg is an internet hit on YouTube after she filmed herself fashioning the limb out of the toy blocks.
As she says ... being an amputee will make me a better therapist ... I know what it’s like to have limited mobility ... and everyone I work with as an occupational therapist will relate to me, and know that I understand them and their plight.
The article includes links to other videos on how to walk on a prosthetic leg, the frustration of phantom limb pain and the thrill of getting an amputee tattoo.
Also bloggerDavid Powers King has just posted about Lego films being made by Warner ... so David’s informative article just adds to the mix on Lego and Warner/Disney for that matter ....
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| The Amazon set - "Harry Potter Page to Screen" |
Going back to my last two posts about Harry Potter I had meant to note the package (at the pricey cost of over four hundred pounds – which is not the relevant part – on Amazon) ... of "Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Film Making Journey” ... of the Harry Potter films ... if anyone is interested in looking: I imagine it would make a fascinating read.
Well I really think I’ve cracked Lego ... creatively inspired myself thinking about logos, journeys of life, via Tubular Fells, MunrOverground and Snowmotion maps ... and reminded myself that I’d like to watch Ken Loach’s film “The Spirit of ‘45” again ...
... let alone aspects of positivity over tribulation ... the weekend looks like it is going to be a scorcher ... and we have a family barn dance party under canvas – an ideal weekend with friends here ...
Tubular Fells map YouTube promotion ... it's lovely!
It looks like the Tubular Fells links aren't working at the moment (they are now!)..but this Amazon one does ... as does the blog one (but the World Map she refers to does not) ... I'll check back and adjust this note as necessary - adjusted!:
Amazon Tubular Fells Maps for sale - go here ...
Ordnance Survey Blog - has a post on the Tubular Fells maps
Hilary Melton-Butcher
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