This week, we’re talking about hemp hiking shoes, and other hemp products, with João Matos, business developer at 8000Kicks, and walking in London and new maps from Transport for London, with Alexandra Goodship, head of transport strategy and planning at Transport for London.
We also have a special offer from 8000Kicks for listeners – enter WALKINGPOST15 as a coupon code at checkout to get 15% off all products at 8000Kicks.com
Interview times:
05:43 8000Kicks
20:50 Transport for London (TfL)
Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) has created a series of new maps showing the walking times and distances between stations, encouraging people to consider walking as part of their journey and reap the benefits of travelling on foot.
New downloadable street maps of the City of London and the West End show walking routes, distance in metres and how long it takes to travel on foot between TfL stations in each of the areas, demonstrating the short distances between hubs. Areas with shops and amenities are shown on the maps, with major attractions such as Hamleys, the Tate Modern and Barbican pinpointed, while sections with sloping terrain are also marked out to help inform people with accessibility needs.
A third map, based on the Standard Tube Map, shows walking times and distances between stations in Zones 1-2, incorporating all modes of transport on the TfL network, such as the DLR, Elizabeth line and London Overground.
TfL is encouraging people to build walking into their journeys as it continues to work towards the ambitious target in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy of 80% of all journeys being made on foot, by cycle or on public transport by 2041. This could involve swapping part of a longer journey on public transport for walking, or replacing a car journey for improved health as well as reduced congestion.
Last March, TfL launched the Green Link Walk, a 15-mile route between Epping Forest and Peckham, spanning several London boroughs and linking almost 40 areas of green space and other Walk London routes. It is the eighth route to be included in the Walk London Network.
In September last year, TfL teamed up with Go Jauntly to launch six self-guided walks linked to the new London Overground line names, while a host of other walks, including short walks and Nature Trails, are available on the TfL website.
We chatted with Alexandra Goodship, head of transport strategy and planning at Transport for London, about the new maps and walking in the capital.
8000Kicks
This week, we’re talking to another company from the Outdoor Show held in Liverpool last week.
8000Kicks produces hemp shoes made from industrial hemp. While hemp and marijuana are both Cannabis sativa species, they have very different properties.
Industrial hemp has been used since 8000 BC, and its properties include being anti bacterial, needing no fertilisers and almost no water to grow. Hemp also cleans and restores the nutrients in the soil, and is very durable.
Hemp is so strong that Henry Ford even built a car out of it.
8000Kicks is a pioneer in the development of hemp, with the goal of showcasing its flexibility in a wide range of products. The company has a store in Lisbon but also sells online, with products including men’s and women’s shoes, backpacks, socks, masks, wallets, bags and hats.
At the show, we chatted with the company and set up an interview online, with João Matos, business developer at 8000Kicks.
To get in touch with the podcast with comments, guest ideas, or for advertising/sponsorship opportunities, email us at jim@walkingpost.com
