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pop80_uk
18-09-2005, 19:57
Hey Guys & Girls
I need your help and advice. Ive got to go and pick up a car from North Norwood, London on Tuesday.
Ive never driven in London before and would not class myself as a confident driver.
So can I ask people how difficult will this Journey be? im coming down from Staffordshire in the Midlands.
Whats London like to drive in? Should I take out life insurance now?
Anyone live near Norwood?

Lets hope my GPS system takes me the easy route:dozey:

Thanks I look forward to your replies.

ScaredWebWarrior
18-09-2005, 20:02
Ive never driven in London before and would not class myself as a confident driver.
Unless you're planning to take on a London cabbie, you shouldn't have too much trouble.

So can I ask people how difficult will this Journey be? im coming down from Staffordshire in the Midlands.
Just make sure to remove the flat cap, as it'll improve your all-round visibility. ;)

Also make sure the whippet is securely chained in the back!

Honestly, it's not nearly as bad as people make out. Paris is worse!
I think you'll be avoiding the congestion charge area, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Whats London like to drive in? Should I take out life insurance now?
Stopp worrying - you'll survive!

Anyone live near Norwood?
Not any more. I think though, if I recall correctly, that you can avoid driving in 'London' since you'll be mostly going through the leafy suburbs etc.

Whatever you do - make sure the GPS doesn't take you through 'London' on a magical mystery tour. There's usually a way to avoid this.

Have fun!

Paul K
18-09-2005, 20:05
Anywhere in particular in Norwood? Can't find a north Norwood but can find an upper norwood lol.

BBKing
18-09-2005, 20:08
London drivers are short-tempered, hoot a lot, are inured to pulling out into traffic to turn right (because no one will let you in) and spend a lot of time stationary building up a good head of road rage. Any chance you can start at 4am?

Ahem. If you're ok with motorway driving you should get round the M25 ok - it's not that it's particularly difficult, just that there's a lot of traffic on it. The four-lane bits round the west are pretty horrible right now though, as they're rebuilding it for Heathrow T5. It's getting out to the motorway that could be difficult.

Norwood is roughly in the middle of South London, not an area overburdened by good, fast roads out. Lots of traffic, narrow streets, confusing one way systems. Allow plenty of time, check things on a map first if possible. However, generally heading for the A23 and Brighton and then staying on it as far as the M25 is going to be ok, if tediously dull and slow. Once there, stay on it as far as the M40, then nip up that to the West Midlands, it's usually a better bet than the M1/M6.

Minbu
18-09-2005, 20:12
Can't you get the car delivered? ;)

Angua
18-09-2005, 20:21
London drivers are short-tempered, hoot a lot, are inured to pulling out into traffic to turn right (because no one will let you in) and spend a lot of time stationary building up a good head of road rage. Any chance you can start at 4am?

Ahem. If you're ok with motorway driving you should get round the M25 ok - it's not that it's particularly difficult, just that there's a lot of traffic on it. The four-lane bits round the west are pretty horrible right now though, as they're rebuilding it for Heathrow T5. It's getting out to the motorway that could be difficult.

Norwood is roughly in the middle of South London, not an area overburdened by good, fast roads out. Lots of traffic, narrow streets, confusing one way systems. Allow plenty of time, check things on a map first if possible. However, generally heading for the A23 and Brighton and then staying on it as far as the M25 is going to be ok, if tediously dull and slow. Once there, stay on it as far as the M40, then nip up that to the West Midlands, it's usually a better bet than the M1/M6.

He is coming From Staffordshire and going to North Norwood.

Having regularly done Oxford to Greenwich yes London is scary. Keep your ultimate objective in mind at all times. Stay on the M25 anti clockwise to the M23 then follow the signs, have a phone handy and make a note of any pubs you see (I have always navigated by pubs) especially nearer your destination so you can call up and ask for help.

BBKing
18-09-2005, 20:30
He is coming From Staffordshire and going to North Norwood..

Who's driving his car back?

Sorry, I read it as 'pick up car in Norwood, drive it to Staffordshire', from context :)

Angua
18-09-2005, 20:34
Who's driving his car back?

Sorry, I read it as 'pick up car in Norwood, drive it to Staffordshire', from context :)
:doh: good point (see moans/pet hates) for reason. :D

Xaccers
18-09-2005, 20:46
go to www.theaa.com
in the list of links on the left there is one for routes
put in the details of where you're going from and to
print it off with map and memorise it as much as you can
get a london AtoZ and use it to follow the route marking off most of the roads that you will pass
that should do the trick
as for driving in london, its fine, I actually find it quite fun (although that was before the congestion charge made it easier and boring)
biggest problem will be finding where you are in london as a lot of the roads won't have name signs (thats why you need to memorise as many as posible from the AtoZ or carry it with you and follow it as you go, safely of course!)

pop80_uk
18-09-2005, 21:10
Thanks everyone, im still quite scared though!

Jules
18-09-2005, 21:12
If you think about it you will come across all sorts of problems, just start driving and deal with each thing as it crops up :tu:

nffc
18-09-2005, 21:16
Stay on the M25 anti clockwise to the M23

Pull off the M23 at Junction 1 :erm:

Stuart
18-09-2005, 21:17
And if you do get lost, the Sat Nav should be able to help.

nffc
18-09-2005, 21:21
And if you do get lost, the Sat Nav should be able to help.
Ah, but no sat nav can find M23 J1 ;)

I know where M11 J1 is though...

Xaccers
18-09-2005, 21:28
Thanks everyone, im still quite scared though!
Don't be
being scared means you've lost half the battle already
you really have nothing to be scared of
driving in london is easy
just plan your route and keep the AtoZ with you incase you go off track.
take your time
forget the horror stories you've heard about london, they're just stories ok?

Marge
18-09-2005, 22:31
Having just got back from London (literally 10 minutes ago :erm: ) the best advice I can give is drive at a pace you feel comfortable at, be alert to other drivers who suddenly pull into your lane (not always indicating that they are gonna do this though :rolleyes: ) and enjoy it !!! It's not nearly as traumatic as you think it's gonna be :tu:

Mr_love_monkey
18-09-2005, 22:38
Best advice I can give is keep your doors locked, and your windows up at all times :)

Nah, driving in London is fine - it's the same as any place really, if you're not familiar with the area you're going to find it a bit harder than driving local to you - you'll be fine...

Nidge
19-09-2005, 05:24
Hey Guys & Girls
I need your help and advice. Ive got to go and pick up a car from North Norwood, London on Tuesday.
Ive never driven in London before and would not class myself as a confident driver.
So can I ask people how difficult will this Journey be? im coming down from Staffordshire in the Midlands.
Whats London like to drive in? Should I take out life insurance now?
Anyone live near Norwood?

Lets hope my GPS system takes me the easy route:dozey:

Thanks I look forward to your replies.


You'll be fine if you've got GPS, I went to London on Thursday and my GPS did me proud.

pop80_uk
19-09-2005, 09:34
Thanks Guys! The rtips getting closer!

timewarrior2001
19-09-2005, 11:57
I used to work opposite Heathrow, went in on the A4.......missed my turning the first time and before I knew it I was heading into hammersmith. That freaked me out lol.

nffc
19-09-2005, 19:24
I used to work opposite Heathrow, went in on the A4.......missed my turning the first time and before I knew it I was heading into hammersmith. That freaked me out lol.
We went to Heathrow and when we flew back the car was kept a few miles in towards London near J3 - but we couldn't get to J3 so had to go west. Plan was to pick the spur up at J4a but couldn't turn right... had to go all the way to Slough to get on the M4 to go to the M4/M25 to get back north to the land of sanity...

I hate the ethos of London although had they built the ringways the traffic situation would be much better. It's not helped by the fact the A205/South Circular really is a botched up mix of local routes cobbled together to make a pointless ring road- nowt like the A406 anyway.

BBKing
19-09-2005, 19:39
although had they built the ringways the traffic situation would be much better

Speaking as someone who, had they been built, would live with a six-lane highway on both sides, aircraft overhead all the time and a motorway junction immediately to the west, I'm rather glad they didn't! The sheer amount of demolition they'd have had to do round here is staggering.

nffc
19-09-2005, 20:03
although had they built the ringways the traffic situation would be much better

Speaking as someone who, had they been built, would live with a six-lane highway on both sides, aircraft overhead all the time and a motorway junction immediately to the west, I'm rather glad they didn't! The sheer amount of demolition they'd have had to do round here is staggering.
As with anywhere. Although for one, the A102 / A2 either side of the Blackwall Tunnel forms the completed East side, the M41 (RIP) spur of Western Avenue by the BBC centre would have formed another arm, the rest would have hugged the railway lines forming a square around central London- easy to visualise from a map if you look.

As for the existing M-ways I would imagine:
- M11 would be extended from Charlie Brown's in a roughly straight direction initially then following the A12 (would have been M12) before meeting the N/E Cross Routes at the Hackney unfinished junction

- M1 extended south from Staples Corner to the ringway following the line of the railway line

- M40 would follow the line of the existing A40 and former A40(M)

- M4 presumably would hug the A4 as it does along most of its route

- M23 is the interesting one- hugging the A23 from Hooley causing widespread destruction...

Apparently the plan was, because the ringways were thought to be needed so urgently they were built as D2M not D5M as future planned with one carriageway built with a temporary central reservation... as it stands the M41 was all that was really built :rolleyes:

They really should do something about the A23 and A205 though.

BBKing
19-09-2005, 20:29
Shortly going off topic from 'how to drive in London in 2005' to 'how to drive in London on completely imaginary roads in 2005'. Apologies in advance.

the rest would have hugged the railway lines forming a square around central London- easy to visualise from a map if you look.

I think I read all the same sites you do, plus living in London I can visualise it - not many of my friends live very far from a bit of one of the Ringways - they would have been that pervasive.

Have you checked out where Ringway 1 would have plunged through Brixton? There's still a huge gap. I'll try and dig out the picture of the model:

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/features/barrier1.html

Running along railway lines is fine except that hereabouts we tend to have houses and pubs and things by our railways, and six or eight lanes (let alone 10 as you suggest) of motorway tends to take up rather a lot of space compared to 2 or 4 rail lines, never mind the junctions.

The M23 extension would actually have been far less destructive than the inner roads, mainly because it crossed open ground apart from that bit south-east of Mitcham station. The real reason it didn't happen is that Ringway 2 couldn't be pushed through places like Wimbledon, Putney, Barnes and Chiswick without rather rich, influential (Tory voting) residents throwing up their hands in horror, and without R2 there's no point in M23, as the existing South Circular wouldn't cope.

Quite why they ever thought R2 could be built is a mystery to me. Go to Barnes Bridge, a lovely, peaceful bit of river where the Boat Race takes place and visualise an eight-lane motorway over it.