Britain's first roundabout

[Softus]

Tonight I was amazed to find myself driving past a sign that claimed I was navigating Britain's first ever roundabout.

As an exercise in frittering away some minutes, would anyone care to guess where this was? And in which year it was designed (sic.)?

 

[pickles]

Tonight I was amazed to find myself driving past a sign that claimed I was navigating Britain's first ever roundabout.

As an exercise in frittering away some minutes, would anyone care to guess where this was? And in which year it was designed (sic.)?

Designed in the 1930's. No idea where but guess somewhere in the home counties

 

[breezer]

you should have been in ................nah, i was right but i am not telling you

 

[Softus]

FFS breezer, could you not have dragged it out for a bit? Or not cheated with the Interwebby fount of knowledge?

Anyway, the proper name is "Letchworth Garden City". It is more famous for being the first Garden City; even older than Welwyn Garden City.

And no - I don't live in either place.

 

[breezer]

FFS breezer

sorry, i didnt realise you wanted it dragged out, if i am quick i can go back and dletete it, you had better change yours too

 

[Softus]

Nah - I'm a great one for believing things happen the way they do for a reason. Maybe the topic will develop anyway...

 

[Softus]

pickles - the French claim to have invented the roundabout, and apparently there was one in the US before LGC got its own in 1909 (so say the locals).

 

[breezer]

well if its of any use, although letchworth was the first "garden city" to quote Michael Cain "not a lot of people know that"

most just call it, Letchworth , Despite the fact it should be Letchworth Garden CIty, where as WGC is always called Welwyn Garden City.

and the number of people who do not know that Welwyn is NOT WGC and vice versa is unreal

but here is the really odd thing, AFAIK a city must have a cathederal, and neither have (AFAIK) but St Albans that does have a cathederal is only called St Albans Not the City of St Albans, but the council vans do have City of St Albans on them

funny old world really.

lets also not mention the magic roundabout in HH

 

[Softus]

well if its of any use, although letchworth was the first "garden city" to quote Michael Cain "not a lot of people know that"

Well I didn't!

most just call it, Letchworth , Despite the fact it should be Letchworth Garden CIty, where as WGC is always called Welwyn Garden City. and the number of people who do not know that Welwyn is NOT WGC and vice versa is unreal

It used to be called Letchworth Garden City, then became plain old Letchworth, but recently (couple of years ago) was officially [re-]named back to Letchworth Garden City. Now they get all uppity if you shorten it

And, many people in WGC call it Welwyn, incorrectly, as you pointed out.

but here is the really odd thing, AFAIK a city must have a cathederal, and neither have (AFAIK) but St Albans that does have a cathederal is only called St Albans Not the City of St Albans, but the council vans do have City of St Albans on them

funny old world really.

Hm. I looked into this recently, because I have a customer in Northampton who claims that it's the largest city in Europe. And yet it doesn't have a cathedral either. I think that "Garden City" in a name is something different, but the old convention (of having to have a big f*** off church) is decaying anyway

lets also not mention the magic roundabout in HH

I lurve that roundabout - it seems to confuse people, with the result that I can then fly around it in the 'wrong' direction

 

[poshman]

im not sure whether Swindon is a town or city but it must have more roundabouts per sq mile than anywhere in uk . i got dizzy leaving the place once

 

[kendor]

Ok then where was the first mini roundabout?

 

[breezer]

im not sure whether Swindon is a town or city but it must have more roundabouts per sq mile than anywhere in uk . i got dizzy leaving the place once

nope, sorry that claim goes to Milton Keynes with Stevenage a close 2nd
(MK was based on Stevenage's system of R/A's

useless but true

up untill about 15 years ago, there were no traffic lights in Stevenage, even then the first set they had put in was on a strait road, the idea being to let traffic out from Britsih Aerospace.

 

[Richardp]

breezer wrote:
but here is the really odd thing, AFAIK a city must have a cathederal, and neither have (AFAIK) but St Albans that does have a cathederal is only called St Albans Not the City of St Albans, but the council vans do have City of St Albans on them

funny old world really.

dosnt a university also make a city?

I remember when they first invented the mini roundabout in Bridgwater, no one knew what to do with it, you could see the look of confusion and fear in drivers eyes as they approached and crash bang walloped over the top of it leaving a bit of trim or a cill behind to mark the occasion.
In cornwall we've got double and treble mini roundabouts

 

[hermes]

In cornwall we've got double and treble mini roundabouts

But that's only because Cornwall County Council ordered too many and had to stack them two or three high!

 

[Nige F]

breezer wrote:
but here is the really odd thing,

funny old world really.

In cornwall we've got double and treble mini roundabouts

Yeah, Crop circles