Maps

For years I used maps. The Ordnance Survey maps are a treasure of information.  Whether it is the contour lines telling how far uphill you have to walk, or the symbols representing churches, barrows, permissive paths, it is all there.  Road maps are fine as well, though they get rather messy in built up areas.

But here in Todmorden I am geographically lost, where is Manchester in relation to Shipley, why did my daughter have to travel 50 miles to get from one place to the other.  On the canal there is an old sign that says it is 18 miles to Manchester if you walk along the canal path.

Halifax and Huddersfield I have been to because of hospital appointments, Rochdale and Bradford as well, but all by train, bus and Uber, they all look alike to me.  I will never now at my age have the imprint of the area round me, it leaves me feeling lost. Also, I  may put West Yorks as my postal code but I think it is Lancashire, the boundary line crosses somewhere in the town.

In North Yorkshire,  definitely more countryside, we had three towns in which to do our shopping.  Pickering, Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley.  Just two supermarkets, the Co-op and Lidl and life was easy.  Not much traffic either.

Perhaps it is because I don't own a car anymore, I cannot make sense of which direction the train is going, is it going further North or is it travelling towards the South to Leeds maybe.  The place where most of the family seem to change train for London.

I have just seen one of those smart-arsed conservative politicians say to an audience, and  who wants to go to Bradford anyway.  He got a laugh but it was pathetic.