Just published is a new pocket London map from the guys behind CurioCity. Following on from their two publications earlier in the year, it’s time for the letter C to get a look in.
This charming little piece of London ephemera folds out to reveal a map of ‘Celestial London’ – designed to look like a circular star chart of the northern hemisphere, it identifies fake constellations which are cut through, not by the milky way, but the ‘murky way’ which looks suspiciously like the route of the Thames…
Amongst the collections of stars are ‘Dream’, which picks out the highlights of Camden culture, ‘Sweat’, which identifies the options for exercise in and around Kings Cross, and ‘Breakfast’, which fills you in on the early morning food options across the West End, the City of London and further east. There are also some useful yellow stars which indicate the best places in London to watch the sun rise (although I think they missed a trick here by not mentioning Shooters Hill just south of Woolwich!).
On the reverse of the CurioCity map is the usual collection of interesting London facts, including ideas for food such as the Crisis Skylight Cafe, which provides training for homeless people in the catering industry. They offer meals and snacks to the general public at very reasonable prices and are located at 66 Commercial St, E1. You’ll also discover the tale of the Notting Hill ghost bus – several witnesses have described seeing a driverless number 7 in Cambridge Gardens. A bus crashed there in 1934, killing the driver. Back on the culinary track there’s a map of the Cheese Trail, which takes in cheese shops, cheese rolling and London’s smallest statue – of two mice fighting over a piece of cheese on Philpot Lane (the CurioCity team actually offer a ‘cheese walking tour’ if you’re interested!).
CurioCity London Unfolded Map C is available near the counter at all good London bookshops and is priced at £2.50. You can also buy it and maps A and B, published earlier this year, online here.