London on Playing Cards

London is not a small place.  Americans seem to have the image of London as a close collection of ancient landmarks, like the Tower, Windsor Castle and Westminster, all packed together around a twisty, little medieval Thames.  It's anything but - being a huge and bustling metropolis of millions, with busy streets, a thriving night life, all the modern conveniences, and hardly a hint of plague.  Well, perhaps just a hint, but more on that later.

This deck, from Y and B Associates, is a nice two-in-one package, offering both information and entertainment.  For entertainment, of course, it's a deck of playing cards, suitable for all  manner of games while stuck in the Tube just outside of Paddington Station.  But for information, it can tell you not only what other stations are on the line, but where you can go if you happen to get out at any of them.  It's a complete map of London, reproduced onto the faces of the cards, so that you can piece them all together and see the whole city.  You even get small inset maps of the Underground and of the Theatre District, and a booklet that serves as an index for all the streets, stations and landmarks mentioned on the cards.

All images © 1989 Y and B Associates, displayed here for commentary, analysis and appreciation only.
 

On the Ace of Spades, we can hop out of the Underground at Westminster Station, stroll around the Houses of Parliament, and maybe even drop in on the Victoria Tower Gardens.  Then perhaps we can cross over the River Thames on Lambeth Bridge.

Hitting the Six of Hearts, I strongly recommend getting off the train at the London Bridge Station for a tour through the London Dungeon, for that little hint of plague I promised before.  Then it's across the London Bridge itself for perhaps a peek at Monument Station, the Customs House, or even to be intrigued by the All Hallows-by-the-tower Church.

Having found our way to the Ten of Diamonds, we might decide to spend an hour or two at Kensington Palace, and even take a tour of the interior, to reflect on the life of Princess Diana, and then go for a quiet walk through the Sunken Gardens or Kensington Gardens.  Through the Black Lion Gate, and you can hop in Queensway Station for the ride home.

Finally, a relaxing day at the Four of Clubs might take you down the Prince Albert road to the London Zoo, and then perhaps on to Regent's Park for a concert at the Open Air Theater in Queen Mary's Gardens.