function initialize() {
	if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
		// creates marker
		function createMarker(point,html,icon) {
		
			var marker = new GMarker(point,icon);
		
			GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
				marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
			});
			
			return marker;
		}

		// general
		var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map_canvas"))
		map.setCenter(new GLatLng(52.815434,-2.086008), 10);
		var Icon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON);
		
		// controls on map
		map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
		map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
		
		// custom icon		
		var retailIcon = new GIcon();
		retailIcon.image = "images/misc/marker.png";
		retailIcon.iconSize = new GSize(29, 40);
		retailIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(290, 40);
		retailIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(15, 34);
		retailIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(15, 34);
		retailIcon.transparent = "images/misc/marker.png";	

		// point
		var point = new GLatLng(52.815644,-2.084774);
		var marker = createMarker(point,'<div class="googlebox"><strong>Retail Smart Limited</strong><br />Priestly Court<br />Gillette Close<br />Staffordshire Technology Park<br />Stafford<br />ST18 0LQ<br /><br />Tel: +44 (0)1785 782 990<br />Fax: +44 (0)1785 248 895<br/ ><a href="mailto:info@retailsmart.com">info@retailsmart.com</a></div>', retailIcon);
		map.addOverlay(marker);

	}	  
}