By: Blonde Two

Hopefully I excited you with news of my new map cupboard yesterday.  Today I am planning to further titillate your literary senses by telling you about an old map that was saved from the ignominy of being stored in the loft.  Here it is;Torquay MapPublished in 1946 and showing both Chez Blonde Two and sections of Dartmoor as far north and west as Two Bridges, this map has a lot to recommend it and I have spent many happy hours scouring it for features that are different to those on my modern OL28.

For a start, it shows one inch to a mile.  I would love to be able to say that this makes perfect sense to me but, although I know how big an inch and a mile are, I seem to be incapable of making any logical connection between the two and how this might relate to my 1:25,000 version.  Magnetic variation has apparently, varied since 1946, which is reassuring as anything in a static state but with “variation” in the name would maybe suggest  imminent apocalyptic disaster (just a thought).

Dartmoor, despite its looking all solid, lumpy and unchanging, has also varied.  I am afraid man is responsible (I know we shouldn’t blame men for everything but in this case …)  If you know Dartmoor, have a look at the picture below and see if you can tell me what is missing and what year the missing thing appeared.  If you don’t know Dartmoor, well then, take some time to admire the lovely type face and flowing lines of the map.  I did!River Avon