‘There are amazing adventures to be had where we are’

Helen, why are so many of us opting for staycations this year versus going abroad this summer?

I think there are several reasons. I think financial reasons are one reason and not wanting to fly abroad. But there is a realisation that you can have a more sustainable holiday at home. We're developing an appreciation for what is on our doorstep. We don't have to travel far to realise there are some amazing adventures to be had where we are.

Many families return to the same destination year on year. What advice would you give to a family who is looking to try somewhere new?

It's National Map Reading Week, and OS is encouraging people to use maps to do just that, to look at a map and have that security of knowing ‘that's somewhere that looks interesting. How can I get there? How can I do that?’

Either on OS Maps app where there are walking routes, or looking at a paper map, I think number one would be to start small and familiar. Look at the map, go somewhere that you feel confident of getting to and you'll probably think ‘I didn't know that was there?’

There might be a forest nearby or it might look like there are some ruins, and you might take yourself a little bit further away from somewhere you're familiar with.

So start small and local and then you'll build the confidence to go out on any adventure you want.

Do you have any top tips for parents of kids who may not be as confident in the great outdoors or may not be as confident with map reading?

When you hand a kid a map of any sort, you hand them some sort of responsibility. And they often love it. If we go to the zoo or to a theme park, the kids are fighting over a map.

They love having the feeling of, I guess, power, but also knowing where they are in space and time. And I would say a really good thing we do at home is we'll sketch out a map of the garden or the house and do a treasure hunt, so they get this feeling of what a map is and what it's showing them. So that when you hand them an OS map, they get that. They know what it's showing them and that it's a description of where they are and where they're trying to get to.

So small, fun, and at home would be a really good way to start if you've got kids.

Why is map reading still so important and what are some simple skills families can learn to help them explore with confidence?

It's easy to see why map reading isn't at the forefront of people's minds, because in your pocket, you've got digital maps, you've got a phone, you can see where you are immediately. But if that phone dies, if you don't have any signal, that's when you're going to rely on a map.

I would say one key thing that a map gives you that you can't get from those phones is looking at, for example, where the spaces between the contour lines show changes in the elevation.

So you might not know, but the route you’ve planned includes a steep climb and that doesn't work for you as a family. But if you're looking at a map, the more you understand contour lines and work with maps, the more you look at it, you will almost see it in your mind as this visual incline, decline, where the highs are, where the lows are, and it'll help you plan your route.

One of the best things about getting out and about is uncovering places that you might never have found otherwise. Do you have any personal favourites that families should add to their summer wish list?

For me, down here in Cornwall, finding hidden coves that you didn't even know existed. You can look at a map and say that really looks like that it should be a cove. It doesn't necessarily have a name or there isn’t an obvious route, but you can look, you can spot a small path there and follow it to a cove that you can't drive to, that you didn't know was there.

Finding those little places that are slightly off the beaten track are the highlight for me.

More information about National Map Reading Week is available at osmaps.com.