How did you get around London before the M25 opened?

[nlogax]

I’ve got one here and I just dug it out (I think I found it in a charity shop). Someone has ripped out the diagram of the M25 though. Unbelievably bad luck.
It’s a 1986/87 version (about four years before I started driving) though and the main map area shows a couple of the northern bits of the M25 still under construction.

I think I might be hitting eBay too. Don’t outbid me…

The AA maps were great, my grandad got a new one every year and I would study it religiously. Here's something I've just scanned from the 1982/83 edition I bought on eBay a while back..anyone feeling that warm fuzz of nostalgia? 'PROJECTED' was always an exciting word in these maps for those of us who liked motorways as kids.

Apols for the blurry bit in the middle.

 

[Lloyds siding]

Coming from the North West driving straight through was the easiest option, but if central London was likely to be busy then the North Circular/South Circular would be our preferred route.
Once bits of the M25 were built then, as Cowley says, we would zig-zag: drive down the new stretches of motorway, then on to traditional A or B roads to the next bit (some of these routes were signposted), this could be fun...I remember a temporary 'link' between the A road and the next bit of the M25 was just the hardcore base!

 

[Cowley]

The AA maps were great, my grandad got a new one every year and I would study it religiously. Here's something I've just scanned from the 1982/83 edition I bought on eBay a while back..anyone feeling that warm fuzz of nostalgia? 'PROJECTED' was always an exciting word in these maps for those of us who liked motorways as kids.

Apols for the blurry bit in the middle.

That brings back so many memories. I’m sure that we had that book and I remember going on the section between junctions 17 and 19 while it was the A405 too. Thanks for posting that.

Just amazing to think of how many roads were being built or improved around then.
I’ve said it on here before but my Dad (who is a retired surveyor) had quite a bit to do with the M4 and also the M5 building program when I was very little.

 

[Mikey C]

Not young enough myself (the M25 was just complete by the time I passed my test), but my father (from Dartford) would use various routes

For Bournemouth, down the A225 to Sevenoaks, then A25 and A31 to reach Winchester
For the M4, (a very early start then) A2 into London, then the A202 From New Cross to Vauxhall Bridge then along the Victoria Embankment before cutting up to the A4

To reach relatives in Tooting, we'd use the A2218 Southend Lane to bypass the South Circular

 

[2192]

I would cycle round the North Circular in the 1960's on Saturdays and school holidays as it was convenient for visiting all the engine sheds: Old Oak Common, Willesden, Neasden, Cricklewood and then back home again to Kingston, or sometimes after Cricklewood go into central London to see what was in Kings Cross (Station). The M25 would have been no help -- I don't know why they built it! I'm age 80 now.

 

[Bald Rick]

The AA maps were great, my grandad got a new one every year and I would study it religiously. Here's something I've just scanned from the 1982/83 edition I bought on eBay a while back..anyone feeling that warm fuzz of nostalgia? 'PROJECTED' was always an exciting word in these maps for those of us who liked motorways as kids.

Apols for the blurry bit in the middle.

Yep I had one of these too. Something slightly amiss with your version - it shows J11-J9 as under construction with J9-J8 Projected. But 11-10 was built much earlier (opening Dec 1983, another section I went on Day 1), J10-8 was built as one section opening in Oct 85.

 

[BrianW]

There were lots of 'yellow signs' from London Airport to Gatwick. A312, A240 ... Hampton Court bridge, Walton-on-Thames bridge ... common 'waypoints'. Minimax Corner?

North Circular (A406), Hangar Lane underpass under construction; 'South Cicular' (A205) an apology for a route passing this Common and That, often changing along the way- had we passed Wandsworth Common yet. or was that Clapham Common...?

A412 North Orbital and 'confusion' around Watford, M10, A405, A41, Odhams Press, Croxley (Green?), North Watford Coal Concentration Depot ...

 

[John Webb]

...... 'South Cicular' (A205) an apology for a route passing this Common and That, often changing along the way- had we passed Wandsworth Common yet. or was that Clapham Common...?

That road has a lot in common, including Woolwich Common, Eltham Common, Dulwich Common & Barnes Common as well as your two! For a change, near its western end there was 'Kew Green'.

 

[Cletus]

Used to visit family in the Camberley area pre-M25.

Once up whichever bits of the A2/M2/A20/M20 existed back then, we would either go via Queens Road, Peckham - The Oval - Vauxhall Bridge - Chelsea Embankment - Earls Court Road - A3/M3

Or alternatively when parts of the southern side of the M25 had begun opening, using the A25 in between through Guildford, Hogs Back and then onto Camberley.

 

[Jimini]

My latest eBay purchase has just turned up

 

[Bald Rick]

I have exactly that book somewhere! Not in that condition, mind.

 

[Cowley]

My latest eBay purchase has just turned up

I ordered mine today as well. 1984/85 so I would have been 12 at the time.
I’ll be able to look at the map of the M25 with the bits under construction and imagine the utopian world being created where we would be able to conveniently and smoothly drive right around the edge of London at an efficient rate of knots with relaxed expressions on our faces, courteously waving at our fellow drivers…

I don’t get up to London often, but that’s how this all worked out right?

 

[Gloster]

I ordered mine today as well. 1984/85 so I would have been 12 at the time.
I’ll be able to look at the map of the M25 with the bits under construction and imagine the utopian world being created where we would be able to conveniently and smoothly drive right around the edge of London at an efficient rate of knots with relaxed expressions on our faces, courteously waving at our fellow drivers…

I don’t get up to London often, but that’s how this all worked out right?

Indeed. And if you place your AA book in a prominent position, its patrolmen (*) will salute you as you drive past.

Patrolmen. Can’t expect the little ladies, God bless them, to deal with anything as complicated as a modern car.

 

[Mikey C]

I have a tatty 66/67 AA handbook, which I was given as a child, probably in the mid 70s, when it was merely "out of date" instead of historic!

 

[nlogax]

Yep I had one of these too. Something slightly amiss with your version - it shows J11-J9 as under construction with J9-J8 Projected. But 11-10 was built much earlier (opening Dec 1983, another section I went on Day 1), J10-8 was built as one section opening in Oct 85.

Definitely some errors, yes. For instance I can't imagine the M25/M4 interchange construction wasn't already well under way when my copy was published in 1982. It opened in 1984 iirc.

I don’t get up to London often, but that’s how this all worked out right?

Yes, worked out exactly as intended. IN OUR MINDS

Indeed. And if you place your AA book in a prominent position, its patrolmen (*) will salute you as you drive past.

Were RAC members similarly blessed with goodies such as decent maps?

 

[Bald Rick]

For instance I can't imagine the M25/M4 interchange construction wasn't already well under way when my copy was published in 1982. It opened in 1984 iirc.

September 1985. Another stretch I was on Day 1!

(I suspect that it wasn’t under construction in 1982)

 

[Cowley]

September 1985. Another stretch I was on Day 1!

(I suspect that it wasn’t under construction in 1982)

Actually here’s a question for yourself seeing as you were there for the opening of most bits.
What was the first section to open?
And which was the last bit to be completed?

And did you cover them on the opening days too..?

 

[Bald Rick]

Actually here’s a question for yourself seeing as you were there for the opening of most bits.
What was the first section to open?
And which was the last bit to be completed?

And did you cover them on the opening days too..?

First* was A1 to Potters bar, 1975 (J23-J24). Although back then it was the M16.

Last - Officially - it was the stretch from Hunton Bridge to the A1 at South Mimms (J19-J23). Opened by the then PM in October 86. Although completed a bit earlier!

re first day ’bashing’ - my Dad had a bit of a fad for this, having been taken up and down the M1 on opening day in 1959 by his aunt. Must have been quite something at the time, I imagine. We made special trips on the first day of Wisley - Thorpe, Egham - Heathrow and Heathrow - M40. We also got M40 - Ricky by complete chance one day en route to visit family - it has opened literally an hour or two earlier, and we were just about the only car on it. The carriageway was still covered in mud from construction vehicles, having not been properly swept! Fortunately our car at the time - a MkIII Escort 1.3L in dirty Gold - hid the muck well.

* someone will pipe up and say the first section was the western bore of the Dartford tunnel in 1963. And then I’ll respond by saying that it is not, and has never been, part of the M25

 

[ChiefPlanner]

First* was A1 to Potters bar, 1975 (J23-J24)

Last - Officially - it was the stretch from Hunton Bridge to the A1 at South Mimms (J19-J23). Opened by the then PM in October 86. Although completed a bit earlier!

re first day ’bashing’ - my Dad had a bit of a fad for this, having been taken up and down the M1 on opening day in 1959 by his aunt. Must have been quite something at the time, I imagine. We made special trips on the first day of Wisley - Thorpe, Egham - Heathrow and Heathrow - M40. We also got M40 - Ricky by complete chance one day en route to visit family - it has opened literally an hour or two earlier, and we were just about the only car on it. The carriageway was still covered in mud from construction vehicles, having not been properly swept! Fortunately our car at the time - a MkIII Escort 1.3L in dirty Gold - hid the muck well.

* someone will pipe up and say the first section was the western bore of the Dartford tunnel in 1963. And then I’ll respond by saying that it is not, and has never been, part of the M25

Of course - the unopened M25 section around Ricky appeared in the seminal film "Withnail and I" - one for discerning people of a certain age.

Our few family trips from South Wales to Upminster were (a) from the M4 via Central London (B) via the North Circular. No mean feat which probably stressed my old man out no end.

 

[Cowley]

First* was A1 to Potters bar, 1975 (J23-J24). Although back then it was the M16.

Last - Officially - it was the stretch from Hunton Bridge to the A1 at South Mimms (J19-J23). Opened by the then PM in October 86. Although completed a bit earlier!

re first day ’bashing’ - my Dad had a bit of a fad for this, having been taken up and down the M1 on opening day in 1959 by his aunt. Must have been quite something at the time, I imagine. We made special trips on the first day of Wisley - Thorpe, Egham - Heathrow and Heathrow - M40. We also got M40 - Ricky by complete chance one day en route to visit family - it has opened literally an hour or two earlier, and we were just about the only car on it. The carriageway was still covered in mud from construction vehicles, having not been properly swept! Fortunately our car at the time - a MkIII Escort 1.3L in dirty Gold - hid the muck well.

That’s great stuff. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a motorway on the first day of opening although there are some that I did within a month of them being completed (certain bits of the M3, M42 and a couple of others).
My dad had a lot to do with the split level section heading west from Gordano at Bristol. I was chatting about it to him the other day and my grown up kids still call it ‘Grandads Motorway’.

* someone will pipe up and say the first section was the western bore of the Dartford tunnel in 1963. And then I’ll respond by saying that it is not, and has never been, part of the M25

Absolutely right!

 

[Cowley]

Of course - the unopened M25 section around Ricky appeared in the seminal film "Withnail and I" - one for discerning people of a certain age.

I always wondered where they filmed that.
“Here comes another f******…”

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I always wondered where they filmed that.
“Here comes another f******…”

Excellent , excellent film. I have to watch solo at home to fully appreciate it. "I demand the finest wines etc".....so many superb quotations and great music. Thanks for the indulgence.

 

[Cowley]

Excellent , excellent film. I have to watch solo at home to fully appreciate it. "I demand the finest wines etc".....so many superb quotations and great music. Thanks for the indulgence.

So so good.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

So so good.

Glad we agree -

"Monty , you c+++T"

 

[43066]

* someone will pipe up and say the first section was the western bore of the Dartford tunnel in 1963. And then I’ll respond by saying that it is not, and has never been, part of the M25

I believe I’m right in saying the same is true of the QE2 bridge, which is also officially not a designated stretch of motorway.

I’m just old enough to remember the bridge opening and, prior to that, the queues to get through the Dartford tunnel which I only ever experienced from the back seat of my dad’s Vauxhall Cavalier (and then Calibra when he got a promotion!).

Takes you back.

 

[Cowley]

I believe I’m right in saying the same is true of the QE2 bridge, which is also officially not a designated stretch of motorway.

I’m just old enough to remember the bridge opening and, prior to that, the queues to get through the Dartford tunnel which I only ever experienced from the back seat of my dad’s Vauxhall Cavalier (and then Calibra when he got a promotion!).

Takes you back.

Calibra! You flash…

 

[43066]

Calibra! You flash…

Haha - not really flash of course - but as a kid I thought it was like a Ferrari! I can still remember it now. Diamond black, leather seats. K reg (IIRC) and the first car I had been in which had air conditioning which (again as best as I can recall) was more effective then many modern cars, presumably due to CFCs in the system.

A bloody good bit of design and - having just googled it prompted by this thread - I’d say a lot better looking than many modern cars.

I’m clearly getting old!

 

[Jimini]

* someone will pipe up and say the first section was the western bore of the Dartford tunnel in 1963. And then I’ll respond by saying that it is not, and has never been, part of the M25

Has the Dartford Crossing always been known as the A282, and was it designated as such so non-motorway traffic could use it to traverse the Thames?

 

[Ediswan]

First* was A1 to Potters bar, 1975 (J23-J24). Although back then it was the M16.

My recollection is that this section initially opened as an A road, generally referred to as the Potters Bar Bypass. I say this as I recall using it for multi-lane driving practice on L plates.

 

[nlogax]

September 1985. Another stretch I was on Day 1!

(I suspect that it wasn’t under construction in 1982)

Ah! I was only a whole year out then I’ve just read that construction started in the spring of 1983.