OLD ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS: THE GODFREY EDITION

September Newsletter

I have now taken myself tentatively onto Twitter, where I will try to give regular information about new titles, maps which are being prepared, and areas I am researching. I hope that some of you will

If you have been following me over the last few weeks you will realise I have been very busy elsewhere, organising the production of a play I have written, Plan C, a nasty little number about a terrorist cell. We have just performed this and two other new plays at Durham Dramtic Society's City Theatre for two nights. Very exciting - especially since this is the first play I have had performed for over 30 years and we got near full houses - and utterly exhausting. So once again this newsletter is late!

But I don't think map production has been harmed by my occasional absences. A major step over the last few weeks has been to complete publication of the four main Leeds maps in the First Edition, 1889-90, three of them in colour. We are now calling these maps Leeds NW, NE, SW and SE, reflecting the fact that the four between them cover the heart of the city. The existing Central Leeds and South Leeds maps will be renamed when they come up for reprinting.

Elsewhere in Yorkshire we improve our coverage of Hull, with the central area now available for 3 dates - 4 if you include the Town Plans.

However, September ended with some very sad news, with the death of Christina Docherty, who was stricken with a brain tumour late last year. Chris wrote the introductions to just three maps, Isleworth 1896 , Royal Albert Hall 1872 and St James 1869, but only a few weeks ago we had talked about her contributing to a new map for Surbiton, where she lived. Chris was a Blue Badge guide and earlier we had discussed the idea of some 'Explore a Map' walks, and she and I had done a trial walk of the Hampton Court map, around the streets of East Molesey and ending up in the Palace. A somewhat thin response to the idea of the project, coupled with the recession that hit us all that year (2008), meant that the idea of was shelved, at least for the time being, but Chris was a good friend to the series, joining me for my MBE tea-party, and later handing out maps when I gave a talk to the Camden History Society. She had hoped to help us at Olympia last February but by then was too ill. She will be much missed.