Calling all caravanners and motorhomers
Channel 5 TV are making a documentary on the history of the M1. It will tell the story of how the road that changed Britain came to be, how it works and where it will take us in the future. One of the ways it had a major impact on the country has been in how we use our leisure time and caravan culture has very much been a part of this.
They are looking for people to interview on camera about their experiences so if you'd like to share your thoughts of travelling on the M1 in your caravan in the 50s or 60s or if you travelled on the M1 by any means in the first few days it was open, please email us on: communitymanager@camc.com.
Many thanks. 
Comments
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Lived the other side of the country and only 8, but I suppose it would have been so novel it is something you would remember. A bit older, but I certainly remember when they opened the bit of the M4 to the Severn Bridge. It rapidly became gridlocked. Folk were so unfamiliar with the concept of a motorway they were having picnics on the central reservation.
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Remember my mum driving us on it to visit London and also to see relatives near Watford, hardly any traffic and the original Blue Boar Cafe. We would have joined it at Rugby, the furthest junction in the late 50's.
It seemed like a big dusty expanse of open road at the time, where you put your foot down and went for it. I can also remember my Mum, probably in a mini by then, getting stuck between two fast moving lorries, quite scary. But my Mum was known in the family as "fangio" if anyone remembers that name!
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I remember going on the back of my dads Lambretta scooter to look at this new MI at the Crick end " It's straight and goes all the way down to London " Dad told me. " Will I be able to see London "? I ask.
I then remember it being extended in one run to Markfield and later to Leeds. Many a late night at the Ross's LFE services spotting rock stars.
Happy caravanning.
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Another one (in Northampton this time) who was taken on it as a child, by our neighbour's family. Yes, it looked huge, and flat, and mostly empty. And the dad drove at 60, which was faster than my own dad almost ever did.
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Another one (in Northampton this time) who was taken on it as a child, by our neighbour's family. Yes, it looked huge, and flat, and mostly empty. And the dad drove at 60, which was faster than my own dad almost ever did.
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My brother and I drove the whole length of it in 1959 on a trip around the UK by Mini car.
After 4K miles the hire company threw a fit when they saw the mileage!
Great time before Caravanning - youth hostelling was always the way to go - but make sure you left the car up the road out of site.
Carbisdale Castle was the best one for me.
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Not really about traveling on it as such but in the 1970's after the M1 had been extended north of Nottingham a girl that I worked with at the time asked which way she would have to go on it to go to Cornwall. Geography education was obviously a bit wasted.
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Remember going to Crick to see it being built and that was the first section opened I believe. The other huge construction project in my area of course was Rutland Water and I saw that being built too- amazing. Huge dumper trucks carrying ton and tons of spoil for the dam looking like dinky toys in the expanse of the site.
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Blimey, I was but a twinkle in my fathers eye
JK
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Evidently not a local then Merve!!
The Empingham reservoir created the largest earth dam reservoir in Europe, fed with humungous pipelines from the river Welland at Tinwell / Stamford and Nene at Wansford. The pumping stations were impressive too but did little for the fish stocks, nor our bunk off school to go swimming
Used to cycle out to watch the construction, from home in Stamford as a teen.
Must visit at some time.
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