Secrets of The Motorway - M6 Part 3 - Warrington - Lancaster

[@PhilipStorry]

I'd just like to note that we should all be thankful that those old 1950s tapes of the original Secrets Of The Motorway series weren't wiped, like so many other things were. Imagine if we lost such a resource! The horror! Great to see the archive footage being used to good effect here.

[@Stephen_Lafferty]

I think that they were recorded over old episodes of Doctor Who. :'D

[@davidroddini1512]

I’d like to know his secret! He looks like he hasn’t aged a day since 1958!

[@davidioanhedges]

They were shot on Film ... the BBC (and others) only wiped video tapes, which the mostly invented the usable versions of.... Wiping was due to the fact that they cost money to not reuse, cost money to store, and had no value, as repeats didn't happen and the film copies had already been sent out to the rest of the world and broadcast ... there was nobody left to sell them to ...

[@David_Crayford]

@@Stephen_Lafferty IIRC First Dr Who was the day after the JFK assassination in November 1963 and correspondingly was a few minutes late. *EDIT* On second thoughts, s/he is an f-ing time lord and can be whenever s/he likes.

[@noizeuk]

It's interesting, because this is now that very footage people will go to in 50 years time.

[@Jer0nim0]

I think the British Leyland era would definitely benefit from the Auto Shenanigans treatment. 👍

[@dilwyn1]

@John ... Defo make a film about the British motor industry. With your ability to research in depth, i'm sure it would be more than interesting 😁

[@davidioanhedges]

I look forward to the series - Secrets of British Leyland ...

[@lxtechmangood9503]

Definitely need a series on uk motor trade / manufacturing

[@yeomancam8746]

Maybe a 'Secrets of the Truck & Car Factories' series?

[@gymnasiast90]

I can recommend Ruairidh MacVeigh’s series on this subject. He has a no-nonsense, non-dramatic, very informative style. Especially British Leyland is a very complex topic that is often oversimplified, but I think he managed that one very well.

[@georgebirchall4281]

The building at Haydock was a GPO repeater station. I worked there briefly in the mid 60's. Its purpose was to provide a boost to the analogue signals on trunk lines to/from Liverpool. Became redundant when the network went digital, hence the repurpose mentioned above and eventual abandonment. Working there, it was curious to eat lunch in the grounds, watching the motorway traffic apparently driving on the roof (simple pleasures!)

[@beeble2003]

Is it abandoned? It still has wheelybin service (e.g., 1:30).

[@TheWorldofGood79]

How wonderful to hear the Juliet Bravo theme, it is a brilliant piece of music & I absolutely loved the first three series of the programme when Stephanie Turner was the Inspector. Those three series from 1980 to 83 show long long gone world.

[@adamclark6756]

Conway Twitty was genius, i properly laughed out loud! I love these little nods to other things.

[@hectorshouse7348]

Where was Conway Twitter?

[@fenlinescouser4105]

@@hectorshouse7348 Conway X?

[@adamclark6756]

@@hectorshouse7348 at 4.00

[@EuropaSman]

A nice nod at the end, what with Juliet Bravo being set in the fictional Lancashire town of Hartley. Good job, Jon👍

[@emmahayden1653]

Thank you soooo much, not knowing where that music was from despite being so familiar was doing my head in

[@coops1964]

Weren’t the opening credits filmed on the long gone deck access flats at Shadsworth in Blackburn?

[@ianhutchinson1783]

As an old Leyland lad thanks for the shout out for my home town. As a kid in the 60s/70s there were parts of the motor works within the town itself and the present-day motor museum occupies one of these buildings. I remember bus and lorry chassis being driven from one part of the work to the other with just a bloke on a strapped down stacking chair by the bare steering wheel bereft of any other bodywork. 'Leyland Testers' we called them, and yes please to a BL video.

[@richardthomasmillican3980]

I remember seeing bus and truck chassis on the M6 on a regular basis, as you describe with the driver out in the elements, no cab, just the seat.

[@hairyairey]

​@@richardthomasmillican3980there's a reason why the workplace used to be deadly!

[@williethomson8353]

How can I comment on this Best ever... Used that Brill hmm that too Freakin sweet awesome... That's it Juliet bravo mental

[@donalddodson7365]

In the 1950's I became a U.S. fan of Leyland and Foden lorries through Lesney Matchbox toys.

[@jhdore]

That Juliet Bravo theme is an absolute banger.

[@SharpblueCreative]

Juliet Bravo theme at the end was a surprise. Another great funny & entertaining video.

[@jeremywilliams5107]

Underrated car the TR7.

[@paulsengupta971]

Ah, that's what it was. I was thinking "The Bill" but thought it wasn't that, and I was trying to remember which Police TV show it was. I came down here to find out the answer!

[@colinsmith8572]

As an ex truck driver I found these videos really interesting as I saw many of these features on the road but didn't really know what a lot of them really were, the internet was just a dream back then so finding information on places was a lot slower to get to, Jon's films and his personality really make them a joy to watch, keep up the good work.

[@starlight5229]

Yes, yes yes!!!! 🎉 I see you there on Fowler Lane, Farington (Leyland) Jon, doing your piece to camera 😁 You're right, Leyland Trucks does need a video all of its own but did you see Centurion Business Park whilst you were there? (Behind Paccar). The style of architecture in that business park is great. From the 60s right up to a modern Amazon warehouse. Always love seeing the tower at Forton too. Fwicked episode!! 👍🏻😁

[@Dan23_7]

I thought it was fowler lane but now you said, I’m glad I’m right😂

[@ENLSN77]

No 'mong' in a red astra this time 😂

[@rileyuktv6426]

Love the authentic flashback to show how Motorway Spotter clothing style has evolved since 1958 ❤

[@jeremywilliams5107]

For your next video on the M6 I'm sure you'll visit Lancaster University which borders the motorway. The fun fact was the existence of a zebra crossing across the motorway at the northern end of the campus. It was the only one on the whole world motorway network at the time. Painted by the students, obviously, during the night of what was "Rag Week", it caused major police worries, not to say a quasi-nuclear level of irritation, as to how this was done without anybody being killed (speed was of the essence) and how to remove it afterwards. The responsible persons were offered jobs running the Highways Maintenance Department, or so I've heard...

[@jeremywilliams5107]

I was wrong - Jon didn't!

[@peterhurst]

In the 90's the abandoned building was a BT depot where the field data services teams were based for quick access to the network. Before that, not too sure but would expect it's Government related.

[@firesurfer]

The only thing I could find was Old Boston ATE. (automatic test equipment (ATE) designer and manufacturer)

[@peterhurst]

@@firesurfer I remember that now, it was a drop off for the transmission routes across the country

[@davidpreston9909]

Gathurst Viaduct was the answer to one of the original Trivial Pursuit questions. Something like 'Which motorway bridge crosses all those other forms of transport?". Fun bonus fact - the River Douglas used to be navigable by small vessels at least as far upstream as Gathurst.

[@mikejefferies1039]

Not a motorway but check out 3 bridges on Windmill lane between Brentford and Southall. It's actually 2 bridges built by Brunel. Canal aqueduct over railway with road over the top..

[@colin.d]

Shame the Pennine Tower at Forton services couldn't be re-purposed, it is such a landmark and unique feature of the MW network.

[@andybenham9645]

It was deemed unsafe for public use due to the lack of emergency exits.

[@cjmillsnun]

It's riddled with asbestos and only has one set of stairs in the central column. Any fire in there and it's game over. It's also listed so any changes to it to make it compliant are uneconomic.

[@BarryRowlingsonBaz]

@@andybenham9645 Some "urban explorer" types got in there recently and made a KZbin video. Lots of asbestos in there....

[@ENLSN77]

Or copious amounts of asbestos

[@bobstirling6885]

@@andybenham9645 having been stuck in the lift I can verify this to be true....

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Love the original motorway signs on scaffold tube frames 😆🧱👍🏼

[@davewalker7126]

Yes the first motorway, no speed restrictions, with some cars easily reaching 60 mph

[@foxual13]

Not so easily back down to zero though. good times.

[@Gordanovich02]

Well, the car and occupants could get to zero very quickly. But only once.

[@paulalexander8874]

60 for about 3 minutes before the head gasket dissolves and leaves you somewhere outside Preston miles away from help 😂

[@bobstirling6885]

unlikely to be able to reach 60 these days....

[@paulcooper3410]

​@@bobstirling6885for very different reasons

[@gavindavies793]

1:20 pointless personal trivia: About 12 years ago my motorbike broke down at this Shell station, and a friend came to rescue me. We had to go wombling around the abandoned building complex to find an old pallet to use as a ramp to get the bike into his van.

[@thebazgaz]

My dad was born in Herbert Street, Leyland at his Aunts house, and 4 of her sisters lived with their families in the same road! My dad lives less than 100m away still, and worked at Leyland Motors for many years until he was, like literally half the town, made redundant when it eventually failed. As a town we have the commercial vehicle museum, and a festival parade in June, where a lot of old Leyland made vehicles (amongst other things) are brought out -including the Pope-mobile made for the Popes visit to the UK in the early 80's. I believe the Leyland brand is still going in India too! Id love to see a series on old British motor engineering companies, that would be wicked, sweet, awesome.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

Yes there is a truck company in India called Ashok Leyland which was a subsidiary of BL at one time. Similarly there is a company in Turkey called BMC Trucks

[@Mike-H_UK]

The residents of Charnock Richard are appalled about your omission of their favourite local highlight - the Charnock Richard Service Station - from this video. We request, nay sir, we demand, that you include footage of this in your exciting upcoming video on the proud developments of our local car industry in Leyland.

[@Matityahu755]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6Pco4qIdshroMk FFW to 10:00 mark, you're welcome.

[@mikepalmer8]

Always wondered if the locals pronouced the "d" at the end, or went for the "continental version"

[@Mike-H_UK]

@@mikepalmer8 With a "d" every time that I have heard it by a local.

[@stu.c]

Absolutely it's with a D at the end...

[@Matityahu755]

Usually pop into here if I'm headed to Scotland. I live in Lancashire now, but I usually call the place Charnock Dick. My best friend was called Richard, but he was always called Dick. So, that name stuck.

[@JohnSmith-bx8zb]

Leyland Motors first product was steam lawnmowers. The original site in Leyland moved from the center of the town north passing through Farrington up to the current DAF assembly plant. All buildings south of the assembly site were cleared and redeveloped apart from one large shed that became the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. Also Leyland Motors produced Tanks during WW2 and post war the Centurion. At the M6 junction the large stone memorial was originally sited alongside the north bound carriageway on the bridge. Sadly a couple of minor shunts and close calls got it relocated to prevent motorists trying to read it while on the M6

[@DJOllieK]

There's also a Centurion tank you can visit just by the roundabout on the A582 - Penwortham Way and Flensburg Way with the plaque 'Made In Leyland'

[@MistyTheWooshyBarge]

1:35 I work for talk talk and often find myself in buildings very much like this. same design, same parking area and specifically a very specific door. This may be a Telecoms exchange housing all the kit for local internet and phone lines.

[@PaulJeffreyJeffers]

Building behind the shell station is an old BT repeater station called old Boston .. where old analogue cables and systems where amplified on long main routes linking towns .

[@PhillHills]

Abandoned building, thats Old Boston telephone exchange, the area is now served from the nearby 'Ashton In Makerfield' (LCAIM) exchange.

[@uphollandlatic]

An additional anecdote regarding Jct 26. To the east of the motorway lay the site of my school playing fields (Abraham Guest Secondary Modern, Orrell). For years after the motorway opened. there was simply the bridge carrying the main carriageway but going over nothing. Then on a Saturday sometime in October 1968 (I think) we had turned up to play a school football match. The playing fields were some way from the school. As we were making our way to them the first boys to get there were running back shouting to our teacher, Mr Jones, 'Sir, sir, there's bulldozers all over the field!' The constructors had moved in that morning to begin work on the junction and hadn't told the school. We ended up playing the game on a small side field by the school itself. Even now when I use that junction and go round the roundabout I'm thinking to myself, 'That's where the jumping pit was' 'I scored a goal about here' etc.

[@seldom_seen_kid]

6:03 That's a yes from me 👍🏻 Spent my childhood around Atlanteans, Titans, Olympians, Leopards, Tigers and Cubs. Of the Leyland variety.

[@cfulmar]

Hi John, the abandoned building is an old Post Office Telephone (BT) Known as Old Boston exchange

[@nitehawk86]

I always find it amusing that Heinz baked beans are sold in the British section in grocery stores even in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the original home of Heinz.

[@radman8321]

Haydock Island was modified a few years ago to increase capacity, at the expense of safety. It's now a massive accident hotspot as drivers unfamiliar with the junction struggle to navigate it safely. Not even death and destruction are allowed to stand in the way of carving up the green belt for massive sheds. Thanks St. Helens Council.

[@Andy_ATB]

Sounds very similar to Switch Island..M57/M58/A59.....always seems to be accidents there.

[@Stephen_Platt]

Tbf won’t a lot of the accident count be idiots stopping dead in the middle lane of the motorway to join the stagnant queue in the left lane? I’ve been brake checked in a lorry twice by idiots doing that and I don’t even go past it at peak times that much!

[@radman8321]

@@Stephen_Platt It's not the motorway itself, it's the "hamburger roundabout" that's the problem. Getting in the right lane is extremely difficult, too many lanes, not big enough. Then there is the problem of repeater traffic lights which are positioned so as to confuse motorists that aren't familiar with the junction. Nearly every accident is caused by "people running red lights". In reality 90% of those people see a green light and think it's for them. It has always been a bad junction, but it was made worse a couple of years ago in order to "increase throughput" to facilitate the building of huge warehouses nearby.

[@thomaswilliams9730]

I went with my dad in his lorry carrying asphalt to the original Preston bypass. So this was a look back at my childhood

[@joehodgkinson9437]

You probably passed my Grandad shifting sand from the dunes by Starr Gate in his lorry

[@southcalder]

Pedant time: British Leyland wasn’t formed until 1968, so your 1958 video would have referred to vehicles from either BMC (Morris/Austin) or Rover, Triumph, Jaguar. Leyland mainly only made buses and lorries at the time.

[@christophermeiners8305]

You would do a phenomenal job of telling the history of all of the British auto makers. Though it would be much less unique than your Secrets of the Motorway series 😅

[@Sarge084]

He's going to run out of motorways soon so he needs to find another subject matter!

[@timofthomas]

Don't forget the WW2 and Cold War Leyland history - hence the Centurion tank parked on the roundabout on the A582/Penwortham Way roundabout!

[@tonners.pettitt9938]

To hear Leyland and success in the same sentence is actually nice for once! Should be proud they're still kicking

[@Dan23_7]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for mentioning us lot in little old Leyland and our history of motors. I think you can go on tours of the factory, but here we have the “British commercial museum” which you can go in and soak in a lot of our history. Cheers John, I knew you’d get to J28 eventually 😂 I wish you’d of mentioned the horrendous slip roads on the southbound side, they’ve caught many a driver out with their overly tight bends. (9:18… Preston to Lancaster I think you meant)

[@mrsinn2642]

I worked in motorway maintenance for 10 years on the M7/M8 motorway here in Ireland and hated it but yet come here and love stuff about the motorways🚘🚘

[@THELEICESTERFOX]

In the odd Annual trip to Carlisle. I always stop at Lancaster services and see the tower. Its quite unique and shame its been closed for a while. Probably cost too much to do it up. Bet its a fantastic view for miles around. I also enjoy this part of the M6 out of the bits of it. I avoid Birmingham...hate how long it goes through staffordshire but Warirngton - Carlisle - Scotland is splendid. Esepecially the bit in Cumbria when huge mountain ranges spurt up

[@SGresponse]

I always loved that Conway Twitty joke - both because it was a total non-sequitur and because I learned of his existence from it and he's pretty dam lit.

[@markharris1223]

There are still service stations operating on the German Autobahn system which have perilously short exit sliproads. One particular sliproad from a service station near Stuttgart is not only very short, but is on a steep upward slope. I once found myself on this sliproad in a Toyota Hiace. It was not a nice experience. The recent prevalence of UK motorways without hard shoulder (like in Germany) is a short-sighted and very dangerous innovation.

[@EdgyNumber1]

5:43 *LEYLAND TRUCKS* was actually one of 4 of the best bits of the British Leyland conglomerate. They were quite innovative in their engineering, and build quality was generally very good. They were the first to introduce the tilting cab for cab-forward tractor units and they made some quite powerful engines. They also created the semi-automatic gearbox for buses, the first being the Leyland National. By the way, the other most successful parts of the business were of course, Land Rover, Jaguar - though this was just about able to hang on (their suppliers caused so many big issues,) and a side hustle call BL Technologies. In fact this was the most successful of all of them. It was set up to provide comms technologies for all parts of the business but had extra capacity to sell to others. In the end I think it was sold on and eventually ended up becoming part of Marconi.

[@highpath4776]

Pretty Sure "Self-Changing Gears" predated the Leyland National.

[@iain1970]

I attended a DfT event at the control centre at Newton (it was about the roll out of Smart Motorways and why the northern M60 wouldn't be included in the scheme). The large round building that looks like a slurry tank houses the control room and all the screens for the cameras. It was pretty good in there.

[@DrivermanO]

Paccar also bought Foden when it went under in 1980, I think it was.

[@peterscotney1]

I set off the alarms at ST JOSEPH'S SEMINARY when i was exploring the place in the middle of the night...lol ....i managed to jump out of a window whilst security were in hot pursuit....i have some great pics of the inside , on one occasion i spent 6 hrs wondering around this massive building

[@seprishere]

While the Shell at J23 (or indeed the Shell near J28) are cheaper than motorway service areas, the Sainsbury's at J29 is likely to be cheaper still. There is also an unofficial service area at J31 (this is signed but only from the sliproads and the A59).

[@grahamjones5021]

North of Lancaster, you'll have the building of the M6 dissect the Lancaster Canal three times between just before Burton in Kendal services and just after Junc 36 - no consideration given to 'crossing over other means of transport', just get the concrete down....

[@broo0ose]

If you ever do the episode on British Leyland it's worth going to the British Motor Museum, where they have a fascinating and depressing infographic showing all the wonderful old British car marques that got swallowed up by BMC and then BL. How did it happen? So many reasons, WWII, poor management, lack of investment, lack of faith in British design. Probably loads of other reasons as well. I look forward to the episode.

[@almostanengineer]

I would love some videos on the British motor history, Leyland, Rover etc… would really fit in with your channel and style

[@JerryChanD]

I think it is so true to be a dedicated episode for British Leyland as I am from Hong Kong, and there are plenty of buses from Leyland and Metro Cammell. I still remember when I was a kid going to and off school between Causeway Bay and Aberdeen Hong Kong, the Leyland Victory Mark 2 with her mighty Gardner diesel engine howling inside of the tunnel, after the tunnel I can see the giant Ocean Park icon with its cable car every day. Until the day I left Hong Kong in 2020, many great British engines like Gardner still running on the Hong Kong waters, and there were many small boats still running them! Is Leyland gone? Yes and no, the masterpiece of buses, the Leyland Olympian bus set up the new standard of the 3-axle heavy buses since it was designed and manufactured in Leyland UK in 1980. Until now, Volvo still uses the fundamentals of its design til today.

[@Noel_Jaco8]

Ahh the sweet sound of the original theme music 😂

[@MrGreatplum]

Great video, John. My sister went to uni in Lancaster and the Pennine tower meant we were nearly there! Shame no one can go up there anymore!

[@David_Crayford]

Juliette Bravo outro! The Heinz 57 factory and the British Leyland factory are both worthy of a video. As baked beans are sometimes sold in service stations, there still is a link to motorways.

[@skapunkno1]

Juliet Bravo? Yes! thank you, it was driving me insane. 🤗

[@dieselfox]

Wouldn't be Sunday without John

[@GamMngitSssEmoTionaL5953]

😂 I said to myself when I seen your comment its not Sunday its Saturday mate 🤦‍♂️ pulled down on phones UI for date time and its Sunday 😂🤦‍♂️ just one of them weekends where lost a day the joys hee a nice day mate 😂

[@Tylan_the_gamer]

theres a simular "bridge over nothing" on the A27 in west sussex near Arundel, where there were plans to continue the dual carriageway section of the road further. theres even ghost sliproads still in place leading forwards into a dead end simular to the northern end if the M23. I believe there are plans to revive the extention as part of the Arundel bypass project.

[@PineappleSkip]

Particularly loved the flashback to Secrets of the Motorway 1958. I did think of alternative less charitable scripts about various things your British Leyland might do “with no speed limits”, all of which ended in tears. Yes please to the Secrets of British Leyland and its predecessors. Mr father can provide entertaining material regarding an asthmatic Austin A40 which failed every test of quality until it bit the dust in the 1950s. He then bought another mechanical shambles in the form of an Austin Lancer. That escapade also ended in tears.

[@AutoShenanigans]

He obviously didn't learn his lesson the first time around! Thanks mate!

[@RexRaces]

I very much look forward to part 4. (Excited Cumbrian)

[@ispi_video_photo]

A couple of mates and myself did a roadtrip back in1987. We stopped off at Forton Sevices and decided to take a peek inside the tower part. It was full of truckers, and Only Fools And Horses was on the TV. Oooh the excitement...

[@Mike-H_UK]

Luvvly jubbly!!!!

[@tonypomfret783]

As a schoolboy living in Blackburn and with a transport mad Father, I vividly remember us taking the then new motorway from one end to the other the week it opened! Dad’s car was a 1936 Daimler Light 15, top speed left hand lane only………..

[@stepheneyles2198]

8:23 - surely the driver of Harold MacMillan's car was the first person to travel on the motorway? oh, and the passenger next to him! Mr MacMillan seems to be in the back row of the car, so he's well behind the first!! PS: Loved the Movietone News style section - we need more of this! ;-)

[@auldfouter8661]

I remember visiting Mr Stevie Catterall at Lostock Fold Farm nr Bamber Bridge to buy some of his British Friesian cattle as he was retiring from his small farm. He kept hens and operated a milk round in Leyland. He only milked 12 cows in his herd and the interesting thing was that all the cows were of one family called the Beaulahs. They were all descended from a cow called Hoole Beaulah and he got up to the name Cuerden Beaulah 123rd in his herd. He told me about first driving on the Preston bypass with his wife , and having to pull into a garage due to the alarming road noise they were experiencing. There was actually nothing wrong with his car , he just hadn't driven on a road made of concrete sections before.

[@billybean8859]

Another superb instalment from John keeping fast paced and engaging as always…..but no “photo bomber” spoiling the video…..never mind See you next week John

[@Stephens8x6Workshop]

junction 28 (Leyland) is the only junction to exit onto a B road (as far as I am aware). It was originally planned to exit onto the A49 a few hundred yards south where the Shell station is now but Leyland Truck and Bus (as it was known then) somehow persuaded the powers that be to re-route the junction to the B5256 as it was more convenient for them.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

Junctions 39 and 41 of the M6 are both on B roads as is partially J38 too

[@Stephens8x6Workshop]

@@pedanticradiator1491 Thanks for the info mate. I use those junctions a lot and never even noticed (ha ha). All the best.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

​@@Stephens8x6Workshop Junction 39 (Shap) is actually signposted as (A6) but the road is actually the B6261 possibly the only primary stretch of B road in the country

[@seaspirit5087]

Really like your videos turning what would be a dry subject into an interesting subject full of places to visit. When traveling watch a video to learn about the motorway and share knowledge making a journey so much more enjoyable. Real blast from the past Juliet Bravo 🚨

[@Zeem4]

7:12 Small nitpick: British Leyland didn't exist in 1958, it was still the British Motor Corporation (BMC) at the time.

[@SebsTruckStop]

I love these, I watch them in the evenings whilst eating dinner

[@Stephen_Platt]

Watching this again a year or so on and still get unnecessarily excited at 8:50 as you can see my workplace (James Hall/SPAR distribution centre) in the top left corner of the screen!

[@stevenmoran4060]

Yes, more on Leyland motor’s please. There still is the high speed test track there with its banked corners.

[@Stephen_The_Waxing_Lyricist]

Love this series, which is why I decided to be wicked sweet awesome and subscribe. When you eventually run out of motorways, might I suggest a topic for the next series? Ring roads! Coventry's is short with 9 junctions, and no two junctions are laid out the same! Also, some junctions have some lovely murals underneath them

[@iantrembirth6918]

Then there's the Nottingham Ring Road that doesn't go all the way around the city.

[@qtnet_lee42069]

Yeah great idea ring roads are good, m.youtube.com/@JohnAtkinsLostNorwich has a great video about Norwich ring road

[@MrBreadman1966]

There is also the Leeds ring road that also fails to go right around the said city....so yes a series about ring roads would make a great series!

[@David_D.]

Jon, just to the west of Junction 27 is Wrightington Hospital where Sir John Charnley pioneered the artificial hip replacement in 1962. It still remains a centre of excellence in orthopaedic surgery.

[@rockerjim8045]

secrets of the Artificial Hip

[@David_D.]

@@rockerjim8045 😁😁

[@kierangrasby5728]

Heck yes to a video about British Leyland.

[@peterburgess5974]

Very nostalgic. I grew up in the Ribble Valley. Back in the day, as a young member of the RAF, my father was one of the first of his peers to own a car. By all accounts he used to load up the car with a bunch of mates and go for 'nights out' at either Forton or Charnock Richard's service stations incorporating a high speed run on the new 'by-pass'. I guess for that short window he took full advantage of a lack of speed restrictions. From my point in the 1980s we would often go on walking excursions from school (Clitheroe Royal Grammar School). These day walks often included trips to the Lake District and a visit to Forton Services was included on the way back. Dudley Green, the teacher who used to enthusiastically lead us, was the member of staff in charge and as a result Forton/Lancaster services is forever known as Dud's Caff! Power to you!

[@jimmycburfield5997]

These videos are actually nothing short of utter genius!!!!!

[@SiRhodesDriverTraining]

The Highway Depot at the beginning is also the Regional Control Centre for National Highways. I’ve been for a tour, they have all the screens watching the CCTV cameras, it’s like a cinema but real time. Also home to the North West Motorway Police that are a combined group of Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester Police. Gathurst Viaduct had a tragedy once when a truck went through and over the edge after an accident.

[@QuarrybankSecretary]

The Pennine Tower as a truck stop cafe was a good place to eat with great views but the price increases drove the customers away 🤷‍♂️

[@Hairysnid]

I live in Lancaster and have never been up the Pennine tower. I believe its a listed building now so hopefully one day we may see it open again. I'd love to see a Austin/Morris/BMC/BL/Austin Rover/ Rover Group/MG Rover video!

[@nowster]

Sadly it possibly will never open again as the only accessible exit is the (curiously shaped) lift. It's a fire safety problem.

[@andrewholland990]

I have been up the Pennine tower at Forton Services in the days the motorway stopped at Carnforth. It must have been in the 1960s. It was to the roof top not the restaurant. Looking at the antenna farm on the roof top I would guess the internal space is now filled with equipment racks.

[@johnponter1486]

Should've worn a period costume during your 1958 piece, made me laugh though.

[@petro1986]

Looking forward to part 4 and you covering the old layout of Junction 34! So much mad scrabbling to get up to speed on the north bound slip road (where it's now sitting there slowly getting grown over)

[@rogerduerden373]

Ah - the Juliet Bravo theme! A fond childhood memory of mine.

[@Sarge084]

Nice advert for Downton's... and while we're on the subject, I used to drive for them!

[@AlpakaWhacker]

It really is amazing the sheer number of incomplete roads across the UK. Some probably best that they were never completed and others where they probably should have been completed

[@Colin_Pole]

Fun fact . . . Many outside scenes for Juliet Bravo were filmed in Bacup, Lancashire.

[@sarahpuddleduck7156]

Thank you - I could not place the theme at all but then it was many many years ago 😂

[@paulsengupta971]

With a Bacup camera?

[@BrucieNZ]

The waving at the end always makes me smile 😂

[@piggybakkers]

Leyland Trucks were sold off in 1987 to the Dutch company DAF Trucks not then owned by Paccar. It became Leyland DAF. After going into receivership in 93 the group was split up and it re-emerged under the ownership of Paccar.

[@markm-ci6rj]

Came here to say this but got beaten to it, although I am sure it was 1996 not 93 but doesn't really matter. I think the bus division was taken over by Volvo while trucks went to Paccard.

[@svalomat]

This is so relieving after listening Not Just Bikes' manipulative speech... :D

[@paulmorris9081]

As ever, John, top educational learning facilities provided here. Your Scotland miniseries - aside from the eviseration of place names - was brilliant and built on your wider collection of videos. It was very enjoyable hearing about part 3 of the M6 series. Looking forward to next week's instalment!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Nice one, thanks for watching!

[@markparsons2864]

Blimey, the JB theme tune certainly brings back happy memories 😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@VaderMonkeyGaming]

As a Leyland lad (all 40+ Years of my existence), I am proud of my town (regardless of its historical questionable business management of its motor industry). From an industrial motor building town it's become more of a commuter base because of its marginally improved road network. I'm glad that it's be acknowledged in your video as I often get the feeling that the town is over looked by visitors from outside of the area. I love that fact that you've emphasised the facts about Leyland's historical motor industry and highlighted the towns identity. I've been watching your Secrets of the Motorway vid's since you started and every episode you don't disappoint. Excellent work!!

[@jacksonmahr8915]

I think Ive seen graffiti schematics of that junction at Preston Bypass (8:43) at bus stops, car parks and public toilets

[@tweaker1968]

Classic Jon.... Your stuff just keeps getting better..... Greetings from South Florida....

[@dodgydruid]

Leyland still operates in India making trucks and buses, Unipart is also going extremely well after being spun off a while back. Remember too that British Leyland didn't just furnish Britain with its vehicles but had good markets in Europe and a closed shop monopoly in many a former colony. See back in the old days, you couldn't go and sell in a British colony which peeved immensely the Americans as it happened, so what you had to do if you were a European or American company was open up a complete operation in the UK which in turn granted you the ability to sell within the empire and later commonwealth hence why GM bought Vauxhall and Ford US built Dagenham the latter becoming almost equal to Ford US corporate, Ford UK used Hyundai to sell Ford UK cars to much of Asia and Leyland also sold a Marina kit with Hyundai who was knocking out Hyundai Cortina's alongside Marina slopebacks. The Hyundai Stellar was the last use of the humble British Cortina base and the Hyundai Coupe the first one was allegedly based on the body pan of a MK3 Escort. As it happens all them petrolheads stateside who get misty eyed over a Fox body Ford Mustang... guess what is underneath...? A MK3 UK design Ford Escort... However a British marque still lives today in millions of cars, the good old Maestro body shell is used today in China because the Maestro was so ahead of its game its still very good in today's cars.

[@k.r.baylor8825]

Unipart is still sold in the US for some replacement MGB parts, mostly in the fuel system, to my surprise. A lot of the once BL-specific spares are now privately manufactured in China/Taiwan for Moss Motors. who keeps the pre-1981 MG marque running in the States.

[@pedanticradiator1491]

There is also a BMC truck company in Turkey

[@OverDriveOnline7921]

One thing you could have mentioned about the Preston Bypass was that it was used to test the Jaguar e-type, driving test cars up to the bypass and then running them flat out to make sure the car could take the stress of racing. This was also done at night so there was less traffic around. Some reports even said they did this while the bypass was still under construction, allowing the builders to make sure the surface would perform for cars traveling at speed.

[@peterhurst]

Thought that was the M1

[@OverDriveOnline7921]

@@peterhurst moo, that was Rover on the M1 with the P6

[@robinwells8879]

That abandoned building has a telephone exchange vibe going on.

[@dan2oo5]

It was

[@samr5043]

The best bit of Secrets of the Motorway for me, having grown up 10 minutes from Junction 31. Up until I moved in 2020, I could've counted on one hand the number of times I actually drove OVER J31 without leaving or joining the motorway there.

[@rechnin6680]

Juliet Bravo!

[@DavidRGray]

The Family Guy Conway cut was rather superb. Congrats.

[@andrewjones-productions]

Loved the 'Juliet Bravo' theme song at the end.

[@ianwilson2631]

Please do a British Leyland piece. My Dad was a lorry driver for many years and his company always had BL vehicles. Went to the BL commercial museum quite a few years ago and really enjoyed the place.

[@k.r.baylor8825]

Perhaps just an episode visiting the BL museum and interspersing it with Jon's trenchant commentary about BL's demise.

[@jimmythejock4376]

I remember going up the Pennine tower with my dad in the 70s. He was a lorry driver and I was fascinated with the tower, in fact I still am.

[@chrisatye]

‘Juliet Bravo’? I’m sure there’s a reason, but whatever - love it!