Every London borough likes to assert its own civic identity. Each has its own coat-of-arms, logos and yawnsome motto. But most also have a strong identity with a particular colour. Camden's, for instance is a species of turquoise, while leafy Richmond is all about the green.
Just for a bit of fun, we thought we'd colour in the boroughs according to their most prominent hues. Here's what the map looks like:
How did we determine the colour?
In many cases, the choice was easy. It's the colour that slaps you round the face when you visit the borough council's website. Newham, for example, is as pink as a flamingo's Valentine's card; Hillingdon is a green machine; Havering is not wavering in its commitment to blue.
Other boroughs are not quite so black and white, to chromatically mix metaphors. Westminster, say, has a penchant for both indigo and gold; Bexley vexes with a purple website but a dark-blue livery on its logo. In such cases, we've made a judgment call, choosing whichever colour seems to be most dominant across various council properties.
Haringey offers a unique solution. Both its website and logo are currently using a full rainbow of Pride colours, in place of a usual red livery.
What can we conclude?
Many of the boroughs along the Thames favour a blue hue. Havering, Bexley, Lewisham, Southwark, Westminster, Lambeth, Wandsworth and Kington all go for the aquatic look. The other colours are variations on green, red, pink and purple. Not a single borough opts for a yellow or orange. Black, white, brown, beige and grey are avoided for obvious reasons.
Does any of this matter?
No. We just like making maps.
