A little bit of history on a map

I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for ‘found’ material. This ranges from snippets of conversations overheard, very Alan Bennett on a bus, the collages of Kurt Schwitters, samples used in music, and this morning, following a tweet from Nick Jones, I got to thinking about an old map I have. It is a 1945 half inch Bartholomew’s map of Merseyside, but best of all, it has the name, address and YHA membership number of its first owner.  I’ve always liked the dedications you find in second hand books, and always wonder about who the people were, what was the occasion, how did they make that choice, but this piqued my interest to do a little research.

John Lagoe, it transpired, lived in Heckmondwyke, Yorkshire, and went on to work for Outward Bound in the Lake District. I was really fortunate to find a Fell and Rock Climbing Club obituary online about him, written by a friend of a friend. He must have been 17 when he acquired the map, maybe for a cycling tour, given the scale. John Lagoe FRCC obituary by Bob Allen. (page 117). I wonder what his tour must have been like then? Did it ever happen - for the map is in pristine, linen backed splendour?