A posh-sounding Northumbrian

It's hard to imagine the internet without mapping tools these days - I use them all the time to find meeting venues, bars (!) and recently had to rely on Google Maps on my iPhone to get me to a TV interview on time when I was hopelessly lost in central london.

When Google Maps added satellite imagery to their maps, it was a huge breakthrough - whereas previously you may have paid £30 or £40 for a print of an aerial view, Google Earth lays the world out before you for free.

This has many uses, but it struck me when I was out enjoying one of my hobbies - walking the footpaths around the village where I live - that Google Earth would allow me to quickly tackle a problem we have around here.  I've encountered a lot of obstructed footpaths, and sure enough when I was out walking today I found a new farm gate chained shut.

A few quick clicks with Google Earth later, and I can send the local council not only the name of the farm, but a pinpoint location of the obstruction, for the avoidance of all doubt. 

Saving graphics and emailing them to the council is pretty basic however - I'm sure there's a coder out there who involves walking the British countryside who would be able to bring together public data on council boundaries, with maps, to allow walkers to easily report obstructed footpaths to any council anywhere in the country.