Prisoners from across Europe (and even further afield) were marched in their hundreds to and from Norman Cross following capture or agreement to their release or exchange. Many passed through Peterborough, reaching the Customs House on Fenland Lighters from Yarmouth and Kings Lynn. Others were marched along the Great North Road from the south. Captured officers were often paroled, staying in local towns including Peterborough.
Well there ya go, it’s just another school day on Trucknet.
Prisoners from across Europe (and even further afield) were marched in their hundreds to and from Norman Cross following capture or agreement to their release or exchange. Many passed through Peterborough, reaching the Customs House on Fenland Lighters from Yarmouth and Kings Lynn. Others were marched along the Great North Road from the south. Captured officers were often paroled, staying in local towns including Peterborough.
Well there ya go, it’s just another school day on Trucknet.
Some of the the captured officer paroled stayed in local towns? Even the Great North Road gave Peterborough and Huntingdon a wide berth …
OK spose I better come clean. My favourite road has always been the A1, I’ve known it all my life, coming from the north east and having relatives in Birmingham, I was driven up and down it as a child (no Spanky not in a coach and horses )
Anyway in the great tradition of Ashley C I’m writing a book about it. Its actually not far off finished and will take the form of a then and now style as far as photographs are concerned. So I have 2 requests. Firstly I’d like to see any pics that folks wouldn’t mind sharing with me say from 1920-1970. I’m pretty well covered from then on by my own collection.
And anecdotes. I’d like to hear a sentence or two along the lines of “remember such and such a stretch you always had to watch out for so-and-so” or whatever.
Disclaimer: If you do post an anecdote then I may use it in the book. Please do not post if you do not wish to be quoted
I used to love going north on the A1 and regularly made for Berwick or Scremerston for a night out. Further South, Stamford Cattle Market was the favoured watering hole!
Wheel Nut:
Does the A1 go anywhere near Birmingham?
I used to love going north on the A1 and regularly made for Berwick or Scremerston for a night out. Further South, Stamford Cattle Market was the favoured watering hole!
Runs right through Birmingham dosent it,well it did last time I was on it in my Big J (with 240 LXB!) turned left in Oxford IIRC.
Lonewolf Yorks:
OK spose I better come clean. My favourite road has always been the A1, I’ve known it all my life, coming from the north east and having relatives in Birmingham, I was driven up and down it as a child (no Spanky not in a coach and horses )
Anyway in the great tradition of Ashley C I’m writing a book about it. Its actually not far off finished and will take the form of a then and now style as far as photographs are concerned. So I have 2 requests. Firstly I’d like to see any pics that folks wouldn’t mind sharing with me say fron 1920-1970. I’m pretty well covered from then on by my own collection.
And anecdotes. I’d like to hear a sentence or two along the lines of “remember such and such a stretch you always had to watch out for so-and-so” or whatever.
Disclaimer: If you do post an anecdote then I may use it in the book. Please do not post if you do not wish to be quoted
Great idea Lonewolf, let us know when its available or give us a bit of a preview. Will it cover all of the A1 or just a section, say from the Blue Star to Scotch Corner, and is it from a road haulage point of view or a general overview?
Its from a general point of view, and its from St Pauls to Edinburgh. Really it will concentrate more on the course of the old Great North Road and where you can still find odd stretches of it, than the current A1. (I can show you a small stretch that dates back to 1766 and still looks the same!!)
I’m just looking for anecdotes to put in to make a more personal view of some of it. Especially as I’m an ex wagon driver myself, it probably will have a road haulage slant to it. For instance most of the transport cafes I know about get a mention.
As for the Birmingham bit you uncouth peasants, From the north east we used it as far as Newark and later the M18 to get to and from Brum!
I used to use the A1 regularly when I was doing a night trunk for ADL in the early 90s from Allington (Maidstone) to Stafford. It wasn’t the most direct route, but the roundabouts kept it much more interesting that up and down the M1.
It’s better these days since a lot of the roundabouts have now gone, I travelled up and down the A1 from Maidstone to Penrith and back just before Christmas. A fine road.
It’s better these days since a lot of the roundabouts have now gone, I travelled up and down the A1 from Maidstone to Penrith and back just before Christmas. A fine road.
I hate it now they’ve done that I always come off at Ferrybridge and go the old way rather than use that faceless motorway
I used to use the A1 on a weekly basis Bradford to Mirlees Blackstone at Stamford. Around the Grantham area the Police were quite keen and used to love giving out tickets. one of our returning continental drivers got one on Christmas day. Anyway to continue- I was going nice and steady when in front of me a motorcycle cop stood in a layby waved me in he walked round the wagon then started to open the passenger door, This is going to be interesting I thought as my eight stone cross Doberman/ Rottweiller jumped of the Bedford KM shelf and attempted to kill the copper. The copper went as white as a ghost and walked around to drivers window. He told me to wind my window down and to pass him my log book. The dog [ he was called Spike ] thought this was round two jumped on my lap and tried yet again to maul the copper. The copper retreated to a safe distance told me to xxxx ff and take that mad bxxxxxd with me. Obviously not a dog lover.
maxhagar:
I used to use the A1 on a weekly basis Bradford to Mirlees Blackstone at Stamford. Around the Grantham area the Police were quite keen and used to love giving out tickets. one of our returning continental drivers got one on Christmas day. Anyway to continue- I was going nice and steady when in front of me a motorcycle cop stood in a layby waved me in he walked round the wagon then started to open the passenger door, This is going to be interesting I thought as my eight stone cross Doberman/ Rottweiller jumped of the Bedford KM shelf and attempted to kill the copper. The copper went as white as a ghost and walked around to drivers window. He told me to wind my window down and to pass him my log book. The dog [ he was called Spike ] thought this was round two jumped on my lap and tried yet again to maul the copper. The copper retreated to a safe distance told me to xxxx ff and take that mad bxxxxxd with me. Obviously not a dog lover.
A dog is an excellent judge of character and is very seldom wrong,even if the individual hasn’t spoken a word to the dog! I’ve had a couple of guard dogs over the years that could pick out one or two of our drivers from a bunch of 10 or a dozen and go straight for them.All of our dogs over the years would bristle at any ■■■■■’s that came into the depot as-well,without exception!!!Bewick.
maxhagar:
I used to use the A1 on a weekly basis Bradford to Mirlees Blackstone at Stamford. Around the Grantham area the Police were quite keen and used to love giving out tickets. one of our returning continental drivers got one on Christmas day. Anyway to continue- I was going nice and steady when in front of me a motorcycle cop stood in a layby waved me in he walked round the wagon then started to open the passenger door, This is going to be interesting I thought as my eight stone cross Doberman/ Rottweiller jumped of the Bedford KM shelf and attempted to kill the copper. The copper went as white as a ghost and walked around to drivers window. He told me to wind my window down and to pass him my log book. The dog [ he was called Spike ] thought this was round two jumped on my lap and tried yet again to maul the copper. The copper retreated to a safe distance told me to xxxx ff and take that mad bxxxxxd with me. Obviously not a dog lover.
A dog is an excellent judge of character and is very seldom wrong,even if the individual hasn’t spoken a word to the dog! I’ve had a couple of guard dogs over the years that could pick out one or two of our drivers from a bunch of 10 or a dozen and go straight for them.All of our dogs over the years would bristle at any ■■■■■’s that came into the depot as-well,without exception!!!Bewick.
Unfortunately today’s copper would probably arrest you using the dangerous dogs act for spite
Lonewolf Yorks:
Its from a general point of view, and its from St Pauls to Edinburgh. Really it will concentrate more on the course of the old Great North Road and where you can still find odd stretches of it, than the current A1. (I can show you a small stretch that dates back to 1766 and still looks the same!!)
Where is this stretch that dates back to 1766 please?
I have seen a photo somewhere of Bramham Crossroads ( A1 - A64 junction )
when the Great North Road just looked like a country lane.
I’ll see if I can find it again if you don’t already have one.
Apparrantly the A1000 from barnet to hatfield, is the the old original A1 before the 1st dual carraigeway.
Looking forward to your book lonewolf, the A1 has always been 1 of my favourite roads. We used to do a regular backload in the early 90s out of the old Isis company, stratford lift, for Edinburgh and all points north and thought " i can’t bear that run for a complete day, but thoroughly enjoyed it, and always remembered that there was never any shortages of decent cafe’s that served proper cooked meat an veg dinners. I remember an engineering firm at the the side of the A12/102 blackwall tunnel approach rd called " Dowding and mills " Blue sign with yellow writing, and always thought its gonna be a hell of a long time before i see that sign again as they used to have a place on an industrial estate at the side of the A1 at Durham.
A lot of the charactaer has gone since they’ve got rid of most of the round-a-bouts, and flew it straight over. Thats progress i suppose.
The boot and shoe just north of ferrybridge was one of my favourite stops.
Where is this stretch that dates back to 1766 please?
I have seen a photo somewhere of Bramham Crossroads ( A1 - A64 junction )
when the Great North Road just looked like a country lane.
I’ll see if I can find it again if you don’t already have one.
I have a couple from there thanks, and if you know where to look, two arms of that original crossroads still exist.
hiya lonewolf…i take it youve been to the coach house pub in stamford(IICR the george)i called in there 20 years ago and found the place
very intresring. the time tables and distances to city,s from that point…I run the sugar campains from Newark to peterbourough 73/74/75.
That was tippiong work september to march and had a few close calls with the law as the speed limit was 40 mph in those days. i,d got
either a 60 mph foden or a 70 mph F88 and christmas day,s you wanted to get the job done…I,ve seen some really bad crashes on the strech between Grantham and Huntingdon,sommer months i run from Derby to Cambridge/Bury st Edmunds area and back loaded from London brick P,bourough
for leeds/Bradford.so i,ve had days up and down the G N R…later years i run from Chester and did many trips to Felling /Newcastle
and surounding areas stopping off at Weatherby for nights out…As i have now retired i hav,nt been north of the A64 (York road)how far north
dose the motorway section go as it was 2002 i finished… I have been to york a couple of times…I look forward to your book.
if you would like one or two stories i,ll PM you.
John
Wolfie there has been a book published before called The Great North Road and an interesting read it is, you might still be able to get a hold of it from the local library. If you can, a read of it might point out some areas and places you might have missed or have no info of. It tells the roads history and land marks but if I recall doesn’t have many pics so your up to date version might find a lot of interest, good luck with it mate. Franky.
Ayup Frank, I’ve probably got it mate. Theres 2. One by Harper dated 1901 and one by Webster dated around 1974. Both of them suffer from the same fault. They stop at the Tyne. Apparently the Great North Road didn’t go any further than that . And as for the so called books of photos by Nicholson and the other fella, Paul someone just don’t go there. Rubbish. Good photos, just nowt to do with the A1. It was Nicholsons book that actually tipped me into this project, I bought it and then said in disgust ‘I could do better than that’. The rest as they say is history.
John email me if you like truckmodeller(at) talktalk(dot)net
, Thanks for the info, Larry.
)
I always come off at Ferrybridge and go the old way rather than use that faceless motorway 
