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New maps from Old
Nov. 3rd, 2006 02:35 pmEver wanted to take a trip into the past and see what the country looked like back in the middle of the last century?
Friends of mine are helping sort out a clever thing to allow people to use postcode data for free. Currently the postcode database has a hefty charge to use and they are trying to create a free alternative. The exact details can be seen on the web page.
http://www.npemap.org.uk/
The most interesting thing to me is that the maps they have used are old ones that are out of copyright and thus usable (something like that, the legalese isn't the interesting bit). This means that all the maps you see date from editions of the maps published around 1950 (plus or minus a bit). I found it really interesting looking around and seeing what has changed.
Where I currently live is just open area with a Hotel marked there. Down south of oxford you can see the train track that stops at littlemore and cowley (by the motor works that were there all that time ago).
Looking at where I come from back home its interesting to see how much has changed and at the same time how much has stayed the same.
I thoroughly reccomend looking around the site to see what places you know now were like half way through the last century. And while you're there support the project by putting in the postcodes of where you live, where your parents are and pass this on to other people. Who live in other parts of the country. Consider it a meme. Tell everybody what was on the site you are living at 60 years ago... My house was a hotel. My place of work looks like a hospital or the grounds... Let me know if anybody gets indian burrial ground. :)
Friends of mine are helping sort out a clever thing to allow people to use postcode data for free. Currently the postcode database has a hefty charge to use and they are trying to create a free alternative. The exact details can be seen on the web page.
http://www.npemap.org.uk/
The most interesting thing to me is that the maps they have used are old ones that are out of copyright and thus usable (something like that, the legalese isn't the interesting bit). This means that all the maps you see date from editions of the maps published around 1950 (plus or minus a bit). I found it really interesting looking around and seeing what has changed.
Where I currently live is just open area with a Hotel marked there. Down south of oxford you can see the train track that stops at littlemore and cowley (by the motor works that were there all that time ago).
Looking at where I come from back home its interesting to see how much has changed and at the same time how much has stayed the same.
I thoroughly reccomend looking around the site to see what places you know now were like half way through the last century. And while you're there support the project by putting in the postcodes of where you live, where your parents are and pass this on to other people. Who live in other parts of the country. Consider it a meme. Tell everybody what was on the site you are living at 60 years ago... My house was a hotel. My place of work looks like a hospital or the grounds... Let me know if anybody gets indian burrial ground. :)