Maproom maps are popular with TV production companies, and we were pleased to spot our London Street Map being used to good effect in the new BBC series Bodyguard last night. Our map appears in a scene in which actor Gina McKee, playing Commander Anne Sampson of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, has a team tracking a terrorist cell online whilst police race through South London to try to stop the terrorists reaching a school. The production team used one of our base map versions then added some moving coloured dots to signify the police car and terrorists' van moving down Brixton Road. The Bodyguard series is so far displaying itself a tightly woven fiction using many real locations, real BBC newscasters, and plausible events that echo the kind of real terrorist attacks we've experienced in the UK over the past decade. The tension ratcheting up in the first 20 minutes of Episode 1 made for compelling viewing, and we look forward to the rest of the ... Read more
Maps for travel guide to islands in the River Thames
Maproom recently had the pleasure of providing map bases for a delightful new travel guide in the creative and distinctive Carl Goes series. The book, called Carl Goes London Islands, tells stories of the islands and islanders of the River Thames. With Maproom's parent company being Thameside Media, the River Thames is close to our studio literally and in our hearts. Not only that, we also have a special interest in travel guides, having published many ourselves over two decades (though never specifically for the Thames). Thus we were delighted to oblige when Sascha Mengerink, the Netherlands-based publisher of the Carl Goes series, asked Maproom if we could provide detailed map bases of the Thames Valley showing all the islands set within the River Thames between the mouth of the river at Canvey Island in Essex upriver through central London to the tiny eyots and aits in the Thames in Surrey and Berkshire. We were able to oblige with map bases using Ordnance Survey open data ... Read more
China is now censoring world maps
It has been brought to our attention that Chinese authorities are now subjecting world maps to a process of verification to ensure they conform to China's sovereignty claims. For example, the depiction of disputed territories such as Taiwan and islands in the South China Sea and gas fields in the East China Sea must conform to Beijing's official view. Map projection, affecting the size of China in comparison with the rest of the world, is also under scrutiny. These restrictions affect all products sold in China, including maps on merchandise and within books, and they also affect maps printed in China on products destined for markets outside of China. The latter are now being impounded at Chinese customs whilst the authorities examine their origination and design. Consequences for products deemed to violate Chinese sovereignty may include fines and the order for companies to withdraw and destroy products. Recent cases include Gap being forced to apologise for selling ... Read more
Only In Edinburgh – beautiful and erudite new travel guide using Maproom maps
Maproom's parent company, Thameside Media, is closely associated with illustrated travel guides, having produced dozens of travel guides for different publishers over the years, including Eyewitness Japan, Blue Guide India, Real City Barcelona and Top 10 Algarve. This is why we were especially delighted and only too pleased to oblige when Duncan J.D. Smith, knowledgeable author of the Only In travel guides, approached Maproom to build custom maps of Edinburgh and her environs for his well-researched new guide, Only In Edinburgh. This guide is organised with thematic spreads delving into the more unexpected and unusual aspects of Scotland's capital. So that, rather than a dry description of St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, we leap into the story of Leith-born sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi, whose giant foot sculpture is installed in the cathedral forecourt. We trace J.K. Rowling's coffee hangouts and speculate on the manifestation of the real George Heriot's ... Read more
Animated map of EU Countries, Schengen Area, Eurozone, Single Market and Hard Brexit
As a demo of what you can do with our base map of EU countries, we've created an animated map gif showing the current EU countries (2016-2019) layered with countries in the Eurozone, countries in the Schengen area, countries in the European Single Market and, finally, the European Single Market as it will look if the UK enacts a Hard Brexit. ... Read more
The surprising story of Thomas Hardy in Surbiton
Hook Road in Surbiton is dotted with a few handsome villas that survive from the 1870s. One of these, a Victorian townhouse at number 15, bears a blue plaque for the famous novelist and poet Thomas Hardy. It comes as a surprise to many to learn that Thomas Hardy was living in this vicinity in the mid-1870s. And perhaps even more surprising to know that Hardy's famous novel, Far from the Madding Crowd, was published at the time he lived here in Surbiton. Age 33 and newly married to his wife, Emma, the couple were starting their married life in lodgings here. Far from the Madding Crowd was about to launch Thomas Hardy's career. A further point of interest for the neighbourhood is that Hardy wrote poems about Surbiton, Southborough and Long Ditton whilst living here. History of the neighbourhood Hardy's home at St David's Villa was one of a row of houses built circa 1872 on the Hook Road, then also known as Southborough Road. This was a turnpike road, and the row of ... Read more