This show continues to be the best thing about Sundays

Here Jon, you've been producing some great videos this year and we all enjoy them. Use this to buy yourself and Ringway a beer when you next meet up! Or just buy yourself two beers if no meet-up is imminent!

Your car at the start monologue is in need of some work Jon.

Couple of extra tit bits of local info... The original Emley moor mast fell due to the weight of ice built up on the supporting cables, and not due to high winds. This fell down without causing any injuries, despite falling through the roof of the nearby chapel which was occupied at the time. Interestingly (or not) part of the old tower was subsequently repurposed as the control tower at Huddersfield rowing club... In Holmfirth. With respect to the last cancellation of the Flockton M1 / M62 link road, the final nail in the coffin for that was the "successful" 'Sink the Link" campaign which encouraged local residents to petition against the proposed road... Due to the noise of vehicles using it would have on nearby residents of Flockton.... ...so instead that traffic continues to use the A road through Flockton, causing frequent accidents and eventually leading to installation of single flow traffic lights in a narrow section due to the inability of HGVs to pass each other... Not sure that was the cleverest move ever...🤔

The Secrets Of Motorways is always worth watching for sure.

Would've been nice to mention that the abandoned section of A656 at the end is actually on the course of an old Roman road - the original inter-city highway displaced after nearly 2,000 years by its modern equivalent.

Your sense of humour and comedy really makes these videos !

By uncovering the secrets of our motorway network, you are shedding light on a part of our infrastructure that we often take for granted. Best of luck with your project!

This series makes me wonder to myself, in my head, “why the planning and implantation of roads takes so long in this country” and now I realise I have a problem that can only be shared with my fellow enthusiasts of Secrets of the Motorway

On absolutely fine form this week. 'realised I could milk another episode out of it' 😂 And I don't think there's a better explanation of the Shard out there. Bravo!

I'd love a video on whoever designed the barriers on the bridges. I've got strong memories of the ones over the M62 looking like the ones from today's video. Boring I know, but they look made for purpose and pretty standardised too. I'm also a massive fan of the silent protest in the way that some shots are filmed in utter shithole locations. It's only when you start to work in infrastructure that you realise how much litter, flytipping and all-round arseholery goes on in the UK. Keep up the great work!

Travelled that today.... Chilled at Skelton Lake services. M5,M6,M62,M57,M62,M60,M1 and A1M all done in a day!!

Blimey Jon my memory is going. I saw that tthis was part 2 and immediately thought, "wait what? I'm sure you didn't do the M1 last week..." and then you reminded me of something I had forgotten, which I am now going back to re-watch.

Can we all just appreciate that Jon just doesn’t drive around the country on our road network, but spends time researching all these interesting facts and figures. I doff my cap to him.

Those cable cars were also used to carry Churchill tanks manufactured at Newton & Chanbers during the war, also the area round J36 was used extensively in Ken Loach's film Kes.

Funny thing about the M1-A1 link road that although you have to leave the M1 to stay on the M1 at Junction 43, when you get past Junction 47 you stay on the M1 to join the A1(M) and when you're coming south, you have to leave the A1(M) to stay on the A1(M) because if you stay on the A1(M) you actually join the M1.

This series is obviously influenced by Geoff Marshalls Secrets of the Underground (including a nod or two to Geoff in the past). One thing is for sure though, Johns sense of humour shines through much more. Gotta love it, keep it up.

Hello Jon, how the devil are you, have you had a good week?

We need that motorway from Manchester to Sheffield now. You have traffic from Liverpool, Manchestrer, Bradford and Leeds, all using the same single motorway to get to Sheffield.

Our Sunday dose of A S S 👍🏼 I like the lofthouse interchange when leaving the M1 S for the 62. It reminds me of The Nemesis at Alton towers 🤷🏽😂. That’s John for warming our hearts with more FACTS 👍🏼

Haha, brilliant! Love the Emerdale reference at the end 😂😅🤣 In truth I think that far fetched soap operas about unbelievably accident prone small communities have far more basis for plausibility than the stranger-than-fiction self serving nonsense surrounding our road building 🙄 Love that old steam engine house. Those old Newcomen machines must have been awe inspiring to the simple folk of the time who were still accustomed to eating mud for breakfast and supper, travelling everywhere by lame donkey and worked 27 hours a day to live in a hut made of nothing more than sheep carcasses and leftovers from breakfast. Probably 🤔 Always a shame to see old industrial sites not repurposed where nature has struggled to readdress the balance, but in time I am sure it will revert. They probably had a ‘repurposing’ clause in the contract. Which got cancelled…🤷🏻‍♂️ Cheers John, fantastic fun as ever 🥂🍀😜🌞

Good point about redoing roads and junctions affording the NHS. A current example of this is the M4 M5 interchange which is being dug up again this year!

John its good see you have finally made it up my neck of the woods here in Wakefield, if I had known you could have popped in for a cup coffee!. You might not be aware that when the M1 extension to the A1 was built it was closed again for some parts of it had to be resurfaced due the noise levels coming from the concrete road surface. Local residents complained and the surface was replaced.

Nice to see the mention of Emley Moor. Ice on the cable stays was the root cause of the Emley Moor tv mast collapse in 1969. If you look at the mast as half of a vertical suspension bridge, ice build-up stretched the cable stays allowing the wind to then twist the mast ultimately causing its demise. One of the flaying stays (cables several inches in diameter) cut the chapel over the road clean in half. Belmont has since had many tons of chain hung inside to dampen this twisting. The total height of Emley Moor tower was in fact reduced due to antenna redesign caused by Ofcom mandated frequency changes.

There were 4 optional routes to link the M1 Kirkhamgate and A1 in Yorkshire. The purple and blue routes were strongly objected to by the residents of Arthington in the Wharfe valley and would have used a possible corridor between Leeds and Bradford. This left the red and brown routes that would go through 'cheaper' areas to the south and east of Leeds. I can't remember where the exact joining points were to be but I believe it was the red route that won. The A1 through Yorkshire was then progressively upgraded past Wetherby ending today as a 3+3 lane motorway.

I used to live next to the M1 near to the Rothwell interchange. That's as exciting as this post gets. I continue to use the M1 regularly and the bit where you have to come off to go back on is a real pain. Satnavs just can't cope with the confusion. 😂

Tell you what else is wicked, sweet, awesome; watching the subscribers tick up ever closer to that 100K target. Well done John and team for continuing to put out such quality content, I'm enjoying the little studio based uploads too.

Cor, not heard that version of the Emmerdalé theme for a _long_ time. Brings back memories!

Overhead shot of the M621, "I can see my house from here!". (and the unmistakable shape of Cross Flatts Park and Elland Road Stadium where I hear they play football from time to time).

As with railways, all efforts to get good connections in Notts, Derbyshire and Sth, Yorkshire across the Pennines to Manchester end up at 'nowt'

The link between the M25 from the M4 to the M1 south is always fun !! m25 then via Watford , via crazy roundabouts that force you to back into Watford, then the m1 ... link road from the m25 direct to the m1 , thats what they need... lol

Glad to see you've got your hat on in the drone shot, you don't want to catch thee death o'cold 🤣🤣

Have you ever thought of covering how Motorway Services have changed since opening. I can recall how Knutsford and Charnock Richard have changed from table service restaurant to fast food. The famed Forton services with its high level restaurant, again now closed. There are many classic interior shots and outdoor photos to fit the timeline from opening to today.

Jon, re: Intro. Have to break something to you. Car behind you: Don't think it's gonna get through MOT.

I have childhood memories of travelling the last section in the nineties before it opened. My dad worked for construction company at the time and took me to work on a Saturday and we traveled on part of the motorway before it had opened to the public. Remember him teaching me about road camber and about rumble strips by letting go of the steering wheel and explaining why they exist.

Thanks John, appreciate the dry humour as I'm sure many others do while learning how our Motorways accidentally happened

always worth a watch love the humour

Terrific video John,liking your commentary is becoming more brutally honest with each new episode

Love the final shot placement. Love going up the moors from ilkley.

4:48 Just to the left of the superimposed arrow is an area known as the Fairy Fields. It was here that teenage friends and I built a dugout, and the construction of the M1 provided many materials and supplies for our den. The M1 in those days went on into Leeds. My memory is that the stretch through Hunslet Carr was built at the same time as the stretch between Belle Isle (named after the bell-pit mines of the area) and Robin Hood/Rothwell (Hi to AdventureMe!). I can't remember a termination at Stourton. Are there are any other Leeds old gits out there who could clarify?

You're pretty much bang on with the comments on the Shard. I spent a year working there in its construction.

Is that the theme to Crossroads at the end? Hahahaha wicked.

Great episode, glad it wasn't over planned and canceled. Bloody good show!

Would realllyyyyyyy appreciate a revisit to the earlier parts of the M1 in the more fleshed out format these videos are now in!

Thanks for interesting info I didn’t know about a stretch of motorway I use regularly. Incidentally the current roadworks on the M62 around the Lofthouse interchange with the M1 sometimes makes it quicker to use the M621 as a link road.

A Team America reference on a video about the M1? Not what I expected but I'm all for it.

Nice to see Barnsley or part of Barnsley on secrets of the motorway. Been hoping to see my home town for sometime.

Brilliant video but you missed out J40 Ossett and more importantly Gawthorpe, with it's famous Water Tower and where the annual World Coal Carrying Championship is held.

A bit of the original Emley Moor mast is now used as a part of a building at a sailing club at Hade Edge near Holmfirth.

As always excellent research and presentation.

4:42 - how did that tyre get on to that lamp post? You find the most interesting places to do your voiceovers and the background details are amazing. The Newcomen tower, the furnace, a pedestrian tunnel under the motorway. We mere drivers never see these details, except on your videos. Love it.

It's a continuing story of errors and messed up management . Still happening today in some towns and city's. All the best John and your team. Bob

As always, absolutely bloody fantastic ! Funny, interesting and informative. What more could you ask for?

Great video John. Junction 45, which took forever to open was used for filming of a police car crash scene on Emmerdale prior to it opening. The bumpy nature of the M1 south of Garforth j46 (A63 Colton junction) is due to subsidence from the old mine tunnels. Finally, why on earth did they not create a free-flowing slip road to travel south bound onto the A1 from the north bound M1 and vica-versa from North bound A1M to south bound M1. Traffic has to travel through Garforth using j46 or j47 and queues back. NUTS!

Another excellent insight, again the amount of miles I'd travelled along these sections of motorway and never a thought for its history! I remember some of the new sections being built. Cheers Jon 👍

Lovely to see. Shame you missed out the ridiculous routing of the J46 sliproads

Another great and informative video Jon and loving the Emmerdale music at the end....

It’s been a good few years since I used the M1/A1 junction, but I remember that it had signs warning of a “wide hard shoulder”. I don’t know why this was something that drivers needed to be warned about, but warned about it they were. Looking at Google Earth, they no longer seem to be there, which saddens me for some reason.

Nothing seems more frustrating, than there being roadworks on a Motorway for a couple if years... the seemingly not that long after the works have finished they are back doing more work on the same section!

With the Shard go to the bar that is two floors below the exceedingly expensive viewing area, it’s free (although drinks are not what you’d call spoons prices) and you get the same view. Just make sure you look like you know where you’re going when you enter the building so Security don’t pounce and kick you out….

The Tinsley viaduct is an interesting structure. So is the Smithy Wood concrete footbridge

Cool video, glad you finally got around to part 2!

The game at the end is to keep waving until John stops waving. My arm aches.

I lived in the area when the " new" M1 was under consultation and there were concerns that Temple Newsam house would be affected by the initial works and the traffic vibrations afterwards. Went ahead eventually.

Excellent outro music for this episode 😉 another great episode! 👍

Always look forward to a new episode - cheers me up no end plus a bit of driving nostalgia thrown in for good measure 😊

Great vlog, very informative. I liked the info about the mines. My Dad’s company worked with lots of coal mines, designing conveyor belts in the UK and overseas.

Terrific and superbly presented episode, helped by the fact that you've now covered our local stretch of the M1.

Thanks, Jon. Getting my "Motorway fix," I am now ready for doing whatever I'll be doing this week. Oh, right: I turn 74 years old! Amazing. Have a great week, yourself. Bye.

Another fantastic video! So much information, I live a few miles from Jnc 37 and had no idea there were so many points of interest nearby. Cheers!!

Thanks John I have walked in those woods near birdwell and always wondered what the structure was.

These videos are my Sunday highlight! Love what you do and your humour with it. Excellent and informative as always fella!

love it, just think, all these plans, cancelled plans, re-plans, re-plans of cancelled re-plans, keep the consultants and planners in the way they like to live

How would I ever know I'd look forward to a guy telling me info about motorways. Will be gutted when you're finished, I hope they build more motorways or you can do A roads or Roman roads.

Another interesting video, and great presentation. Thanks Bob

Again, excellent with some justified rants about the competency of this country’s successive governments!

Thanks,your presentations are always informative and amusing

I don't even own a car and probably never will but I can't stop watching these episodes.

Loved that Jon. And I can see my house in your drone shots.

Thanks John another very interesting vlog keep up the great work

These videos are cool can't stop watching them 👍👍

This is the best video I've ever seen about anything

My guilty pleasure every Sunday (and during the week)

One of my faves so far! There’s a Derker in Oldham too, fuck yeah!

Brilliant vid as always. Thank you 👍

You're SO right about our ability to waste money in this country. But if you've ever worked in the NHS, you'd know that's exactly where the most profligate waste happens. Like £280,000 for new fire doors in an old hospital- at the same as the new, replacement hospital down the road was less than a year away from being finished.

Hi Jon , how the Devil 👹are you? Your episodes are always worth watching and one of my highlights on a Sunday.Loving your commentary👍 Your wicked sense of humour 🤣🤣, it’s always very much appreciated. Take care, I hope you have a good week Jon 🥃🥃🌟

John love the videos and your commentary.......its a refreshing change to hear common sense being spoken and the info on the motorways is really interesting. You are spot on re your comment about doing the junction 3 times but we cant afford the NHS. Keep up the great videos........quality work.

Thanks for the Durkar reference, and yes we say the same thing.

Great stuff as always. Thanks

Another awesome episode John, I loved the closing shot on Ilkley Moor.

Methinks I could love a "Foolisher" bod a long time..! Jus Kidding! 🤪

M62/M1 interchange - a joy! Used it regularly back in the early 00’s when working temporarily in Leeds when courting the now Mrs Ulazygit … she lived in Pollington and I was a specialist Property Strategist for a blue chip company, hence my extensive access to many UK motorways … those were the days!

Wicked, sweet,awesome work Jon

Very cool! I was wondering if there was perhaps more to see with this one!

My old stomping grounds. My sister lives near Rothwell. We grew up at Garforth. The link road was great for cycling and running before it opened, many times I rode from Aberford to Colton and back along the new road.

The idea of a bypass for Flockton first made it to parliament in the early fifties. So as you can imagine the idea had been around locally for a lot longer. The trick to ensuring it never gets built seems to be in the authorities both local and national making sure that it gets tied up into a much bigger and more expensive project which then gets cancelled because it's... too big and to expensive. The one time a project just to bypass Flockton with no big and expensive project associated the authorities chose a tortuous and long route that would carve though some beautiful countryside rather than the obvious much shorter route that would cut through a couple of uninspiring fields and an old colliery. The authorities then had an excuse to cancel that one too, because the route was too long and expensive and would cut through some beautiful countryside. Obviously. That would be the route the authorities had come up with themselves rather than use the obvious shorter, cheaper and less damaging route that the locals suggested. There are those still campaigning for a bypass. That seems to be an exercise not unlike banging their heads against a brick wall given that the idea has been knocked back at least half a dozen times in over seventy years. You have to admire their persistence if not their realism.

Production is as sublime as the delivery

Nice one John. Keep it up

Great video. Loved your comments about the shard. Annoying and frustrating as it is, it wasn't cancelled because its for rich people as you said. Oh yeah plus it in London.