Horrific winds yesterday [18 Jan 2007] caused death and destruction. Travelling home from London to Kendal was risky but the conditions, and fearful updates by Five Live, helped turn everyone into model drivers.
It took three hours of stop/start traffic to reach the M40 from J8 of the M25. Dartford Bridge and sections of the M25 near Lakeside shopping centre were closed. Bob, revealed Five Live presenter Peter Allen, had been stuck on the M56 for two hours and needed a pee. What was the etiquette of urinating in stationary traffic?
Cars passed highsided trucks with caution moving over an extra lane. Five Live’s Jane Garvey listed closed sections of the motorways. I haven’t got over 25mph for an hour.
Trucks occupying both inside lanes forced drivers to hang back. A handful of nutters, all in BMWs, wove from lane to lane to tread water.
Jean and Dave from Swindon, said Allen, were desperate for milk but felt too fearful to venture outside. Earlier Jean hung out her washing but now most of it was over the council estate.
The M40 traffic was stacked but moving – on average 50mph – open motorway sections produce howling wind threatening to blow the van over. Five Live moved onto its sport show. It had been 80 years since the first BBC broadcast of a live football match – Arsenal versus Sheffield United.
By 8.25pm traffic was thinning out. I’ve been up to 60mph. I dived off to grab a coffee at Oxford Services. That place was busier than the motorway.
At Birmingham traffic disintegrated, the Toll Road was empty, still £8 for the pleasure in a van or truck. Creeping up back to £10, a figure despised by the haulage industry. Traffic all around me is doing 70mph heading straight into the westerly gale.
Listeners voted Liverpool-AC Milan its favourite commentary, says Five Live’s Mark Saggers. The M6 threatened doom. At 10.15pm the signs showed the M60 was closed at J11, with tailbacks to J8. Winds more noticeable - back down to 60mph.
Peter Jones and Brian Butler were the best commentators, says Saggers. By 11pm traffic’s scarce. Charnock Richard southbound services stuffed full of trucks over spilling onto the hard shoulder for the night, miles from where they should be.
For all the destruction from Preston to Kendal it was quiet – reached 75mph at Garstang. The winds howled with less ferocity. The final weather report at 12.15am said the winds would turn northerly bringing a cold snap. Five Live’s switched off as I turn into my road, nearly eight hours after setting off.