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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 16/09/2026

Mother of all thunderstorms assaulting us in Valencia right now ⛈️

Screenshot from lightningmaps.org showing lightning strikes around Valencia, Spain

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 10/09/2026

*Screeching horror movie music*

Detail of an AI-generated dish from a kebab shop menu showing what appears to be kebab meat with what could either be strange, unnervingly smooth fries or giant maggots

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 10/09/2026

Spotted my first AI slop menu in the wild (Russafa, Valencia) 🤢

An AI-generated menu outside a kebab shop with horrible, alien-looking food

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/09/2026

🚨 Delighted to receive the news that The Boroughs of London has won the Stanfords Award for Printed Mapping at the annual @bcsmaps.bsky.social Awards! 🥳 🙌🏻 @mattfromlondon.bsky.social @batsfordbooks.bsky.social www.stanfords.co.uk/bcs-stanford...

Front cover of the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, published by Batsford

A map from the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, published by Batsford

A double page spread from the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, published by Batsford

A double page spread of maps from the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, published by Batsford

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 04/09/2026

You can guarantee someone will always pipe up mentioning *that* episode of that bloody show.

Meme of Batman slapping Robin referencing a story by The Guardian about a UN vote to stop using the Mercator projection on world maps. Robin is saying "There's an episode of the West Wi-" but he's interrupted by Batman slapping him, who says "Yes we know"

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 04/09/2026

Ah, the EU: on one hand, a remarkable historic project of unity which brings nations together, safeguards peace, champions shared values, and opens up travel and opportunities across Europe 🇪🇺 On the other hand, this:

An email from Etsy to a shop owner about a boring new regulation that reads as follows:

Hi thisismikehall,

As of 12 August 2026, new EU rules under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) may require you to register and report on your packaging if you sell to buyers in the EU. If you sell packaged goods to buyers in the EU, here's what you need to know about your compliance obligations.

Depending on where you sell, what you sell, and where your business is established, you may need to:
Register with the national producer register in each EU country where you sell
Provide your EPR registration numbers and self-certifications to Etsy in Shop Manager
Appoint an Authorised Representative in EU countries where you're not established
Report packaging quantities to the national producer register
Participate in a compliance scheme and pay EPR fees that help fund

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 12/08/2026

Here we go here we go here we gooooo (apols for the crappy iPhone pic)

Poor quality image of the eclipse in Spain underway, the sun is roughly 60% hidden by the moon

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 12/08/2026

I'm EXTREMELY fortunate to live not only in the path of totality (Valencia) but to also have a west-facing balcony. Totality will be roughly half an hour before sunset at 4º above the horizon - so just above the yellow crane in the 2nd picture. Fingers crossed that no clouds obscure the view! 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Map of the Iberian Peninsula from the NASA Eclipse Data website showing the path of totality between the northern and eastern coasts of Spain, with Valencia highlighted by a yellow arrow

View from my apartment balcony in Valencia, looking towards where the eclipse will occur at 4º above the horizon

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 12/08/2026

It's Total Eclipse Day here in Spain, and I have my glasses ready 😎 The last eclipse I could have seen (back in '99) totally passed me by for some reason, so I've been excitedly awaiting this day for years.

Pair of eclipse glasses standing on a white desk

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 12/06/2026

I've seen this map doing the rounds today, which is indeed very interesting (though Bexley appears to have been partitioned). If you like this kind of thing, we delved into all kinds of borough-by-borough stats in our book 'The Boroughs of London'. Here are just a few ⬇️

Statistical map of Greater London showing the percentage of residents born outside the UK in each borough, designed by Mike Hall for the 2025 book The Boroughs of London. Using data from the Office for National Statistics, the map compares the proportion of foreign-born residents across London's boroughs. Brent has the highest percentage at 56.1%, while Havering has the lowest at 19.4%.

Statistical map of Greater London showing poverty rates by borough, designed by Mike Hall for the 2025 book The Boroughs of London. Using data from Trust for London, the map compares the percentages of the population living in poverty across London's boroughs. Camden has the highest rate at 43%, while Richmond upon Thames has the lowest at 12%.

Statistical map of Greater London showing recycling rates by borough, designed by Mike Hall for the 2025 book The Boroughs of London. Using data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the map compares the percentages of household waste sent for recycling across London's boroughs. Bromley has the highest rate at 49%, while Tower Hamlets has the lowest at 18%.

Statistical map of Greater London showing access to children's playgrounds by borough, designed by Mike Hall for the 2025 book The Boroughs of London. Using data from the Office for National Statistics, the map compares the number of playground facilities per 100,000 residents across London's boroughs. Southwark has the highest provision, with 94 facilities per 100,000 people, while Redbridge has the lowest, with 24 facilities per 100,000 people.

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 15/04/2026

We didn’t win our category, alas! (A book of cat photos did 🤷🏻‍♂️ 🐈) But we did at least get a Highly Commended, which is something! Lots of great-looking books were deserved winners last night. And a lovely meal too.

Mike Hall’s table place at the BBD&P Awards dinner

Crowd of people in a large, busy room looking at books at the BBD&P Awards

A copy of The Boroughs of London on display at the BBD&P Awards

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 13/04/2026

🚨 New work: Really pleased to receive my complimentary copy of Atlas of Botany, a sumptuous new title from DK for which I designed a vintage-style base map of the world that is reproduced throughout the book and also appears on the endpapers and cover art. On sale next month! dk.com/products/978...

Photograph of a spread from the new DK book Atlas of Botany, with a vintaage-style map of the world designed by Mike Hall

Detail of the front cover of the new DK title Atlas of Botany, featuring the outlines of the vintage-style world map designed by Mike Hall

Detail of the endpapers of the new DK title Atlas of Botany, featuring the outlines of the vintage-style world map designed by Mike Hall

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 04/03/2026

...As for the labels, it looks like careless placement to me. Some got nudged by accident and left where they were (e.g. Leeds, Bradford) and Torksey was possibly added for a laugh/personal reasons. ⬇️ I also found this in a description of one of the other maps. 10-15 minutes sounds about right 😂

Screenshot from a page on ConceptDraw.com

Text reads:

Example 3. Map of the British Isles Counties

The United Kingdom map samples you see on this page were created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software using the drawing tools of the Map of UK solution. An experienced user spent 10-15 minutes creating each of these samples.

Use the Map of UK solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM Solution Park to develop your own United Kingdom map and various UK related thematic maps quick, easy and effective.

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 04/03/2026

*Puts expert hat on* I don't believe this is AI. The boundaries are wrong, but too precise. I'd suggest it's the work of someone with little knowledge of English geography who has mashed together historic county boundaries with some modern ones (I refer you to the attached image and ALT text)...

Screenshot of a map of England’s regions available from ConceptDraw.com. Where do we start. Although the regions themselves are broadly correct, the boundaries are a mess. They largely follow the historic counties of England, which were abolished in the early 1970s. These have been mixed with some newer boundaries: part of the line between the Yorkshire and the Humber region and the East Midlands region follows the southern boundary of the former county of Humberside (abolished 1996). While the actual Yorkshire and the Humber region does follow this boundary, it is anachronistic with the other boundaries shown. Similarly, the London region is shown as a combination of Middlesex (abolished 1965) and the southern half of Greater London, with its boundary running through Surrey and Kent; east London meanwhile is incorrectly shown as part of Essex (as it once was). All in all, it's a dog's dinner.

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 12/02/2026

Been reminded this morning of the existence of the Anagram Tube Map (thx to @diamondgeezer.bsky.social's latest blogpost) wharferj.wordpress.com/wp-content/u... ("This train is for Pig Pen. The next station is Yeti Witch"). Tag yourself, etc. Also: didn't the Tube Map look SO much better back then?

Tube Map from 2006 in which all of the station names are replaced by anagrams. Highlights include Pig Pen (Epping), Swearword & Ethanol (Harrow & Wealdstone), Burst Raccoon (Barons Court) and Queer Spank (Queen's Park).

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/02/2026

If Wes Streeting replaces Keir Starmer, it'll be exciting news for me at least as he'd be the first British Prime Minister (that I know of) to own a Mike Hall Retro London Borough map

Screenshot of Wes Streeting being interviewed on BBC News in summer 2020, with a framed copy of Mike Hall's London Borough of Redbridge map in the background behind him

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/01/2026

Well blow me sideways. Today I received the delightful news that The Boroughs of London by me and @mattfromlondon.bsky.social has been shortlisted in the Trade Illustrated category in the British Book Design & Production Awards 🥳 www.britishbookawards.org/shortlist-20...

Cover of the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, published by Batsford Books

A page from the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, showing the introduction and a map from the Southwark section

A detail of a page from The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, showing colourful statistical maps of Greater London

Detail of a page from the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown, showing text and illustrations in the Wandsworth section

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 22/01/2026

It gets better: I've just noticed that apart from the US, not one single country represented by all these people who appeared on that stage earlier is shown on that map.

A list of representatives from each country who appeared on stage alongside Chump at the Board of Peace launch at Davos today, from the Guardian news website. The list reads as follows:

Sheikh Isa of Bahrain

Morocco’s foreign minister

The president of Argentina

Prime minister of Armenia

President of Azerbaijan

Prime minister of Bulgaria

Prime minsiter of Hungary

President of Indonesia

Deputy prime minister of Jordon

president of Kosovo

prime minister of Pakistan

President of Paraguay

prime minister of Qatar

foreign affair minister from Saudi Arabia

foreign affairs minister of Turkey

A representative from the UAE

The president of Uzbekistan

Prime minister of Mongolia

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 22/01/2026

This is a list of everyone who appeared on that stage earlier. Every single member country except for the US is absent from that map.

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 22/01/2026

Just seen the logo for this new Board of Peace. Amateurish, to put it politely - and that's just the cartography.

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 17/01/2026

Also enjoyed this guy: a representation of the Bridgwater Carnival brandishing a squib (a firework on a stick). He’d enjoy the Fallas festival in Valencia. 🎇

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 17/01/2026

I’m in Bridgwater, Somerset for a couple of days for reasons I won’t go into. Had a bit of time to kill this morning so went for a wander round the town centre. Quite charming from certain angles.

View of a statue and buildings in Bridgwater, Somerset

View of the riverfront in Bridgwater, Somerset

View of St Mary’s Church, Bridgwater, Somerset

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 05/01/2026

Finally, unceremoniously deleted my X account just now. I'm surprised Elon hadn't changed this message to read "Go on, fuck off crying to Bluesky you pedo libtard" or some such.

A screenshot of the basic message you see when you deactivate your X account:

"Deactivated

Your account is deactivated

Sorry to see you go. #GoodBye"

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 29/12/2025

Found myself watching The Holiday (2006) last night. You know when you can tell a movie is going to be terrible simply because of the font they use for the title? This was a textbook example.

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted entries! Look out for more competitions and offers on my prints in the near future. You can read more about the (genuinely) fascinating story of how the boroughs got their names in our book 'The Boroughs of London', available everywhere now! (ends)

Cover of the book The Boroughs of London by Mike Hall and Matt Brown

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

10. Last but not least, Karol Zemek's idea for another Ealing rebrand: "Rani is the Punjabi word for queen, so the name celebrates both the Punjabi community in Southall and Ealing's title of 'queen of the suburbs'."

Ethnic Punjabi women photographed in Southall, West London (source: WeeklyTales.com)

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

9: Elli Woollard suggested this mature new name for Lambeth: "It was named 'lamb' over a millennia ago, so it should now be renamed 'Mutton' (we could drop the 'beth' bit - no sheep have been landed on the Thames round here for centuries). It would also be a nice rhyming counterpart to Sutton."

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

8: Alan Oliver evoked an important local figure for his rebranding of Tower Hamlets: "My suggestion would be to rename [it] Lansbury after a local hero: George Lansbury. He did so much for the under-represented, not only of this future borough but also for the minorities in the UK as a whole."

Portrait of Labour politician George Lansbury (1859-1940), and grandfather of Angela Lansbury

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

7: Sticking with a north London theme, Rob Nash proposed this new name for Haringey: "I think Haringey could be brightened up with a rebrand. Since it stretches from Alexandra Palace in the west to the River Lea / Lea Valley on its eastern edge, my suggestion for a new name is: Ally Pally Valley!"

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

6: David McCutcheon bent the rules slightly and proposed combining Islington and Haringey into one borough and renaming it Arsenham, for its two famous football clubs: "Straight away Arsenal and Tottenham came to mind, being so close together!"

Football players from Arsenal and Tottenham squaring up to each other (or possibly about to kiss)

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

5: Wren Hayward took inspiration from local etymology (and made us hungry in the process) with his suggestion Cheesedog, combining the word cheese (in reference to Chiswick - originally Ceswican, "Cheese Farm") and dog (in reference to Hounslow - originally Hundeslow, "Hound's Barrow")

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

4: Caroline Francis, who offered the puntastic Yeswestminster as a new name for Westminster: "Renaming Westminster after the iconic tv show would be appropriate considering the amount of political shenanigans that occur in that borough."

Scene from the classic BBC political sitcom Yes Minister

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

3: Mark Carter, who put forward Exessex as a new name for Havering: "Many Romfordians resented being 'forced' into London... but nevertheless everybody, having left Essex, were now ex-Essexers, hence the new name Exessex."

Detail from an old map of Essex, showing the areas of Romford, Hornchurch and Rainham which were incorporated into the borough of Havering in 1965

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

2: Guy Bryson, who proposed renaming Ealing to Acton Junction: "In reference to the bizarre number of train stations Acton seems to have in it for such a small area."

Detail of a London Tube Map showing all the various stations with the name "Acton"

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 09/12/2025

1: Louise Ashton, who suggested changing the name of her borough Lewisham to CatLady Park: "A mash-up of Catford, Ladywell, and any of the numerous Parks we have in the borough (Crofton Park, Grove Park, Honor Oak Park) and also reflects the number of cats marauding in my area!"

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 08/12/2025

ℹ️ Read more about the book, what it’s all about and where you can buy it here: shop.thisismikehall.com/pages/boroug...

Detail of a map from the book ‘The Boroughs of London’

Detail of a spread with lots of small statistical maps of Greater London from the book ‘The Boroughs of London’

Detail of a spread from the chapter on Southwark from the book ‘The Boroughs of London’

Detail of a spread from the chapter on Brent from the book ‘The Boroughs of London’

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 08/12/2025

My book ‘The Boroughs of London’ is BACK in stock on UK Amazon — just in time to order as a gift for that London-obsessed cartophile in your life! 🎁 🌟 Recommended by London Historians, The London Society and the blogfather of London trivia himself, Diamond Geezer www.amazon.co.uk/Boroughs-Lon...

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

You can read more about all of the places I’ve been to today plus hundreds more across all 32 boroughs in the capital in our book The Boroughs of London, available now in all good bookshops! www.batsfordbooks.com/book/the-bor...

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

Never in my life did I think I’d be so glad to be at Hackbridge station. My ride back north awaits

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

Here I reach the end of my Sutton odyssey, and somewhere entirely 21st century: the BedZED estate, designed to be the first zero-carbon housing scheme in the country, and its distinctive ‘wind scoops’ on the roof (also drawn by me for the book).

Illustration of a wind scoop on the roof of the BedZED estate by Mike Hall for the book The Boroughs of London

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

Penultimate stop: Carew Manor, with its Grade I-listed hammerbeam-roofed great hall somewhere inside. Bonus: Beddington Church next door, very old, very flinty One location to go!

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

Roundshaw, a largely 1960s housing estate built on part of the site of Croydon Airport (London’s original airport) where all the streets are named for aircraft and aviators. 🛩️ Two left…

Information board about Croydon Airport in Roundshaw, Beddington

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

Next: Little Holland House at Carshalton Beeches - home to Frank and Florence Dickinson for nearly 60 years, and *every* item of furniture and decor within was handcrafted by them. Grade II listed! Sounds amazing. Sadly also closed today (only open 1st Sunday of each month)

Exterior of Little Holland House, Carshalton Beeches

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

6 locations down, 4 to go 😅 Time for a break, and an opportunity to recharge both my and my phone’s batteries!! Touch-and-go whether I’ll have enough time to complete the tour before I head back north…

Welcome cup of tea at Spilt Milk, Carshalton

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Mike Hall @thisismikehall.com · 26/11/2025

Another church: All Saints Carshalton, with the mysterious Anne Boleyn’s Well just outside, where (legend has it) the queen’s horse supposedly struck the ground with its hoof, causing water to issue out.

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