Three part series, BBC4. It's been on each evening, but they're repeating the whole thing on Friday night at 10.40 pm.

Did anyone watch this? It sounds like "Watching Paint Dry" but I was amazed at how it showed how much attitudes have changed over the decades, in ways I'd never considered before. It was as much a slice of social history as an explanation of road signs etc.

Motorways were seen as the height of sophistication, people went on day trips just to drive on them, and service stations were destinations in themselves, and people sent postcards from them!

It was such a change to watch a solid, ungimmicky documentary, and I never imagined that retro-cool would ever apply to old footage of traffic infrastructure! I recommend people catch or record it tomorrow night. You might be surprised.

I watched that episode, Purdy, and agree with everything you've said. I can't help feeling that the country's changed for the worse, but that's probably down to my age.

I'm just watching tonight's episode - Middle England fighting to avoid the new motorways from ploughing through their meadows. I'm sat here cheering them on knowing full well what the end result will be. :(

service stations<snip> and people sent postcards from them!

32p for the stamp. £18.50 for the card?

Really good documentary about a superficially dull subject. On a similar topic, I have a book called 'Always A Welcome' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Always-Welcome-Compartment-History-Motorway/dp/0953698009) which is touted as 'a glovebox guide to motorway service stations' - sounds rivetting huh? But it's actually a tremendously interesting volume packed with memory-jogging photos of those seemingly anonymous service areas that we've actually spent more time in than we realise. The sense of architectural adventure in the early years was infectious.

It has a similar feel to Martin Parr's book 'Boring Postcards' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boring-Postcards-Martin-Parr/dp/0714843903/ref=pd_bowtega_1/203-7647305-5437504?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187949369&sr=1-1) - being a collection of postcards which are of course far from boring.

Ah yes, the great and glorious retro-tastic Martin Parr! In fact his photography changed the way I saw certain things which is a feat and a half - I think it might even have been his photos of service station meals.

I missed a lot of the first part, which I watched properly tonight. I had to raise a glass to the M62! Good heavens but what an accomplishment! I was left uneasily wondering if, in 20 30 40 years time we'll be looking back in pride and nostalgia at the Motorways - and for that matter the other adventures in concrete of the post-war years - the way we get all romantic about the building of the railways - and that's something I NEVER thought I'd hear myself saying! Seeing the rail network wiped out was something I knew about but had never seen visually. I had a lot of ambivalent and uncomfortable feelings while watching - which is ultimately a healthy thing.

And all those cars conking out because they couldn't cope with sustained 60 miles an hour! Another world, but I can remember it! Eek!

i missed it when will it be on again

service stations were destinations in themselves, and people sent postcards from them!


Sometimes not having a TV has a downside. Would have liked to have seen that one.
I do remember the CB meets at wooley edge in the 80s. That was a destination well worth going to with great parties.

i missed it when will it be on again

I should think it'll be repeated in the BBC4 schedules in the near future, if you keep an eye on the listings.