Maps and views blog

Last Friday's late event at the Library was suitably lively. I hope that everybody enjoyed the eclectic combo of music and maps. Unfortunately, as I discovered beginning the first of my three guided tours of the exhibition that evening, a lone voice versus a full electric ensemble is not a winnable war. Thankfully the gallery itself was rather quieter, albeit in a busy, jostly way. 

50 minutes, as I found out, is not long enough to fully take in Magnificent Maps. I don't think we looked at even 20 percent of the maps. Yet the collective opulence of the settings we've created and the maps contained therein is something that can be appreciated in a fairly speedy walk-through, and so hopefully Magnificent Maps will appeal to visitors with either 15 minutes or the whole afternoon to kill. I hoarsely completed my final tour at half ten and headed for home, sleep and relatively map-less dreams.

Though I popped into the Library on Sunday, I was unable to stay for the tour of the St Pancras area by Mike Berlin of Birkbeck College, as part of the Reveal King's Cross Festival. I've heard Mike speak before, and I'm sure his energism and great knowledge will have rendered the bad weather a minor inconvenience.

Unfortunately, I shall also be missing Jerry Brotton's talk at the British Library this evening. Tomorrow very early I'll be heading over to Cornwall for a few days of recouperation, smuggling etc. And what's the betting  the hotel I'm staying at will have an old map of Cornwall hanging in the reception?