Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Gridlock at 3pm..

Lucky to be here at home today I think. Just having a cuppa and listening to Sally Traffic & Steve Wright on the wireless, and the UK is in gridlock it seems.

So far Nottingham is stationary, and having a look around the mapping systems there are masses of large red areas showing either stationary or very slow traffic on pretty much all the main arterial routes.

I feel for all of those trapped in traffic queues, no toilets, hungry, frustrated about everyones plans & timings.

This is just a week before Christmas, and small wonder that the emergency services have dubbed it 'Black Friday'..

Too many cars? Too few roads? Too many people?

As I said. very fortunate being at home with Stringbag and a brew..

Same on the A36 through Salisbury...no point going anywhere....stay at home and assist to put the Christmas tree up. Polishing Tarka is quite high on my list of priorities....

I am not the greatest fan of Christmas. It seems too often to bring out a side of people's character that is best kept hidden. Or am I just an old curmudgeon?

Answers on a Post Card please.....

Peter you need a bottle or three of Wychwood "Bah Humbug" ale.
I have a couple for Christmas day, in between the champagne, sherry, port &c.
Fortunately, missed the major RTC on the M5 between work and home last night, but only by around 30 minutes. Easy run home this afternoon. Not back in until Thursday next week, for two days then peace, quiet and a jar or three until January (plus Shuttleworth and TM lunch of course... ).

And i was under the mistaken aprehension thaty the internet had been invented many years ago allowing one to order online instead of wondering about aimlessly ! Fools !

Exeter for us tomorrow to meet friends for an early supper; however it will be on the local train.
Two benefits; one being that this allows us to participate in a glass of wine (or two); and the other being the wonderful views along the Exe Estuary. (Picture in attachment below)

Good looing commuter train Simon

We went on that line at the end of October. The fare was extortionate, £4.20 return from Exmouth to Exeter, less then car park fees. Very sad to see the hotel fire though.

Nothing special Stringer. Month or two ago I went north - 230 miles took 6 hours on the M6 with gridlock and three major road works. Came back via the M62 and M1 with exactly the same result - average motorway speed just over 30 mph.

last week on the M4 we had three glorious miles of a variable speed limit zone at 20 mph with almost no traffic present

lest face it with congested roads / stupid speed limits, rail system,on strike and airports now striking too - we arent even third world any longer. The UK is a disorganised dump.

Amazing, some people are even resorting to buying secondhand Italian cars I heard the other day

BTW I wouldn't swap UK citizenship for anything and I have lived and worked in many countries - don't knock it leave if you feel like that

There's too much car dependancy in the UK, and until that evolves, nothing much will change. I've used railways now for almost 20 years and although they are now overcrowded and often expensive, they remain far more relaxing than driving.

When we travel on holiday we are usually on the road by 05.00hrs. At weekends it's a breeze, with little traffic. Weekdays are more demanding but most of the traffic at 05.00 is HGV's and vans.

Years ago we always travelled home from the West Country after 18.00hrs on a Saturday. Especially quiet on a Bank Holiday Saturday................

But when we have MissW in tow, we usually travel back during the day. Yesterday we were lucky to be in front of the M5 closure, but the M42 was horrible around the A45 junction, where we lost half an hour, and this was at 14.30. Thank goodness for the M6 toll, where time can be made up.........