London Banter

London Banter (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/forum.php)
-   London Transport (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/london-transport/)
-   -   Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades) (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/london-transport/2338-trivia-hook-underpass-ace-spades.html)

Troy Steadman October 29th 04 11:55 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
The Hook Underpass was the first of its type in the country, there is
even a model of it in the Science Museum, but one innovative feature
it had when first built didn't catch on and was quickly removed.

Clue: it was noisy.

Tony Bryer October 29th 04 12:14 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In article ,
Troy Steadman wrote:
The Hook Underpass was the first of its type in the country,
there is even a model of it in the Science Museum, but one
innovative feature it had when first built didn't catch on
and was quickly removed.


Clue: it was noisy.


White ceramic tiled walls?

It's amazing that this underpass was built c.1960 whilst just up
the road there were traffic lights at South Lane until the
mid-late 1970's: they were removed when the Malden underpass was
built. A work colleague of mine lived by that junction and kept
a crowbar by the front door ready for the next accident.

--
Tony Bryer


Jonn Elledge October 29th 04 01:03 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
om...
The Hook Underpass was the first of its type in the country, there is
even a model of it in the Science Museum, but one innovative feature
it had when first built didn't catch on and was quickly removed.

Clue: it was noisy.


The title of the thread makes me suspect that Lemmy was installed in the
tunnel somewhere, but that doesn't sound right.

Jonn



Troy Steadman October 29th 04 02:05 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Tony Bryer" wrote in message


Clue: it was noisy.


White ceramic tiled walls?


....as in "made a noise"...




--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Troy Steadman October 29th 04 03:09 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Jonn Elledge" wrote in message


"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
om...
The Hook Underpass was the first of its type in the country, there is
even a model of it in the Science Museum, but one innovative feature
it had when first built didn't catch on and was quickly removed.

Clue: it was noisy.


The title of the thread makes me suspect that Lemmy was installed in the
tunnel somewhere, but that doesn't sound right.

Jonn


It isn't a tunnel, it's a roundabout on top of the A3 in a cutting,
nowadays a very ordinary intersection but in it's time quite something.
As was the "Ace of Spades" roadhouse on the old roundabout which had not
only a swimming pool but also an airfield.

The "innovative feature" was not Lemmy, but you are in the right order
of noisitude, two *very* noisy things one on either side of the road.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Tony Bryer October 29th 04 03:15 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In article
ilgate.org, Troy
Steadman wrote:
Clue: it was noisy.


White ceramic tiled walls?


....as in "made a noise"...


I was thinking in terms of a hard reflective surface bouncing the
sound out ...

--
Tony Bryer


Richard J. October 29th 04 03:28 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Troy Steadman wrote:
"Jonn Elledge" wrote in message


"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
om...
The Hook Underpass was the first of its type in the country,
there is even a model of it in the Science Museum, but one
innovative feature it had when first built didn't catch on and
was quickly removed.

Clue: it was noisy.


The title of the thread makes me suspect that Lemmy was installed
in the tunnel somewhere, but that doesn't sound right.

Jonn


It isn't a tunnel, it's a roundabout on top of the A3 in a cutting,
nowadays a very ordinary intersection but in it's time quite
something. As was the "Ace of Spades" roadhouse on the old
roundabout which had not only a swimming pool but also an airfield.

The "innovative feature" was not Lemmy, but you are in the right
order of noisitude, two *very* noisy things one on either side of
the road.


An excessive speed warning hooter? Though I'm not sure there was any
speed limit on the Kingston By-Pass in those days.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)




Paul Terry October 29th 04 03:43 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , Richard J.
writes

Troy Steadman wrote:


The "innovative feature" was not Lemmy, but you are in the right
order of noisitude, two *very* noisy things one on either side of
the road.


An excessive speed warning hooter?


I wondered about fog detonators. :)

--
Paul Terry

Troy Steadman October 30th 04 08:39 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Paul Terry wrote in message ...
In message , Richard J.
writes

Troy Steadman wrote:


The "innovative feature" was not Lemmy, but you are in the right
order of noisitude, two *very* noisy things one on either side of
the road.


An excessive speed warning hooter?


I wondered about fog detonators. :)


Now it is getting cold *you* are getting warm.

Paul Terry October 30th 04 09:21 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , Troy
Steadman writes

Paul Terry wrote in message
...


I wondered about fog detonators. :)


Now it is getting cold *you* are getting warm.


Ah! Was it road heating to stop ice formation?

--
Paul Terry

Troy Steadman October 30th 04 10:32 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Paul Terry" wrote in message


Ah! Was it road heating to stop ice formation?


Yes indeedy powered by two generators one either side of the road.



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Martin Underwood October 30th 04 03:47 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
news:fdc7a8b752b707a4555becb9c9f5bbf9.125090@mygat e.mailgate.org...
"Paul Terry" wrote in message


Ah! Was it road heating to stop ice formation?


Yes indeedy powered by two generators one either side of the road.


Ah! So it wasn't the device itself (the road heating) that was noisy. It was
merely the means of powering it. I was going to suggest something along
these lines but I thought "that's not noisy". If they'd powered it from the
National Grid then it would have been silent.



CIG_BIG_CIG October 30th 04 04:38 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Tony Bryer wrote in message ...
In article ,
Troy Steadman wrote:
The Hook Underpass was the first of its type in the country,
there is even a model of it in the Science Museum, but one
innovative feature it had when first built didn't catch on
and was quickly removed.


Clue: it was noisy.


White ceramic tiled walls?

It's amazing that this underpass was built c.1960 whilst just up
the road there were traffic lights at South Lane until the
mid-late 1970's: they were removed when the Malden underpass was
built. A work colleague of mine lived by that junction and kept
a crowbar by the front door ready for the next accident.


Has the Hook underpass always had the layout it has now where lane 1
diverges off from the rest of the road? Also, has it always had the
slip roads to/from the A3 on the London side only? i.e. have you
always had to drive from Hook to Esher to go towards Pompey if you
were not already on the A3?

John Rowland October 30th 04 05:19 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"CIG_BIG_CIG" wrote in message
m...

Has the Hook underpass always had the layout it has
now where lane 1 diverges off from the rest of the road?


Could you elaborate for those of us who don't know it intimately?

Also, has it always had the slip roads to/from the A3 on the
London side only? i.e. have you always had to drive from Hook
to Esher to go towards Pompey if you were not already on the A3?


The Hook underpass predates the Esher Bypass by some years, so your question
doesn't entirely make sense. But I believe it has been the way it is now
since the Esher Bypass was built. As a child in the 1970s I noticed from
maps that the Hook junction was the only "wrongly designed" junction in
London, because it was blindingly obvious that the Esher Bypass should have
access to and from the Hook roundabout, and the Esher road (A309) should
lose access to (and possibly from) the Hook underpass. I have never found
out why it is the way it is.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes



Tony Bryer October 30th 04 10:23 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In article , John Rowland
wrote:
As a child in the 1970s I noticed from
maps that the Hook junction was the only "wrongly designed"
junction in London, because it was blindingly obvious that the
Esher Bypass should have access to and from the Hook roundabout,
and the Esher road (A309) should lose access to (and possibly
from) the Hook underpass. I have never found out why it is the
way it is.


I think it was something to do with restricting traffic down through
Chessington. IIRC M25 does not appear on any of the signs there
although it's a natural route if you're heading S or SE

--
Tony Bryer


Stuart October 31st 04 01:25 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Troy Steadman wrote:

It isn't a tunnel, it's a roundabout on top of the A3 in a cutting,
nowadays a very ordinary intersection but in it's time quite something.
As was the "Ace of Spades" roadhouse on the old roundabout which had not
only a swimming pool but also an airfield.


An airfield!? Where was that then?

The Ace of Spades had a major fire many many years ago and AFAIK the
only thing that's left is the facade, still with a metal ace symbol
sticking out of the front. The back of the building is a semi-modern
warehouse type building connected to the shop unit next door. It was a
dinner-dance place for a long while but is now a large golf warehouse.

Incidently, my school was next door to the Ace of Spades roundabout.


Stuart October 31st 04 11:16 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
CIG_BIG_CIG wrote:

Has the Hook underpass always had the layout it has now where lane 1
diverges off from the rest of the road? Also, has it always had the
slip roads to/from the A3 on the London side only? i.e. have you
always had to drive from Hook to Esher to go towards Pompey if you
were not already on the A3?


No, originally the A3 carried on along what is now the A309 and the Hook
Underpass was just a normal roundabout with slip roads on to the A3 at
both ends.

If you travel along the slip road from the A309 onto the roundabout
(eastbound) you can see the the embankment that used to carry the A3
Kingston by pass before it was diverted onto the Esher By-pass. It's now
grassed over - but still has a bridge over a small stream.

If you aren't already on the A3 but want to go southbound on it there's
no need to go via Esher a better way is to go the other way to Tolworth
and back down again or via Chessington/Oxshot


Mrs Redboots October 31st 04 12:01 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Stuart wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:

CIG_BIG_CIG wrote:

Has the Hook underpass always had the layout it has now where lane 1
diverges off from the rest of the road? Also, has it always had the
slip roads to/from the A3 on the London side only? i.e. have you
always had to drive from Hook to Esher to go towards Pompey if you
were not already on the A3?


No, originally the A3 carried on along what is now the A309 and the
Hook Underpass was just a normal roundabout with slip roads on to the
A3 at both ends.

When I was little, one of our landmarks en route was the "Scilly Isles"
roundabout - as a very small girl, I had absolutely no idea where we
were when we were there, if that makes sense. So, last year, we dropped
a friend off in Hampton, and took the A309 back to the A3. I was
drowsing after a long day out - and snapped awake in a hurry when we got
to that roundabout! I still can't quite see how that was once on the
A3, but talk about reviving long-lost memories.....!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 26 September 2004



John Rowland October 31st 04 01:02 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...

the "Scilly Isles" roundabout -
I still can't quite see how that was once on the A3


No? Look at a map, and imagine a time when the Esher Bypass hadn't yet been
built. The Scilly Isles was then on the A3.

Then imagine that it is even earlier, and the Kingston Bypass hasn't been
built either. The Scilly Isles was on the A3 then as well.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes



Mrs Redboots October 31st 04 01:18 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
John Rowland wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...

the "Scilly Isles" roundabout -
I still can't quite see how that was once on the A3


No? Look at a map, and imagine a time when the Esher Bypass hadn't yet been
built. The Scilly Isles was then on the A3.

Then imagine that it is even earlier, and the Kingston Bypass hasn't been
built either. The Scilly Isles was on the A3 then as well.

I don't remember before the Kingston Bypass!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 26 September 2004



CIG_BIG_CIG October 31st 04 03:18 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"John Rowland" wrote in message ...
"CIG_BIG_CIG" wrote in message
m...

Has the Hook underpass always had the layout it has
now where lane 1 diverges off from the rest of the road?


Could you elaborate for those of us who don't know it intimately?


I dont know it intimately, although having once had a few too many in
the Cap in Hand pub on the roundabout there its possible I suppose!!

What I mean is that coming from Tolworth the outer lanes diverge and
then only 2 lanes each way go underneath the roundabout.

Also, has it always had the slip roads to/from the A3 on the
London side only? i.e. have you always had to drive from Hook
to Esher to go towards Pompey if you were not already on the A3?


The Hook underpass predates the Esher Bypass by some years, so your question
doesn't entirely make sense. But I believe it has been the way it is now
since the Esher Bypass was built. As a child in the 1970s I noticed from
maps that the Hook junction was the only "wrongly designed" junction in
London, because it was blindingly obvious that the Esher Bypass should have
access to and from the Hook roundabout, and the Esher road (A309) should
lose access to (and possibly from) the Hook underpass. I have never found
out why it is the way it is.


What I meant by this question was if I was at the roundabout I can
only go towards London on the A3 there is no direct access to the
southbound A3 you have to go to Esher first. Has it never been
possible to get directly from Hook to the A3 southbound?

Troy Steadman October 31st 04 03:47 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Martin Underwood" wrote in message

"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
news:fdc7a8b752b707a4555becb9c9f5bbf9.125090@mygat e.mailgate.org...
"Paul Terry" wrote in message


Ah! Was it road heating to stop ice formation?


Yes indeedy powered by two generators one either side of the road.


Ah! So it wasn't the device itself (the road heating) that was noisy. It was
merely the means of powering it. I was going to suggest something along
these lines but I thought "that's not noisy". If they'd powered it from the
National Grid then it would have been silent.


If it had been on the National Grid it wouldn't have been such a
bleedin' stupid idea. Presumably the generators were behind doors at the
roadside (I can't be bothered to drive the massive round journey to have
a quick glimpse), in which case whoever had the job of switching them on
would have to park in the underpass twice.

Or is there a pedestrian access?

(My info so far is from "Hook Remembered" and "Hook Remembered Again" by
Mark Davison).



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Paul Terry October 31st 04 04:18 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , CIG_BIG_CIG
writes

What I meant by this question was if I was at the roundabout I can
only go towards London on the A3 there is no direct access to the
southbound A3 you have to go to Esher first. Has it never been
possible to get directly from Hook to the A3 southbound?


Yes, as has already been explained, before the Esher by-pass was built
the road that is now the A309 heading towards Esher *was* the southbound
A3 - so in those days there was indeed direct access from the Hook
roundabout.

It was only after the A3 got "moved" (due to the opening of the Esher
bypass) that the former direct access became instead direct access to
the A309.

--
Paul Terry

Troy Steadman October 31st 04 04:19 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Stuart" wrote in message


Troy Steadman wrote:

It isn't a tunnel, it's a roundabout on top of the A3 in a cutting,
nowadays a very ordinary intersection but in it's time quite something.
As was the "Ace of Spades" roadhouse on the old roundabout which had not
only a swimming pool but also an airfield.


An airfield!? Where was that then?


Farmer Brooms fields behind Kelvin Grove (just across the A3)? There is
a picture in HRA of a 5/- a flight bi-plane in the 1930's. Don't suppose
the pub owned the airfield but it was certainly very close to it, and a
picture in the Cap in Hand makes the connection. Douglas Bader used the
Ace but *didn't* fly to it AFAIK.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Stuart October 31st 04 06:04 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
CIG_BIG_CIG wrote:

What I meant by this question was if I was at the roundabout I can
only go towards London on the A3 there is no direct access to the
southbound A3 you have to go to Esher first. Has it never been
possible to get directly from Hook to the A3 southbound?


Yes, before the Esher By-pass was built you could go onto the southbound
A3 from the Hook Roundabout


Stuart October 31st 04 10:52 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Troy Steadman wrote:


Farmer Brooms fields behind Kelvin Grove (just across the A3)? There is
a picture in HRA of a 5/- a flight bi-plane in the 1930's. Don't suppose
the pub owned the airfield but it was certainly very close to it, and a
picture in the Cap in Hand makes the connection. Douglas Bader used the
Ace but *didn't* fly to it AFAIK.


Interesting, so behind Kelvin Gravoe would be what is now the King
Edward Recreation Ground then?

What is HRA and what is 5/-??


Roland Perry November 1st 04 05:44 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , at 19:04:03
on Sun, 31 Oct 2004, Stuart remarked:
Has it never been
possible to get directly from Hook to the A3 southbound?


Yes, before the Esher By-pass was built you could go onto the
southbound A3 from the Hook Roundabout


And you can still do that, although the road has since been renumbered
the A309 :-)
--
Roland Perry

Troy Steadman November 1st 04 06:05 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Stuart" wrote in message

Troy Steadman wrote:

Farmer Brooms fields behind Kelvin Grove (just across the A3)? There is
a picture in HRA of a 5/- a flight bi-plane in the 1930's. Don't suppose
the pub owned the airfield but it was certainly very close to it, and a
picture in the Cap in Hand makes the connection. Douglas Bader used the
Ace but *didn't* fly to it AFAIK.


Interesting, so behind Kelvin Gravoe would be what is now the King
Edward Recreation Ground then?

What is HRA and what is 5/-??


Suppose so.

HRA is "Hook Remembered Again" by Mark Davison which I've already
mentioned.

5/- is 5s 0d AKA 2 x 2/6 ie "half a crown" (which is what children could
pay if two of them were able squeeze into the single seat of the
bi-plane), nowadays 25p.



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Mrs Redboots November 1st 04 08:45 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Stuart wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:

What is HRA and what is 5/-??

I don't know HRA, but 5/- is our old currency, what used to be called
"five shillings". Now 25p, but in those days it was a lot of money!
Maybe the equivalent of £50 or thereabouts.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 31 October 2004



Paul Terry November 1st 04 09:36 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , Mrs Redboots
writes

Stuart wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:

What is HRA and what is 5/-??

I don't know HRA, but 5/- is our old currency, what used to be called
"five shillings". Now 25p, but in those days it was a lot of money!
Maybe the equivalent of £50 or thereabouts.


Not that much! 5 shillings in 1930 was worth about 12 pounds today - so
not bad for a short flight.

--
Paul Terry

Mrs Redboots November 1st 04 09:51 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Paul Terry wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 1 Nov 2004:

In message , Mrs
Redboots writes

Stuart wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:

What is HRA and what is 5/-??

I don't know HRA, but 5/- is our old currency, what used to be called
"five shillings". Now 25p, but in those days it was a lot of money!
Maybe the equivalent of £50 or thereabouts.


Not that much! 5 shillings in 1930 was worth about 12 pounds today -
so not bad for a short flight.

As little as that? Hmm..... you could support a family on £300 a year,
back then, and now you would want, what, a minimum of £20,000. Okay
some things (notably communications) are infinitely cheaper now than
they were then, but if you express 5 shillings as a fraction of the
annual salary, it would be more like £2,400 of today's money.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 31 October 2004



Tony Bryer November 1st 04 10:29 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In article , Mrs Redboots
wrote:
Not that much! 5 shillings in 1930 was worth about 12 pounds
today - so not bad for a short flight.

As little as that? Hmm..... you could support a family on
£300 a year, back then, and now you would want, what, a
minimum of £20,000. Okay some things (notably communications)
are infinitely cheaper now than they were then, but if you
express 5 shillings as a fraction of the annual salary,
it would be more like £2,400 of today's money.


Uh? 5/- is 1/1200 of £300. So today's equivalent would be 1/1200
of £20K = £16.67 surely?

--
Tony Bryer


Neill Wood November 1st 04 11:34 AM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
This is vague, but I remember reading something once that the Ace of
Spades was popular with flying types in the 1930's and some used to
fly there. Presumably there was some clear area nearby for them to
land on, though the recreation ground would possibly be too small.
I go round the Hook roundabout each night on the way home, having come
down Woodstock Lane, up the n/bound sliproad and then back down to
Esher. This is to aviod the hideous queues on the Esher-Kingston road
via Long Ditton.
When I was a child in the 70's I recall the Silly Isles, (I think it
was always stupid silly as opposed to islands off Cornwall), had a
different layout with more than one roundabout as now, hence the name.
In the same location, I heard a story that the railway bridge nearby
over the Hampton Court-Esher Road was constructed wider than necessary
as it was intended the road would be wider. The path on one side is
quite wide. Don't knowe how true this is though.
I don't often travel Londonbound on the A3, but I think the doors in
the side of the Hook Underpass are still visible. Are there any up the
road at Tolworth. I seem to think there are, but might be confusing
the two. If there are were they put there as an option to do the same
as at Hook, or just for maintainence access?

Neill



Stuart wrote in message k...
Troy Steadman wrote:


Farmer Brooms fields behind Kelvin Grove (just across the A3)? There is
a picture in HRA of a 5/- a flight bi-plane in the 1930's. Don't suppose
the pub owned the airfield but it was certainly very close to it, and a
picture in the Cap in Hand makes the connection. Douglas Bader used the
Ace but *didn't* fly to it AFAIK.


Interesting, so behind Kelvin Gravoe would be what is now the King
Edward Recreation Ground then?

What is HRA and what is 5/-??


Mrs Redboots November 1st 04 12:12 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Tony Bryer wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 1 Nov 2004:

In article , Mrs Redboots
wrote:
Not that much! 5 shillings in 1930 was worth about 12 pounds
today - so not bad for a short flight.

As little as that? Hmm..... you could support a family on
£300 a year, back then, and now you would want, what, a
minimum of £20,000. Okay some things (notably communications)
are infinitely cheaper now than they were then, but if you
express 5 shillings as a fraction of the annual salary,
it would be more like £2,400 of today's money.


Uh? 5/- is 1/1200 of £300. So today's equivalent would be 1/1200
of £20K = £16.67 surely?

Probably, probably..... never very good at maths, I wasn't.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 31 October 2004



Troy Steadman November 1st 04 03:46 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Neill Wood" wrote in message
om

I don't often travel Londonbound on the A3, but I think the doors in
the side of the Hook Underpass are still visible.


So did I but there aren't any (I've just been to have a look) so the
generators must have been at ground level which makes sense. The Cap in
Hand (Wetherspoon) is one of the best *proper* locals in London, so I
popped in there, Harry Hawker lived at corner of Hook Rd / Orchard Rd,
so it is not surprising there was aviation interest. He is buried in the
churchyard near his house (marked with a cross on the overlaid map).

http://tinyurl.com/6fmq5

King Edward Rec is very large and quite capable I would suppose of
accomodating bi-planes. I wonder if anyone's figured out how the people
of Ace got home if they went to Mitcham on the 152?


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Terry Harper November 1st 04 04:58 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...
Stuart wrote to uk.transport.london on Sun, 31 Oct 2004:

What is HRA and what is 5/-??

I don't know HRA, but 5/- is our old currency, what used to be called
"five shillings". Now 25p, but in those days it was a lot of money!
Maybe the equivalent of £50 or thereabouts.


Back in the 1950s, 5/- was about 25% above the hourly rate for labourers, so
today's equivalent would be the minimum wage of £4.90 per hour+25%, say
£6.12. That's a factor of about 24 to 1.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL:
http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/



Roland Perry November 1st 04 05:34 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , at 17:58:22 on Mon, 1
Nov 2004, Terry Harper remarked:
Back in the 1950s, 5/- was about 25% above the hourly rate for labourers, so
today's equivalent would be the minimum wage of £4.90 per hour+25%, say
£6.12. That's a factor of about 24 to 1.


Whereas the £300 vs £20,000 is 67:1

Perhaps the £300 was a little on the low side - being £1.50 an hour or 3
shillings and nine pence an hour.
--
Roland Perry

Mrs Redboots November 1st 04 06:00 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Roland Perry wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 1 Nov 2004:

In message , at 17:58:22 on
Mon, 1 Nov 2004, Terry Harper
remarked:
Back in the 1950s, 5/- was about 25% above the hourly rate for labourers, so
today's equivalent would be the minimum wage of £4.90 per hour+25%, say
£6.12. That's a factor of about 24 to 1.


Whereas the £300 vs £20,000 is 67:1

Perhaps the £300 was a little on the low side - being £1.50 an hour or 3
shillings and nine pence an hour.


I was basing that on "Murder must Advertise", which I happen to be
re-reading, where a senior copywriter in an advertising agency was
earning £6.00 per week - I beg his pardon, £6/0/0, or £312 a year. And
Lord Peter Wimsey, if you recall, learning the trade, only made £4/0/0 a
week, or £208. Yet this wasn't considered particularly low....
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 31 October 2004



Paul Terry November 1st 04 06:59 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
In message , Terry Harper
writes

Back in the 1950s, 5/- was about 25% above the hourly rate for labourers, so
today's equivalent would be the minimum wage of £4.90 per hour+25%, say
£6.12. That's a factor of about 24 to 1.


Why should the hourly rate of labourers in the 1950s have anything to do
with either the matter under discussion (currency value in the 1930s) or
the minimum wage today?

Rather than guessing, why not try one of the many useful economic
history reference machines, which is what I did:

http://eh.net/hmit/ppowerbp/

Although only programmed up to 2002 it gives:

£4.91 in 2002 has the same "purchase power" as 5s in 1950.
£12.16 in 2002 has the same "purchase power" as 5s in 1930.
--
Paul Terry

CIG_BIG_CIG November 1st 04 07:49 PM

Trivia: Hook Underpass (Ace of Spades)
 
Paul Terry wrote in message ...
In message , CIG_BIG_CIG
writes

What I meant by this question was if I was at the roundabout I can
only go towards London on the A3 there is no direct access to the
southbound A3 you have to go to Esher first. Has it never been
possible to get directly from Hook to the A3 southbound?


Yes, as has already been explained, before the Esher by-pass was built
the road that is now the A309 heading towards Esher *was* the southbound
A3 - so in those days there was indeed direct access from the Hook
roundabout.

It was only after the A3 got "moved" (due to the opening of the Esher
bypass) that the former direct access became instead direct access to
the A309.


Aha! The movement of the A3 explains it all!

Now logic suggests if the Ace of Spades came first then did Tolworth
and New Malden come second and third respectively?


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:20 AM.

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2006 LondonBanter.co.uk