The Story of Swindon's Magic Roundabout - The First In the UK - What's So Magical About It?

[@andrewsimpson4685]

"My KZbin demographic data tells me I don't need to tell you lot what the Magic Roundabout is." I have never felt more seen - thank you.

[@FlyingDarkLord]

Same! 😂

[@MarkFraserWeather]

He's not trying to say we're slightly old or something is he?

[@stuartd9741]

I'm not old! Cough cough grange hill.

[@citizenlost]

Well I don't remember the magic roundabout, but apparently I fit in this demographic?!

[@jonc4403]

The Americans, of course, have no idea what you're even talking about. I mean, we've heard of the intersection, but until today I had no idea the TV show even existed, and have definitely never seen it. The intersection, of course, is the sort of thing that would terrify most of us. Roundabouts aren't common here, and while the regular ones don't bother me at all (I like not having to stop or wait for a light) the last time my girlfriend was in the car when I went around one she absolutely panicked. There was screaming while going through it, followed by at least ten minutes of complaining that it existed.

[@DukeofEarl1961]

I used to work just up the road from the Magic Roundabout for the European Division of a US company. US visitors often picked up hire cars from the office, so we had drivers who were in a manual (stick shift) for the first time, driving on the left hand side, and in those days had no concept of even a simple roundabout, let alone a Magic one. Always looked forward to hearing what happened after they left the office!

[@bengolding1551]

This is excellent. I'd have love to have seen the panic.

[@michaelwootton6486]

Was this AMC? They had some form of depot in Malvern Road and remember watching a Pacer pulling out of Malvern Road into Cricklade Road.

[@RogersRamblings]

Plenty of entertainment I'd guess.

[@karmachameleon326]

Yeah, I can see that. American here, lived in the UK for a couple of years, so I got used to roundabouts. Still, I had to pause this video and stare at this monstrosity for several minutes before I figured out what was going on. Actually, not completely sure that I have figured it out, to be honest.

[@vanderfleet-martin]

I can’t imagine Americans handling that. I live in the US and they can’t even properly design a regular one. There is one near me where on some of the inlets the cars in the roundabout have priority and on the others cars entering the roundabout have priority. It is the most messed up thing I have ever seen.

[@petersketch9467]

I live a few streets away from it. It's great. People who remember the old roundabout tell me it had a bad accident record because people would try to take it too fast while they were on it, while people who'd got frustrated queuing to get onto it would try to dart out into non-existent gaps. What really helps the Magic Roundabout avoid accidents is that very few people are confident that they fully understand it and everyone knows the chances of meeting someone who's confused and terrified are quite high, so everyone slows down. Even the boy racers. The trick is simple - just treat it as a series of mini-roundabouts and ignore the fact there's a circle thing in the middle.

[@T_Perkins]

Scared I was a few months ago upon a visit but the general Aggy nature of road users was moot and I felt fine. Maybe the fact it's got celebrity status makes people forgiving rather than being iron fisted at the imaginator of such a crazy design and thus taking their frustration of such imbecile rules out on other motorists. 'humpf. I don't like it but it's unique. At least it's not everywhere ' Several quibbles. It's not lit. The lines are crap. If you haven't used it before, do it in daylight first a couple times. If you have no clue and it's dark then your screwed. Maybe.

[@sjsupa]

I was one of those confused, terrified and frustrated. Well, I am an American driving there.

[@siwi666]

Hilarious. Let's build bigger and bigger roundabouts. Should solve everything.

[@malawidouglas6464]

I always drove through it swiftly on my daily commute. If others were being slow on one part of the magic roundabout I would just select a different route through it.

[@cochazza]

If that was the side intent then it seems to work perfectly. The horizontal signals help to disorient the driver (straight arrows pointing straight to the road divider in front of them???) so they end up basically navigating it as it was a giant 5 way junction but at parking lot speed😅

[@alanmark8345]

Very similar design in my hometown of Hemel Hempstead too. No issues with using it, even as a learner driver. Great traffic flow and I can't ever remember any accidents.

[@McGrory69]

I remember the first time i came down from Glasgow in 1992 to work at the Mount prison in Bovingdon and i got to that roundabout thinking WTF is this !!! was a Sunday afternoon so thankfully not that busy.

[@m1ndy9876]

Yeh I did my test on Swindon's. Its really not hard. It looked fucking insane but it's not.

[@ChuckFickens1972]

Also similar to one near me in Colchester, Essex.

[@timwilks666]

The Hemel one makes a lot more sense 'cos the central island is raised and grassed over. The Swindon one just looks like the line-marking man was off his tits in a big car-park.

[@susaneb1954]

Had to leave M1 at Hemel due to smoke from Buncefield fire, came across the roundabout without a clue of how to deal with it. Signs and road markings all good and I was on my way home the pretty route.

[@KeyboardsGray]

"There's always one dickhead who spoils it for the rest of us" - so true, so funny. I love your humour Jon, it never fails to crack me up!

[@k.r.baylor8825]

Truly one of the most terrifying experiences I had on English roads during my 2010 UK visit was when I was driving through Swindon and mistakenly encountered this traffic oddity. When I arrived in the city, I was praying to myself, driving these unknown streets muttering, "Please don't take me to the Magic Roundabout...please don't take me to the Magic Roundabout...please don't take me to the Magic-- *CRAP."* I somehow made it half-way around until I saw the M5 sign and promptly exited that morass of circling cars, heading back to the motorway to try my Swindon entrance again. I am a North American driver who was having a hard enough time driving on the left side of the road, let alone trying to do that _and_ steering madly around a moving parking lot. I have never been back to Swindon.

[@melissanewton7462]

Another crap US driver then.

[@AFCManUk]

That bloody roundabout! When I was a small kid we passed through Swindon on our holiday one year. On the approach to it, my neighbour who was driving told me to look out for The Magic Roundabout. Me, not having a clue what he meant, thought it was going to be a fun-fair style ride in the middle of a huge grassy roundabout. Imagine my massive disappointment... On another trip, he told me to look out for a White Lion (A chalk one on a hillside somewhere). Me, not realising that, thought he'd said a 'White Line', so I spent a good hour with my eyes glued to the road surface, looking for a really long White Line in the middle of the road!! I really was so naive!

[@domt6802]

It's a white horse anyway so you'd never of spotted it

[@AFCManUk]

@@domt6802 Oh, this wasn't Uffington or Westbury, it was on a different trip and I think we were probably going past Whipsnade at the time, lol.

[@AFCManUk]

@@NormanCollier-nf7nu Thanks, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass on those. Now, where do I go to Vote for Labour...

[@hairyairey]

@@AFCManUk I am really confused how voting for Labour comes into this thread!

[@AFCManUk]

@@hairyairey I was just saying, I wasn't stupid enough to fall for the offer of 'Magic Beans' but still stupid enough to vote for Labour. Just an attempt at satire. Didn't work, obviously. Never mind.

[@jamesrichardson476]

The British version of the Magic Roundabout was created by Eric Thompson, father of the actresses Sophie and (more famously) Emma Thompson. Apparently he watched the original French (Serge Danot) creation of the show with the sound turned down and wrote his own stories to fit what he saw as being correct for the images. Like you, I suspect some serious hallucinogens were involved and I want them :)

[@noggintube]

Yeah apparently the BBC rejected the cost of translating the show, and since no one spoke French he simply re-wrote a story as you say. Once I knew this it made sense why the whole thing was completely bonkers.

[@Imswag085]

The 2005 film: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHKUYXZ4Z9ubi8ksi=MzO5JZzmgbiBf_72

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

Typical BBC. They get a hit show despite messing everything about it up. The devil looks after his own.

[@barneypaws4883]

Watch it drunk. Trust me!

[@smogmonster1876]

It’s typically French.

[@patrickcooper7066]

"some very good drugs involved in it's creation." frankly sounds like it could be applied to the junction as well

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

Funnily enough it's a French production and , in French, is a bog standard kiddies show. The English version was a piss take because the chap couldn't be arsed to get it translated so made it up as he went along. Quite successfully too. Watching it stoned was fun, whilst tripping, not so much

[@RogersRamblings]

@@I_Don_t_want_a_handle Jasper Carrot did an excellent spoof - adults only.

[@mrrandomperson3106]

I'd say the people behind Teletubbies, Boohbah and In The Night Garden are the REAL drug users in the world of children's television.

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

@@RogersRamblings off to bed said Zebedee.

[@RogersRamblings]

@@I_Don_t_want_a_handleBoooiiinnnggg.

[@flickthenick]

I see the council needs to invest in some white dulux, the road markings show some signs of wear...

[@KevinKitten]

And perhaps some greenery: it's looking very concrete compared to the old pictures.

[@smike9884]

@@KevinKitten Shrubs would reduce visibility.

[@5688gamble]

​@@smike9884Be a shame if someone spoiled the"pedestrian hostile, car dependent dystopia" aesthetic slightly with some plants, be shame, yuck. Nature!

[@TheMoosekeeper]

I suspect the markings have worn away prematurely as very many drivers either ignore the lane marking or are unsure which lane to actually choose and flip flap between lanes. That said, it works remarkably well and I actually enjoy the fact that if one route across is busy, you have other options to avoid the traffic which us very satisfying 😆

[@RamshakleRetro]

Love this junction. People are so scared but locals gave me great advice, JUST LOOK RIGHT. I like taking passengers "backwards" round it

[@robertkeddie]

The theme tune from "The Magic Roundabout" was my first encounter with an earworm - when I was a boy I was tormented by the idea that it MIGHT NEVER EVER STOP. Thanks, Jon. 😒

[@Assimilator1]

🤣

[@johnsbox]

Thanks for filming this, from my hometown. It is one of the few tourist attractions!

[@WagnerGimenes]

That truck at 2:54 pulling up in front of the blue car is the content I keep coming back for! Thanks Jon 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@stanley3647]

It is tricky - because trucker enter mini roundabout well before passenger car. Only problem is lenght of vehicle. Rules say: give priority to traffic approaching from your right. Passenger car was way far behind, still on previous island when HGV decided to go. Another rule explain this behavior: Rule 190: Multiple roundabouts. At some complex junctions, there may be a series of mini-roundabouts at each intersection. Treat each mini-roundabout separately and follow the normal rules. When truck is already on circle before car arrive - has to go. And car need to wait and let him finish. It is not pretty manuveur but this is how mini roundabout works. Always let someone to finish before enter. And only enter when is a "enough" gap. Otherwise we all stuck there.

[@pennywood5653]

It's accepted on the Magic Roundabout. Everyone gives the big vehicles time as they'd just be sat there all day. Even the German saloon drivers and traditional dickheads of the highway slow down.

[@dougfarnan8601]

The truck only has to give way to traffic "circulating on the carriageway of the roundabout" so they've done nothing wrong.

[@WagnerGimenes]

@@pennywood5653 That's a first 🤣

[@PeteMcCrea]

And I’m pretty sure that WTTL are an HGV training company. So chances are the driver of that vehicle could quite possibly have never driven an artic till 8am that morning, then be faced with the Magic roundabout in a 40t artic…..

[@kendoyle]

The one at Greenstead Roundabout in Colchester massively improved traffic flow in the 90s over the traffic light controlled roundabout. Based on the time my school bus got in anyway.

[@david_harvey]

Doesn't work now!

[@kendoyle]

@@david_harvey cheers for the update. Not been that way for a good few years. Sorry to hear the traffic is more borked now.

[@Sarge084]

As a fresh faced airman in the RAF I was picked out by my Flight Sargent to be his driver, which meant driving the lead Land Rover of a convoy. We were to drive from RAF Brize Norton to Salisbury Plain, and if you know the area you'll know that the optimum route is through Swindon, and you've guessed it, right through the Magic Roundabout! I nearly shit a conker when I saw what we were approaching, I had visions of a convoy of Land Rovers lost going round and round the roundabout forever, but my Flt Sgt allayed my fears and told me we were taking the first exit off the roundabout.

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

See you in High Wycombe or Hemel Hempstead for the next exciting episode of "All the Magic Roundabouts" 😀

[@buddy19134]

that bloody Plough roundabout in Hemel. would work so much better if people READ THE DAMN ROAD MARKINGS

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

@@buddy19134The last time I encountered it was diverting round a closure of the M25. Another road closure on the same journey meant I ended up on the A404 where it crosses the A40 - at Wycombe's Magic Roundabout!

[@craig77]

Time to get to High Wycombe now. There’s is slightly bigger but seems to function in a similar manner. Be good to see an episode on that.

[@ihathtelekinesis]

How about also including the Tesco Value version in Aylesbury?

[@markfoxwell2411]

The A40 junction 1 m40 at Denham is also a version of this.

[@mikelastname]

I came upon this unexpectedly while undertaking a self guided tour of Swindon (Actually my first go at trying to drive from the Research Councils to the M4 in the pre-satnav days) and I was already totally befuddled so this intersection totally confused me but it did show the way to the M4 so I was astounded, amused and relieved once I was safely onto the A4312. I took a phot of it for the folks back home as no-one believed me it existed.

[@RosaliePacheco]

I’m American but my grandparents are British and live near this round about. I went to stay with them for a couple months last year. Everyday, I was like Jesus take the wheel 😆 Found it easier to navigate in rush hour because things were so slow moving.

[@mikelastname]

@@RosaliePacheco I'm from down under so I at least had experience driving in the right seat - sitting on the "wrong" side of the car trying to navigate this would have been very "exciting"

[@JohnSmithShields]

There is a distinct lack of Jasper Carrott in this video. Otherwise, brilliant as always.

[@loddude5706]

Understandable really, - "Boing', said KZbin!" - but you are right : )

[@colinhead284]

I wonder if florence is a virgin ???

[@organickevinlondon]

I half expected Jon to do a lap of honour around the magic roundabout on a funky moped.

[@TheMovieLoft]

B side to funky moped, time for bed said zebedee Florence and dougal

[@dutypaidrock]

Lousy old fleabag...

[@deanfarrimond7543]

As the person who always comments on the railway content in your videos. I feel a mini series called “200 reasons dr beeching is a cu*t” would be interesting. Genuine suggestion btw.

[@DigitalDiabloUK]

I love the drone shots where you can see the most common paths folks take from the colour of the tarmac.

[@SurgeDashcam]

I love how the paths of clear road made in the road grime and grit shows the most used routes through the roundabout. Kinda interesting to see.

[@andyhydes1982]

Watching traffic on that roundabout is quite hypnotic! Very clever design.

[@chrisblay]

The Magic Roundabout music at the end is like travelling back in time.

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

As an Australian, I've made special note when on holidays in the UK to go nowhere near that roundabout. It looks terrifying if you aren't familiar with it.

[@Equiluxe1]

I went round that in 74, ever since I have never been back to Swindon.

[@ashliehiggins]

As someone who goes weekly, you've made a great decision.

[@mattd6085]

That's the magic of the roundabout!

[@davidjohnson00001]

A result! That will keep the traffic levels down.

[@-Benedict]

Don't worry, you're not missing anything.

[@melissanewton7462]

Sounds like your one of these many bad drivers then, many who like to be in front no matter what the road markings say!

[@revwpitt2347]

I think most folk in Swindon love the Magic Roundabout but I used to work with a lady whose obvious route to work involved negotiating the roundabout. She was so scared of using it she would take any route to and from work which avoided it...... adding miles to her journey. 🙂

[@billwinward9324]

For a while it was also known as the Silly[sic]Isles but the Magic Roundabout stuck with the locals and when the council started to put nameplates on roundabout signs, lo and behold, it became official.

[@TurboTimsWorld]

Did my driving test across it and drove for about 15yrs over it daily, I did have 1 near miss on it, I was driving a Dynorod Red (Day glow red) with all the flashing lights on brake down truck with a van on the spec lift on the back and someone in the left hand lane tried to turn right into the gap of the spec lift, luckily we both managed to stop in time and he reversed out of the gap!

[@johnlewan1114]

That gave me a flashback to Chevy Chase in European vacation (look kids there's Parliament). Over here in America we only have small roundabouts, so I like to take a few laps just to see the looks on peoples faces. Priceless! Thanks for another wicked sweet awesome video.

[@DaveVespa]

We used to have a 4 roundabout version just down the road called Bruce Street roundabouts. That's been replaced by a big roundabout with some lights. I prefer the new layout but lots of people don't. There's also 2, 2 roundabout junctions, 1 of with has been replaced by a set of lights. Not so sure on that one. The one that's replaced by lights is the moon raker junction. The one that's still there is between Pinehurst road, Whitworth road and crossways road. I used to call it the mickey mouse junction due to a fancy hedge that isn't there any more.

[@nirgunapa56]

We always used to refer to the one in Hemel Hempstead as The Magic Roundabout which has six mini roundabouts. Fascinating history. Thank you.

[@Smithy67]

More of these oddities please!

[@mfcrocker]

If you grew up in Swindon, the Magic Roundabout is almost certainly part of your driving test because hey, you're gonna need to know how to take it! It's funny, it looks super complicated if you've never dealt with it before but if you basically just point in the right direction and give way to the right it just sort of... works.

[@andymoss]

I bought my first road legal motorbike in Swindon in the late 80’s when I was based at Shrivenham. Going round that thing for the first time was interesting to say the least!

[@julianlangdon3456]

the Test Centre's out of town now, in Peatmoor

[@1024sofia]

its not used on tests anymore

[@misterbridger]

Many years ago I used to commute through High Wycombe every day, and used the A40/A404 multiple roundabouts. It was fun trying to work out whether to go clockwise or anti-clockwise to get through quickest.

[@stevec00ps]

The Sadlers Farm roundabout in Pitsea, Essex was similar, but a bit bigger, with proper sized roundabout in the middle and the mini roundabouts were not just painted on. So many people couldn't cope with it they eventually (about 2012) made it just one big roundabout with a few extra lanes dotted here and there.

[@david_harvey]

It's still a mess as the traffic lights are normally out of sequence, and Canvey Way tailbacks block it in the evening

[@sleepyrabbit1446]

Thank you for including the clips and using the theme tune from my favourite TV show in such an appropriate way.

[@andywindy]

I live in Basingstoke (There, I've admitted it in public!), and during the 70s and 80s this was known as 'Doughnut City'. Consequently when I first started to drive to and through Swindon in 1980, The Magic Roundabout came as a magical and most pleasant surprise. I discovered the one in Hemel Hempstead shortly after and managed to cause one heck of a traffic jam there when the engine of my company van gave up halfway around it in the centre section. At 16.50, on a Thursday, right outside what was then Kodak UK's Headquarters! As I said to the Nice Traffic Policemen who attended the resulting snarl-up, "It's a Ford with only 27000 miles on it, what did you expect?"

[@carosel43]

I have the High Wycombe and Hemel Hempstead versions of this in my local area. I had to navigate the HW example twice on my driving test!

[@lapiswake6583]

I haven't been to Swindon, but I have driven the magic roundabout in High Wycombe several times. Although, it is formed of 5 small roundabouts instead of mini roundabouts, is signed as a group of 3 roundabouts and a group of 2 roundabouts, only has 2 lanes on/off/around each, and the central island is huge and not round.

[@ridefast0]

Love it! It was including in my driving test in 1977 and I quickly learned that there are good options for overtaking, avoiding snarl-ups etc through the roundabout. Basically a big open space with a few ignorable lines painted.

[@melissanewton7462]

Ignorable signs? Failed!

[@kiwitrainguy]

No, ignorable lines, but probably still a fail.@@melissanewton7462

[@ozbolli]

Your videos are the best for me man. You're one of very few people on here that can hold my attention long enough!

[@ozbolli]

It's probably the ADHD in me lol

[@sarac2609]

As an 80s child I grew up on The Magic Roundabout and very nearly joined the campaign to keep the name when they tried to turn it back to the Counties thing in the early 00s. Thankfully the British sense of humour prevailed and it kept its affectionate name. I believe there are two more magic roundabouts in England so the concept is definitely proven to work when needed.

[@gazzaman28]

If I ever make it to Swindon (just a pipedream right now!) then I'd like to drive round the middle bit in an anticlockwise direction, which definitely appears to be possible.

[@RCbeastly]

Loving the Lo-Fi Magic Roundabout music - takes me back t the '70's.

[@skraagthedestroyer]

The one in Hemel Hempstead is amazing, I love it! Between 2002 and 2004 I used to work as a multi drop delivery driver and my route always took me through Hemel; the magic roundabout made my journey so much easier. 😀

[@McGrory69]

I just replied to another comment on that roundabout remembering the first time i came down from Glasgow in 1992 to work at the Mount prison in Bovingdon and i got to that roundabout thinking WTF is this !!! was a Sunday afternoon so thankfully not that busy.

[@rjm67]

You had me at Bob Fleming. 😂

[@apmcd47]

My father always claimed to be the first person to call this the Magic Roundabout. His story is that while it was being built he asked one of the workmen "what's this - the Magic Roundabout?" And our family has called it that ever since. I'll bet there are many others who will make a similar claim.

[@AshleyBailey]

Crying when you started playing the magic roundabout theme tune at the end. It fits so well haha

[@ddemaine]

Thanks

[@GeorgeFoot]

Nice footage from above at the end. It looks like some of those drivers are very timid, but not really any more complicated than any other sequence of mini roundabouts (and more sensible than "double roundabouts")

[@scottc1589]

Wow man! That's deep! And watching the vehicles using the roundabout from directly overhead is magical, in a mushroomy kind of way.🍄

[@AgelessStones]

Nice vid dude you get to the point and don't waste any time, great stuff

[@bryansmith1920]

Hello John, Love what you've don with the Blog, 👍The first time I met a Magic roundabout, while awake, was in Colchester, on my way with 650 other squaddies, in Trucks, heading to Harwich, for our ferry to Hamburg for a two week exercise, with BOAR, But being that I was Driving the REME recovery vehicle, I had it easy, I just followed the Green Truck in front, I was tailend charlie, anyhow it would be interesting to Know how any of these their are, I'm a retired trucky, and I don't know of many, But with 7:5 Tn limits everywhere, that's not surprising, Any hoo John mate got to dash, great work again tho,

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Ah the theme tune. 👏👏 Thanks Jon for a cracking little video. Having suffered the Magic Roundabout in Hemel Hempstead I’m inclined to give Swindon’s a wide birth. But then again, perhaps it’s a duty of all drivers to attempt it. 👍😀

[@johnturner4400]

The Bob Fleming reference wasn’t lost Jon!

[@ciarand2823]

I've encountered this junction once fairly early on in my articulated lorry driving career, it was a bit daunting and I was glad the road wasn't too busy at the time and I was able to straddle two lanes for most of it

[@kiradotee]

It does actually avoid the congestion you would get on a one single roundabout connecting 5 roads. It's slow but generally you'll only spend seconds there and you're out! It works. Like magic!

[@cuddlepaws4423]

When he describes the flyover and the fact that it would involve knocking down houses, at 1:10 he says. 'But it was the 60s when nobody gave a shit'. That just had us rolling with laughter, along with a few other VERY British comments. 🤣🤣🤣 Subscribed, gave a thumbs up and ended up with the theme from the Magic Roundabout going through our heads.... We both used to watch that.... Definitely no drugs involved.... MUCH!!! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@craigsibley8161]

Ah, that tune takes me back. Skipped straight to the end for the music 🎶 😀 Then watched the video...

[@no-damn-alias]

Thank you for telling me what the magic roundabout tv show was. Never knew it as I didn't grow up in Britain

[@Sarge084]

There used to be an experimental roundabout on the Halesowen bypass, it was made out of old car tyres and would be altered every few weeks. They did the alteration over the weekends so Monday mornings used to be when I learned new and interesting profanities as the driver of the vehicle made his confusion and displeasure audible! They stopped fannying about with the experiment and made it permanent, but I still have mixed memories of those Monday mornings whenever I pass through the roundabout, which I haven't done for a long time now!

[@andreasebert1782]

On my first trip to Britain ever this october I visited a friend in Devizes and also did some sightseeing in Wiltshire. My friend advised me to circumvent Swindon at all costs. At first I thought it was because of local rivalry but I think that roundabout was the real danger he wanted to save me from 😅 (I have to confess that it was my first time driving on the left side of the road) Nevertheless excellent video. You got a new subscriber 👍

[@grahamdelacey5779]

first time i've seen you. glad you popped up, gained a sub. i learnt some things, had a laugh and wanted to come back. easy choice.

[@malawidouglas6464]

This roundabout was on my commute to work once upon a time. I am a big fan of it. It may not be very responsible of me but I took the view that the traffic flow on it was so smooth and combined with it’s flexibility and options I hardly needed to slow down on approach as there were always options if one section was slower I could just switch options and take a different route through it.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

This would never work in Australia and I've never heard of that show.

[@millstonebarn]

Hello! Brilliant! Also waves goodbye and now I need to watch The World's End again. (Mark Summers. It was June the 22nd, 1990...)

[@theclearsounds3911]

I visited the UK a few times in the 80's and 90's, and had no trouble with your roundabouts; better than the ones here in the US. But, I'm sorry, I can't figure out this Magic Roundabout no matter how hard I try. Guess I'll have to stay out of Swindon the next time I visit the UK.

[@HorseRadish138]

Localite here, the magic roundabout works very well, bit of fun and hairy at rush hour but seems relatively safe.

[@GrahamMacdonald-w9o]

I made a journey detour to the Magic Roundabout in Swindon about 15 years ago, because I was familiar with the Hemel Hempstead version. The Hemel version is pretty well symmetrical and the mound in the big island in the middle stops you getting too distracted. It is quite impressive to be honest. The Swindon Magic Roundabout is asymmetrical with islands of different sizes and shapes. When I went there, the tarmac surface was breaking up in places and it seemed a bit of a shambles and it looked rather ugly but I have to admit that the traffic did seem to move smoothly.

[@BillyKirbyUK]

I live close by and can vouch for the fact that the Magic Roundabout works very well. Improve on it? Well, the best way would be to reduce the traffic volumes - which will inevitably happen when the oil runs out or becomes too expensive, and it is finally realised that electric propulsion is not for the masses. It will work equally well when we all go back to horse and cart of course. Oh, and thank you for the theme tune. Wicked sweet awesome. If you had let me know I'd have invited you in for a cup of tea. Creepy? Only slightly.

[@jimmydesouza4375]

"which will inevitably happen when the oil runs out or becomes too expensive," You mean the oil reserves that ran out in 1914? A bit late for that, wouldn't you say.

[@MissingPlanet]

I grew up half a mile from the Hemel Hempstead version of this. It's really easy to use as long as you understand one trick - ignore the big 'roundabout' in the middle. All you are doing is driving along a series of very short roads that end in a mini-roundabout.

[@SillyWillyFan47]

Nothing mentioned about pedestrians. How do people on foot deal with it?

[@terry6131]

I had the misfortune one late night of coming on this roundabout on the way back from London. I sh*t myself when I realised what it was and basically just drove off to the nearest exit, probably against the traffic, but it was daunting to say the least if you are not familiar with the rules of the layout.

[@spitfire1962]

My reaction too.

[@fezmaan]

I knew our only landmark would appear on the channel at some point🔄hope you attempted it Jon!!

[@andrewmullen4003]

Having used it many times in the late eighties I used to basically go round the outside lane, only needed to give way to the right then, but much easier to use than the double and triple mini-roundabouts in Aylesbury.

[@1800astra]

What an excellent and informative video. Thanks, Jon.

[@djtrainspotter]

Indeed there was some very good drux involved! Great to watch while on em in the raving days of the early 90's :D

[@crashbox7130]

I've known about the Magic Roundabout for many years but it's only in the last year I've been to Swindon and driven through/around it. I've gone through the system twice over the course of a few months and it's absolutely fine. It works very well and doesn't cause any confusion for a driver who hasn't used it before. It's very intuitive and easy to navigate. It should be rolled out to other large, busy roundabouts/junctions.

[@billmmckelvie5188]

It is Magic our Morris! I am glad you've saved many a content creator from having to produce this video, where creative minds would have run wild not on magic mushrooms. Rather of how many funny, magical references to add to the video that would not make Zebedee's head spin! You have got the comical references just about right, and it is well researched too. On that note, boing! Time for bed"! said Zebedee.

[@ss.spotting]

There’s a similar one in High Wycombe but slightly larger, it’s pretty cool and works well.

[@johneperkin]

I was going to mention this one, loads of fun to thrown a motorcycle around...

[@ss.spotting]

@@victoriawakefield6747 Nah, town centre. Where the A40 meets the A404. The fire station’s on it

[@ChrisJay]

I love that from the drone shots, you can actually see the most common routes through the it, the planners should take your drone shots and work out what the real routes are...

[@sIightIybored]

The issues at rush hour were largely caused by the school right next to it. The pedestrian crossing is constantly in use and the queues stretch back over the roundabout. The town part of my commute used to take 20 minutes in term and 10 minutes in the holidays.

[@alexandroskostalas6474]

I love the theme tune 😊 Great video as always.

[@defender1006]

Brilliant, it spawned many a copy, such as Hemel Hempstead and more local to me in High Wycombe, it work reasonably well, most of the time?!

[@shaunwest3612]

Great video John, looks a scary to me,as always brilliant 👌👍😀

[@swish843]

Thanks as always fella!

[@aussie405]

In 1995 as Australians translocated to the area, it was a bit of a shock to come across it at night, in the rain, when the outer circles were merely slightly raised bitumen painted white!

[@BluenoseBeerReviews]

I live close by and use it relatively regularly. My regular route of Queens drive to County Road is normally completed fastest by driving right, left & finally right on all mini roundabouts. Also worth noting that the Magic Roundabout features a Fire Station, Ambulance Station, Football Stadium, Supermarket, Petrol Station & Burger King in close proximity...so it does pretty well to cope with that additional traffic.

[@mcelmo1]

We also have one in Colchester , we call it the Greenstead Roundabout and when you take your driving test and set off from the nearby Whitehall Test Centre you have a 50% chance of going on it. Luckily for me I went the other way that day.

[@markcollins7431]

Brilliant system, the roundabout was part of the route of my driving test many years ago.

[@Lemonaitor]

There is one in Colchester which I always find flows well compared to others around it. Also worth noting that in urban planning design, making the road uncomfortable to drive, like in the case of an unusual design like this, does deliberately slow traffic, which a) makes it safer because of lower combined energy in the event of a collision, and b) The slower speed actually allows for greater throughput of vehicles because slower vehicles drive closer together and as such you can get more in the same space than you would at a higher speed.

[@ianelliott229]

Children’s TV programme! No one told me it was for children! 😂😂😂 I loved it.

[@madnar9]

I did my driving test through the magic roundabout - once you have practiced a couple of times it makes sense, but daunting when it's your first time.

[@spitfire1962]

The reason why it doesn’t get congested is because people try and avoid that route. I have used it on 3 occasions, as my daughter now lives in Wiltshire. Looks so much easier when looking from above, but at road level I just point and go on the assumption that on most mini roundabouts people haven’t got a clue and stop, giving me the opportunity to go where I think I want to go! And yes I fit in to that age bracket Jon.

[@lostcarpark]

I'd never heard of it until I'd gone through it several times on a visit to Swindon. I looks a bit crazy when Facebook memes rant about it, but when you stumble upon it, it is surprisingly sensible.

[@Mark-BS-YT-name]

Just outside Hatton Cross tube station on the south side of Heathrow, we have one of these roundabouts. Personally, I'm a fan. Especially when there is traffic clogging up on one side, leaving you the choice to go the other way.

[@PixelatedPenfold]

I did my motorbike test in Swindon and it took me onto the magic roundabout. I hadn't heard of this before so it came as a bit of a shock, mainly the middle roundabout that goes anti-clockwise. I still passed though, so that was nice.

[@JonnyCasey]

[@NilZed1]

There was a combine multiple roundabout in Colchester that’s 5 roads plus two shopping Center entrance and the entrance to what was a through road past the university but now blocked off except for busses. You can go around it in either direction but most people tend to go the same direction anyway. My husband used to take it the wrong way round when everyone else had followed each other into a dead stop. Terrified me.