National Map Reading Week

It's a pity that it's during the school holidays as we normally do a big push on this at school, and it's sometimes been later in the year.

It's National Map Reading Week, so try to get out there this week with an OS Map and try the downloadable guides.



Perhaps this is the week to do a trial of the OS Maps app - it's excellent...

GetOutside in 2019

Pleased to say that I will be working as an Ordnance Survey GetOutside Champion once again this year. Last year, I met my fellow Champions for the first time down in the New Forest, and we were issued with kit and set some challenges.
Last year,. I helped create opportunities for education colleagues to engage with the project, and to spend time outside.



I'm going to be doing more of the same through 2019, including another chance for the Champions to assemble and see what we have been doing, and be told more about the Ordnance Survey support for getting outside. There'll be more outdoor events and activities, and resources and blog posts created to encourage more people to #GetOutside.

I want to GetOutside like Common People

Tomorrow is the Ordnance Survey GetOutside Day and I am going to get outside - of course.

Some of my fellow Champions are leading walks and helping out with other events as well around the country.
I have decided to try to visit as many of the Commons in Norfolk as I can within the day, and walk around or across them. Some are quite small, and others are larger. I shall start with the one in my village, and then plot a course around Breckland and see where I end up... Follow the progress on my Twitter feed tomorrow. I shall be using the OS Maps app to help locate and plot a route between them.

This is to tie in with the end of Norfolk Commons Week.
This is organised by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, of which I am a member and have supported their work for many years.



Back in the day, I used to teach about common lands, and the rights of commoners, to include pannage and turbary. This was part of the 'A' level Geography spec at the time.

The Three Peaks - one big annoyance?

Many people every year complete the Three Peaks walk for charity.
There are several versions of the 3 Peaks.

One has people in cars and minibuses travelling between Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike. This is the National 3 Peaks Challenge.

I've completed the other one myself, some years ago. It's based in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
The three peaks are Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent.
There's also a Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge.

I picked up an article from the Craven Herald: a paper which is local to the Yorkshire Dales, which had a lot unhappy people living in a village near one 'end' of the trail. They describe the 'hell' this is causing them because of anti-social behaviour. This article provides a little more detail on charity events and their impact on residents, along with a poll. Thousands of pounds are raised for charity every year by walkers completing the route.

There is a Code of Conduct which walkers are asked to adhere to for the National walk.

This is one I'll return to later...