As seen on Google Maps

It was an unbelievable set of circumstances that led to some free publicity for the upcoming headline event at this year’s #CyberFest. This time I’ve really made it, making an appearance on Google Maps, in this year’s T-shirt.

It all started with Thinking Digital moving from its usual May slot to the 6th of July. As has been my way for the last few years I have used this as an opportunity to wear the latest #CyberFest T-Shirt, on the basis that any publicity is good. The design for this year has a logo on both the font and the back of the joint event, partnering with Aspire Technology Solutions.

The next circumstance was my wife being unwell which made me leave the conference before it finished to get an early train back. It was also warm and this is how I ended up walking along the road home, in a T-shirt when I noticed the Google car go past. I smiled and made a mental note to mention it when I got in the house. After that I thought very little about it.

The other day though, a fire engine went past our house, blue lights flashing. Just as I was beginning to wonder what was happening there was a small explosion, which we felt in our stomachs more than heard. This brought the whole street out to see what was going on. Somehow some pigeon lofts behind the houses at the end of the cul-de-sac had caught fire and it was easier to access them from our street than to the south. 

Still with me? I hadn’t realised that there were any pigeon lofts left, I thought they had all been removed long ago and so I picked up my phone to look at them on Google Maps. It was then that I realised that the view of our street included my new car and this took me back to the 6th July. If my new car was shown and the Google car had passed me then what are the chances?

I went onto street view and worked back to the point where the car had passed me and there I was. Fame at last. 

The change of date, an illness an a fire all came together to create a brilliant plug for #AspireCyberFest23. As seen on Google Maps.