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May 07, 2005

Useful directory of online maps for the UK

While I was looking for the format of links to the OS GetAMap service for my last post I came across this useful list of online maps for the UK, which it seems has been lifted straight from Wikipedia - why they didn't just link to the Wikipedia page I have no idea. I particularly liked the content of the Magic website, which as Wikipedia says "is a web-based interactive map intended to bring together information on key environmental schemes and designations in one place", although the presentation is a bit clunky when compared to something as slick as Google maps, although Google in turn suffers from not being based on the OS mapping, so it's pretty useless outside of urban areas.

And by the way, if you do want to link to somewhere on the OS's GetAMap service, the format of the URL is
http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=
with the normal OS grid reference appended onto it, e.g. http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=TQ302795

Posted by alan at 08:13 PM | | Comments (1)

May 28, 2004

Catshit coffee

I'm not joking: see Edible Limited, under 'herbivore'.

Boggle.

Posted by alan at 02:08 PM | | Comments (2)

January 30, 2004

You just can't make this stuff up

The cult TV series The Leauge of Gentlemen (more info here, here and here) was filmed in the (very) small town of Hadfield which ajoins the slightly larger but still small town of Glossop, where I live. Despite the valiant attempts of the writers of the show to visit the outer bounds of freakishness, anyone who lives in the area knows the show is only a feeble imitation of the real-life wierdness of Glossopdale. As an illustration, and with no further comment I offer the following front-page article from this week's Glossop Advertiser.

'DEPRESSED' COUNCILLOR IN ARREST SHAME
Was wearing women's clothes

A COUNCILLOR who was wearing women's clothing when arrested by police for being drunk in charge of a vehicle says the incident was sparked by the death of his mother.

Simmondley councillor Peter Urquhart, 59, appeared before Manchester magistrates on Friday charged with being drunk in charge of a vehicle. He was three times over the legal limit.

The father of three was wearing a blonde wig, a low cut top and short skirt at the time.

Arrested last July he had been sitting in a car with a friend outside a pub in Blackley when officers received a tip-off.

Prosecutor Cath Cundy said that when police approached the car they found the engine was running and he was wearing his seat beat.

Councillor Urquhart, whose wife Anne Urquhart is deputy head at Hadfield Infants School, was fined £250 with £350 costs and given a 12-month ban.

Councillor Urquhart, of Marple Road, Charlesworth denied the charge and said he hadn't been intending to drive. During the trial he said he dressed as a woman because it helped him relax.

He told the Advertiser after the case: "Since my mother died I've been through a spiral of decline. And drink was the way I coped with it at the time.

"I was arrested the day after she died. She had suffered with severe heart problems and had been slowly dying before our eyes."

He added: "I'd even been in hospital myself with the stress and in the middle of all that the election was taking place I had the two things to deal with at once."

The retired teacher, who also received a conviction for drink driving in September said he had never been in trouble before this period.

He has been seeing a counsellor and taking medication for depression.

He said he hoped to continue his role as councillor and that his constituents in Simmondley would be sympathetic.

"I will be doing my best to get back on track and I hope people will be supportive if they know some of the background to it" he said.

Posted by alan at 11:25 PM |

January 22, 2003

Eye cartoon

Well I thought it was funny anyway... ;-)

Posted by alan at 09:47 AM |