Map a do about nothing?

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has demanded that the River Thames be reinstated to the next version of the British capital's iconic Underground Map. Mr Johnson wrote on Twitter that:"Can't believe that the Thames disappeared off the tube map whilst I was out the country! It will be reinstated…"

Removing London's river has been condemned by Londoners, too. Transport for London's decision to remove the concentric ring of charging zones has also been heavily criticised.

Transport for London have promised that the River will be reinstated in the December version of the map. Henry Beck was the man responsible for designing the London Underground Map with which we have become so familiar. Mr Beck abandoned the idea of trying to accurately plot the locations of the myriad of Underground Stations on the Underground. He opted instead to depict all lines running horizontally, vertically or diagonally. This made for a map which was easy to read (and where every station was located on the correct side of its immediate neighbours).

Jonathan Woodham wrote in A Dictionary of Modern Design (Oxford, 2004), that: "The clarity of its visual organization through the use of colour‐coded lines has subsequently influenced the design of urban transport maps in many countries of the world."

The Metropolitan Line, the first underground railway opened in the world opened in London in 1863. Originally, tunnels were dug using a 'cut and cover' method, whereby a trench was dug, the railway tracks were laid, an arched tunnel was constructed and then the road was relaid on the surface. Improved tunneling techniques, led to London claiming another first; that of the world's first deep level Tube from the City to Stockwell, which opened in 1890.

Visitors to London can learn more about the development of mass transit at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. Discover more about the history of Covent Garden and Theatreland with the Museums, Galleries & Performing Arts audio guide. To hear an audio sample from the audio tour please click here.

All of the Walk Talk Tours of London come complete with a free downloadable map (though not designed in Beck's style) and easy to follow instructions.