If you produce a tourist map that looks like a giant penis, the odds are it will get noticed – so it shouldn’t have come as a great surprise to the Canal & River Trust that its map of Berkhamsted would be picked up by Facebook and Twitter followers, closely followed by the mainstream media including the BBC and the Daily Mail.

Facebook followers pointed out the map’s phallic shape after it was posted by Haresfoot Brewery on its page. In its post the brewery said: ‘Great graphic by the Canal River Trust highlighting the canal pubs in Berkhamsted. Alas we’re located just two locks to the left of the diagram at Grand Union Lock 51.

Not long after, the social media comments started and it went viral.

Simon Salem, CRT’s Marketing & Fundraising director said: “This map is just one in of a series of 100 showing some of the top family friendly destinations on our waterway network.

“It was pointed out to us that the map of Berkhamsted maybe looks a bit phallic but canal maps are invariably going to be long and straight.

“Fortunately everyone’s seen the funny side and hopefully it may lead to more people looking at the maps and finding out how they can explore their local canal.”

We agree; anything that raises interest in the waterways is a very good thing – even if people take the rise out of CRT for it…

Mind you, good thing it wasn’t the Curly Wyrley (the Wyrley & Essington).

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