1980s Lorries | London Roads | London Traffic | Traffic Jams | 1980s Cars | TN-SL-014-026.

[@garrywilson7465]

In that Carlsberg Truck is my Dad...thank you for putting this up..watched it constantly now...

[@daleHarrison93]

really? howd u no haha and what year was this roughly

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

*AT THE EARLIEST* 1st August 1984. (B reg lorry about 30 seconds before the end of the video suggests this).

[@garrywilson7465]

@@daleHarrison93 really...how do i know...!!!...ffs man

[@stevedawson256]

Lorry driver in a collar and tie , don't see that anymore

[@richardbaker1782]

I’m guessing this is late 1984 (a green truck has a B-reg).

[@emmetdonnelly2072]

Yeah early or mid 80s

[@richardbaker1782]

@@emmetdonnelly2072Definitely no earlier than August 1984, as that’s when the B-reg number plates were first issued.

[@LukeSkywalker-uu2us]

Dully hazy winter day but no one has lights on. Even side lights were "unnecessary". Single Peugeot driver bother to switch them on. Driving school car didn't.

[@emmetdonnelly2072]

Yeah driving with lights on in these conditions really only past 20 years. Probably cars having auto light functions started that.

[@andynixon2820]

The traffic fumes used to have a distinct sweet smell that's now gone - burnt leaded four star fuel and two stroke from motorbikes . Also more diesel smoke from rattly old buses , taxi's and lorries . Makes me feel nostalgic but glad the world's cleaner place now , can you imagine all that lead in the air ? .

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

Just a few months ago there was a B-reg Vauxhall Cavalier stopped at some traffic lights and I walked past. It had the characteristic hot, acrid, oily smell all cars used to have. I'd forgotten cars used to smell like that and it brought back memories, particularly of boarding coaches at school and getting the same smell near the door. I also remember seeing small rainbow puddles of leaked petrol on the ground next to parked cars. None of that happens anymore.

[@mounirsarhane8476]

i did smell that sweet smell in morocco until around 2015

[@recycleman975]

good old days

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

Did the sun ever shine just once during the 1980s? Because almost literally every piece of archive footage I've seen from the 80s is grey and overcast like this.

[@mounirsarhane8476]

Looks like there was to much polution to see the sun😂

[@davidfreesefan23]

In which section(s) of London was this filmed?

[@europa2000man]

This must have been filmed before the whole of the M25 was complete. Back at that time (if its around 1984 or 1985), many lorry drivers (especially Irish drivers) going to Dover or Folkstone to catch the ferry to France or Belgium would have had to drive through London. You can see an Irish lorry driver going through London enroute to Rome with hanging beef to get to Dover for the ferry in the RTE documentary 'All Roads Lead To Rome'.

[@stevestace3921]

I suspect this was filmed around 1985/86 as there are road signs indicating overnight lorry ban for vehicles over 16.5 tonnes, and some lorries have the GLC exempt vehicle plate fixed on the front of the cab. The GLC (Greater London council) introduced the scheme in that time. The M25 was fully completed in 1986.

[@johnsykes2125]

Great video

[@Private-gy8nk]

Use to hate driving round the north circular but you had no choice as the M25 wasnt up & running yet. Now i hate driving round the M25..

[@johndunley4071]

Christie Tyler Bedford with a cambria mobel on the back ,South Wales based firm done a lot of work for them with w Jones removals this would be 1980,s

[@Hertfordshire247]

A year would've been nice.

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

*AT THE EARLIEST* 1st August 1984. (B reg lorry about 30 seconds before end of film suggests this).

[@Hertfordshire247]

@@letsdiscussitoversometea8479 That would imply I need some knowledge on numberplate rules I.E. How the DVLA operated in the year 1984 when I was being created in some Odeon in Watford dear-heart.

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

Ha ha! 😊 It's a shame they don't always include date codes before the film cycles on this channel. Generally, I tend to look at the makes and models of cars on the roads, the fashions, and hairstyles. Usually right within about one year.

[@Hertfordshire247]

@@letsdiscussitoversometea8479 2000 onwards, not an issue but then that's cheating 'cause as you know, as a general rule, give or take a year here or there, the year number is in there, for some reason I always thought SBW 356A as an example is 1980 as A represented restart of the alphabet. Am I a bit right or, am I talking complete bolluks.

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

Hertfordshire247 no, a number plate that _ends_ in 'A' (such as the one you gave, would be dated Feb. 1962 to Dec. 1962. For the next several years, it cycled Jan. to Dec. of each respective year per *suffixed* letter code (B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J etc.), until (somehow) it got to Aug. of year 1, to Jul. of year 2, right up to 'Y' reg, which was Aug. 82 to Jul. 83. Then they moved the letter to the FRONT (prefix) from Aug. 83 - up until (I _think)_ 'S' or 'T' reg if memory serves correctly. That was Mar. to Aug., then followed by Sep. to Feb. That carried on to 'Y' reg, then 51,02,52,03,53 etc., right up to 69,20,70 that we have now. I used to read Parkers car price guides/classic car price guides which had this information - ALOT. Probably why I never forgot it!