Problem: you're sent a giant map of London, with over 200 stickers. It looks great. You agree to review it. It's aimed at kids, but you don't have any kids. How do you review it?
Solution: invite 20 London obsessives over to Londonist Towers (ostensibly to watch the Mayoral election results), ply them with alcohol, and get them playing.
The map in question is a new release from Guy Fox, a company specialising in creative learning tools that help the little ones explore the world. You start with a large road map of central London, devoid of features. You then create your own London by appending stickers of landmarks, people, transport and trees.
So what did our overgrown kids make of it? Most of the landmarks were correctly sited, although Tower Bridge was mysteriously relocated to Regent's Park. No one could place the Faraday Museum, despite the fact that we've hosted events there. Perhaps inevitably, the BT Tower was used to phallically augment the local constabulary of Borough (we had consumed a few tinnies by this point).
All in all, the map proved more diverting than the election results. If a gathering of inebriated adults can have this much fun, imagine how engrossed your kids will be.
Create Your Own London Map is out now from Guy Fox. Get it here for less than a tenner, and be sure to check out some of the other wonderful offerings from this company.
