M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley

Subject: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Nov 09 - 02:36 PM

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the M1 motorway, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a programme with poet (and mandolin player) John Hegley. There are clips of the Ewan McColl radio ballad too.... available to listen to until next Wednesday at 11.32.

Kitty

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 04:19 AM

My irritation at the repeated claims that the M1 was Britain's first motorway, when it was nothing of the kind, was soothed somewhat by hearing Ewan's singing.

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: banjoman
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 05:30 AM

I agree - Britains first motorway was the Preston By Pass which is now part of the M6

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Newport Boy
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 05:50 AM

For a list of British motorway opening dates, look here. At the end of 'Other Options' click on 'chronological listing'. From the home page you can find more information about motorways than you ever want to know.

Phil

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Leadfingers
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 07:08 AM

The M1 was the 'first' motorway in that it WAS the first stretch of road in Britain that a driver could CRUISE at sixty miles an hour for sixty miles .
How long was the Preston By Pass ??

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 08:07 AM

The M1 was the 'first' motorway in that it WAS the first stretch of road in Britain that a driver could CRUISE at sixty miles an hour for sixty miles

And? You can hardly prove a fallacy by making up your own definition...

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 09:57 AM

The M6, Preston Bypass, was eight miles long and was the first motorway. On our weekend trips to Blackpool from Radcliffe we used to pester my dad to go on it in our old biscuit-tin Ford Anglia even though it was slightly out of our way. The road was a two-lane dual carriageway with nowt much by way of a central reservation. I tell you, on a clear day with a following wind my dad could well-nigh get to 66, or even 67, on that road!

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 11:03 AM

Steve - that was you was it? Remember that Ford Consul you nearly barged off the road (cream with unmistakable ORANGE stripe)? That was us on our way to Morecambe. It was a Saturday.

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Leadfingers
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 11:56 AM

GUEST Ed - Why do you always want to start an argument ?

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Ed.
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 12:15 PM

Ed - Why do you always want to start an argument ?

I don't.

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 02:14 PM

I think the programme blurb described the M1 as the first major motorway, not the first motorway....

Kitty

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 06 Nov 09 - 09:16 AM

Kitty - I distinctly heard it described in a Radio 4 trailer as "Britain's first motorway". Later, I noticed that the blurb had been changed to "Britain's first major motorway".

Wrong on both accounts.

On a certain BBC website it is described as "Britain's first inter-urban motorway".

It's certainly the first motorway to have so much garbage spouted about it.

Perhaps it's because the M6 is 'oop narth'?

Subject: RE: M1 motorway (UK) 50 years John Hegley
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 06 Nov 09 - 12:34 PM

Well we thought it was pretty major. Sminky, I'm relieved to tell you that you needn't contemplate revenge as we only had trips on Sundays. My dad worked all Saturday in Burtons in Pendleton where he was the manager.

Ford Consul, eh? Snob!