Specialist local book supplier says local maps and paper-printed guides are not dead
Paper maps and printed guides are still a ‘go to’ for those visiting and living in Norfolk and Suffolk according to Norfolk-based Bittern Books, which specialises in East Anglian maps and books. The company says sales of publications such as the latest spiral bound Norfolk Navigator, the ever-popular Dinky maps and much-loved huge folding OS sheets are still popular in spite of competition from phone apps.
“Lots of people think paper maps are dead,” says Steve Haines, managing director at Bittern Books. “But walkers especially find route planning easier on a paper map. Motorists and cyclists also want a decent atlas when they venture off the beaten track in Norfolk and Suffolk – sat navs pick out some notoriously strange routes in East Anglia!”
Steve says that holiday makers have a natural curiosity about the area they are visiting and are primarily there to get out and about and explore. “This is particularly true in Norfolk and Suffolk where the gentle countryside and glorious beaches offer balm to the soul. Increasingly they are turning to paper maps to find their way about. Contrary to popular belief, far from being subsumed by the digital age, paper maps are still holding their own and even attracting a new generation of map readers.”
For those who like to stick their maps in their pockets Bittern Books supplies the range of Dinky Maps which are really good for short expeditions. They are printed on both sides of an A3 sheet of waterproof paper that folds down to A6, making them durable and four times stronger than paper and really easy to slip into a pocket. Based on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale cartography, with built up areas enlarged to 1:16,000, they provide a compact map focused on key areas for tourism and outdoor activities.
Recent research from the AA discovered that two-thirds of UK motorists still own a paper road atlas but almost one in five motorists admitted that theirs were a few years old. Up to date maps are essential in rural areas where road closures and dodgy detours are common, especially with the preparations for the arrival of more and more offshore windfarm electricity.
Bittern Books’ maps can be supplied to tourist outlets such as gift shops, newsagents and farm shop complexes or purchased directly from its website. Always stocking the latest editions, the company is a go to resource for map lovers, so there’s no excuse to be out of date.
Bittern Books specialises in East Anglian books and maps, both as a wholesale business, distributing to retail outlets throughout East Anglia, and also selling direct through our website. For further details, call Bittern Books on 01603 739635, visit https://bitternbooks.co.uk or email steve@bitternbooks.co.uk .