@Chris Blay >>> 😂😂😂 You had to, as former brookie viewer may be a little digging in the garden too? Jimmy hidden a surprise for you too 😉 I remember well brookie was prime time viewing for a lot of people it rivalled & beat alot of soaps in the ratings alone more so in regions around it. Just the theme tune made you know what it meant..... unmatched even today. You could say a follow on from "bread" (series) before that "boy from the black stuff" (good film & ep) locally produced in Merseyside.... A word not used often any more..... All you hear now days is I'm from Liverpool.......with a local tone. No real roots in the local region any more far from my younger days. 😐👈👉☝👇
Lol, I'm pretty sure a lot of Brookside viewers not only watched a body under a patio, but also just so happened to tune in when Anna and Nicola did the first pre watershed same sex kiss 😉 That was groundbreaking back then, totally different to nowadays, but great to hear it's going to be repeated again. 😃
@@wurlyone4685 Sounds good to me they'll out find out that soap is about > fantasy land not real life like they try to say it is today. You couldn't get me to watch one soap programme today... all cack. You better watch for that jimmey he'll get you... hehe 😙🙂 I hear he's a good teacher.... 🙃
I travel from Maghull (A59) to the Wirral and I can’t remember a day that there isn’t a crash on Switch. If you don’t know what lane you should be in you’ve got no chance!
I pity people that don't use that junction regularly. You see all sorts of crazy stuff. Wish more people would expect the unexpected and give more space.
If you think Switch Island is confusing .... I'm guessing Secrets of the M58 will be here RSN ... giving us the ..... novel .... Junction 5, Pimbo interchange. I think the original design plans were replaced by a piece of abstract art (or possibly pornography .... it's rather weird) and nobody noticed. Also, uniquely, one of the road signs has Skelmersdale's slang name "Skem" on it ....
As a 5 year old Cantril Farm kid, myself and my friends used to play on the M57 just after it was built and before it was opened near the Croxteth Lane Bridge. It was great zooming up and down the newly laid tarmac on our bikes. One day we turned up and climbed through the fencing to be met with cars and lorries zooming up and down. and we then got spotted by a Range Rover Police patrol who picked us all up and took us home with a bit of a telling off for attempting to play on the motorway. It was great and we also got to see the lights and siren action being took home. Also, Brookside was on the opposite side of the field from our house, and we used to try and get filmed by the crew at the nearby shops (Baycliff Road). Great video!
“Junction 6 exists. Up at junction 7..” 🤣🤣😭😭 my favourite quote of the video. You never fail to crack me up John, keep up the amazing work as always. Thanks for brightening my weekend again :)
@@AutoShenanigans lol I just found your Instagram as I wanted to share the channel on my account, I didn’t know you were a fellow detailer though! I started a business in august although it majorly slowed down in the winter lol. Do you still do the detailing?
@@AutoShenanigans that’s awesome, I’m glad that TH-cam can take over that for you. We had a hose pipe ban at the end of summer which killed us off completely because we’re mobile and we operate out of my Jag x type so I don’t have water I need to access customers taps. Still we live and we learn, saving up to rent a unit as I think having a sheltered place with water access will be much more appealing than relying on British weather and customers outside taps! 👍🏻
Knowsley Brook Bridge where the tram track was, last saw trams in November 1956, just 10 months before the final closure of Liverpool's tramways. It was part of the Kirkby extension which opened during WW2 to serve the ROF there. Great video as always.
Indeed, but as Liverpool has a number of roads radiating out from its centre it makes sense to link them together with a motorway on the edge of the urban area to make getting into or out of any given part of the city much easier. I remember before it was built things were *not* so simple !
I watched Ashley Neal's video about Switch Island this week and now here's Jon to provide the drone footage that truely shows what a mess it is. Blimey! No wonder the M57 backs up!
Speaking of the soap opera 'Brookside' - taking place in a real cul-de-sac with real houses? There was a Canadian soap opera that took place in the province of Newfoundland called 'Outport'. The series ran from 2001 to 2006. The stories were about life in Newfoundland outports just after Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. The producers bought a real, Newfoundland, outport village called 'Tessimile'. It had been a fishing village of about 190 people. But, as was the destiny of hundreds of such 'outports', the government bought the villages and relocated their inhabitants to nearby, larger towns. This was for two reasons: 1) the outports often had no direct connection to the outside world other than by boat. No rail or even roads. Even electricity was often, only locally 'produced' with generators. 2) it cost the government substantially to provide basic health, education and emergency services to these isolated locations. Thus, many were bought up and abandoned. This had happened to Tessimile in 1987. So, the producers of the series bought the entire village for a miniscule price - from the government. Performed some minor refurbishing and created the soap opera. The largest, single expense was to build a passable, dirt road to the village from the nearest, dedicated roadway. Though this was actually funded by the CBC (the network that broadcast the series). The show was a big hit in Newfoundland for it's entire run. But was only a relative hit in the rest of Canada for a few years. After which, the novelty - apparently - wore off. And the high ratings in Newfoundland - with only 1/2 a million residents in total - could not justify the large expense to fund the series. So, it went off the air in first run status in 2006. Though it still is shown in Newfoundland, in syndication, to this day. The town was eventually bought up by fans of the series (for almost nothing). And is now a museum to the much-loved (locally) series. Of course, I just made the above up (except the part about Newfoundland outports being bought up by the provincial government - that part was true) Cheers. ☮ BTW - only 24.8K until 100K, Jon.
Dammit! You had me there. That would have been a great series. Lots of empty communities now to film a series like that. It would have been pretty depressing though given the economics of the time. I'm not sure the govt purchased the resettled communities, but rather just paid the families to move. We still "own" our land in one of them.
I remember that series! Been looking for it everywhere but I can only find short clips. da boo doo da de doo dooo doo.. one of the best theme tunes as well.
Living in Manchester, we regularly used the M57 from its first opening to visit my Auntie and cousins in Maghull, rather than the old route along the East Lancs and through Kirkby. I vividly remember them telling me during the later time that the M58 was being added that local radio (Radio City) gave a daily report on the ever-changing cone configuration at the junction and graduated from saying "it's been switched round again" to just calling it Switch Island! Fascinating to see how that's become its official name!!
Something from pedant's corner: That tramway bridge at 5:10 was used until 3/4 November 1956 carrying the no. 19 route to Kirkby. It was one of the last closures before final closure on 14/9/57. EDIT: I deleted "pendant's" and added the correct word "pedant's"
You could do a whole vid just on the various incarnations of Switch Island and how absolutely none of them have made it even slightly navigable. Even putting lane assist lights on the right turn from Dunnings Bridge rd to the M57 just confuses things.
Another memory triggered my grandmother lived in Liverpool as did her friends one friend was a lady called Annie and she lived in Croxteth or nearby anyway So we used to visit her and from her kitchen you could see the M57 in all its glory.
The Junction 3 spur road was unused for a number of years. Where there is a new housing estate on Stockbridge Lane was once Parkway School stood in the 1970's but was abandoned and I think it's last use was as Knowsley Security patrols base (I worked for them for a year in the mid 80's)
All they need to do is add a couple of free flowing sliproads between the M57 and M58 and they could just call it one motorway. Probably be best in that scenario to drop the M58 name and keep it M57 because the shape of the motorway wouldn't be that far off looking like a backwards number 7.
I remember junction 3 looking like it was complete but closed off and disused when I first travelled along here in the 80s, I could never understand why. The northbound (entry) slip was gated. It was like this for what seemed like a few years before it opened
My understanding was vandalism from Canny Farm residents kept the slip road shut but that could be urban myth. I lived very close by on the Knowsley Park estate, remember the construction of the section between Stockbridge Lane and Liverpool Rd.
Yay! My favourite motorway, cheers Jon. Stockbridge Village was originally called Cantril Farm estate and was once reputedly one of the worst housing schemes in Europe. Space wrote "Beautiful Neighbourhood" based on their life experiences growing up there..
I like those overlooked, boring bits of pathway that can be found alongside our larger roads, perhaps featuring railings and underpasses. They have such a somewhere yet nowhere feel to them. An enigmatic blend of significance and emptyness. They have an atmosphere, a noise, a smell, a presence, yet nothing. Natures most brazen plants can be found creeping their way into these curious corners reminding you that, no matter how many horsepower you have, ultimately, you will never win. If you are lucky, you will see a robin, or a magpie, or even a jay.
If you're ever up in Scotland to cover some of our motorways, the motorways in and around Glasgow are all a cobbled together mess of half complete roads. The M80/M8/M74 all have a multitude of junctions that weren't completed as originally planned, whole motorways that were never completed resulting in junctions being haphazardly connected to the local road network.
Junction 7 (switch island) is an accident hotspot despite a number of costly improvement the accidents keep happening, the proposed flyover at the end of the m57 was never built so too many roads including the newly built Brooms Cross road (M57 extension) and to the complexity of the junction and hence more accidents
In the 1970s I often travelled from my Grandparents house in south Liverpool up to other relatives near Maghull. I can remember going past a slip road onto the M57 that was blocked off for a few years even though it was complete. Never found out why.
Junction three (Cantril Farm latterly Stockbridge Village) was built originally but never opened for a very long time. Remember it having big wooden blocks stopping traffic. Switch Island used to be a huge roundabout then they halved it and then this mishmash. Still doesn't work
I skidded once on M57, when sudden Hailstorm hit the road. I braked slightly, big mistake, then was going sideways and ended up on the hard shoulder, luckily there was no other traffic about at the time?
Just like that bit of Tramway; most people would look at that and think ‘CBA to find out what that thing is’ but Jon DOES find out and feeds our minds with data and history 😁
Fun fact!...The slip road at 1:58 is where Sam Tyler (John Simm) met his demise at the begging of 'Life On Mars' to a carless E reg Cavalier driver. If you were facing the other way towards the underpass that is.
Having watched this I'm now eagerly anticipating the announcement by Liverpool Council to build a ring road. BTW loved the 'Cilla' reference in the closing music.
@@tobortine Oh yes Cilla black was very big Liverpool lovey right to her last days. No one has ever or will replace her. You have to be a certain age to know what she did in her career for the public & the show presenting later in life was only small item she provided for many. Just like old babs - Barbara Windsor one of a kind. 😏
I thought I see you knocking about suspiciously the other day around there 😂😂 that’s my neck of the woods,nearly got to meet the legend for a second time 😮
Excellent. These videos bring out the road geek in me. Although I’m 56 now I well remember as a teen when driving with parents saying and pointing out ‘old road’ when were we on a new alignment of a road! And I still do.
Thanks for the explanation of the tramway. I've often wondered what that bridge was for and, like you, originally thought it to be a railway bridge. Excellent content as ever!
Being a coastal city wouldn't in and of itself necessarily stop creating a ring road even if in this case it wouldn't be an efficient use of roadbuilding. It's not a ring road but if you google The Bandra-Worli Sea Link you'll know what I mean. It's an expressway built over the sea in Mumbai and takes a lot of traffic out of the very congested suburbs.
I grew up walking distance from the section between Prescot and Cantril Farm (renamed Stockbridge Village). The Junction at Cantril Farm was closed for many years.
Before the A5758 was built, if one was heading to Switch Island from the north the only way to do it was through a housing estate and several sets of traffic lights, on 30mph roads. The 5758 is much quicker.
Happy Sunday. Enjoying cool beverage and the history of Motorways. Thanks again. Disclaimer. I am not enjoying a beverage and motorways in a moving vehicle. At home with my slippers on
I used to live in Speke and worked in Kirkby, so used said southern expressway and the M57 daily. I've often wondered why the M62 starts at Junction 4 in Wavertree, so I'll wait for that.
you too? 20 years ago, I lived in speke, and worked in Kirby. I also grew up in Broadgreen, and my stepmother lived at the shops next to the old jag dealer at the rocket flyover Anyway, the 62 starts at 4, because it was originally designed to go into the city, along edge lane, and I think link up with one of the tunnels (the kingsway iirc) But they never went through with it. Also, that's not wavertree it endsat, thats Broadgreen. You go left along queens drive) to childwall, through the lights, 4th exit at the roundabout after King David school (where the actor Jason Isaac's went) and go down for a mile or so to the clock tower, and then you're in wavertree. Did that journey for years going to school at the Blue Coat
he's going to love doing the 62. The liverpool end is at the 'rocket', which is about 2 miles from the oldest railway station still in use, Edge Hill. and there's an absolute SHED load of tunnels and lines around there. Not to mention the Williamson tunnels.
@@willtricks9432 But he missed the two quarries on Wednesdays video. So close to that not motorway services in Leicester that had closed. BIGLY quarries too.
You should cover the M2 here in Northern Ireland. Its an unfinished mess that was part of a motorway megaproject that was started but then never finished. Interested remnants and such.
My favourite city, Liverpool! I'm friends with a few guys on the clubland scene there! And, STV announced this week it'll be uploading all episodes of Brookside, a few a week, onto the STV player, so good timing for your location visit!
Jon I love learning about the uk from a unique perspective of your own just on highways as a Native Canadian indigenous man❤ regardless of our countries um stumbly bumpy histories I still love and hold interest in the UK and it’s interesting infrastructure and the d railways because England being the place where rail was invented and perfected. Lol I’m on one as I speak now in the Montreal Underground. Coming back from Cote Vertu to connect with orange line.
So interesting to find out the bridge was originally for Trams. Always wondered what it was for and just thought old railway. Another random place to visit, not so much motorway but near by is Skemesdale. You can see it had plans to be very big and busy when created, but a lot of roads clearly never built or finished as simply no need. Mainly the B312
When I worked at Jacob's in Aintree we'd be required to go to their other sites in Wigston and Reading. Our hire car origin was the Liverpool factory in Long Lane L9 however something we noticed driving back was one of the distance signs on the M57 put a location FURTHER AWAY with a later sign you passed! I forget now, maybe someone here will rememember. I'm going back to between 1990 and 1998.
Glad you've come up to our merry part of the world to do some moto exploration 👌🏻The M53 is a fascinating piece of motorway too, looking forward to seeing that one in the future 😁
my neck of the woods :D the knowsley expressway before it changes to the m57 is really important for none motorway traffic (L plates and such) to get from Widnes to Huyton a bit faster as the only other route would be to go through Widnes and through Cronton along country lanes.
Went through Switch Island going to Crosby and its the first time in 5 attempts we got through it and back without a mistake or someone trying to ram us. Its a horrible junction 😳
In 1972, the M57 ended at J5/J4, on the A580, on a bit of a fork interchange. You'd have to join the roundabout interchange if you wanted to join from the A580 westbound.
Switch Island looks more like an afterthought or no thought at all. I regularly use this route and the number of accidents here are unbelievable. Never seen a junction like it.
Enjoying this while sat at Keele services on the M6. Welcome Break do a beyond crummy job of looking after the place, but despite that (and hence perhaps strangely?) it's quite well appointed In terms of the franchise outlets, including a Waitrose 🤷 Still using the bridge for the location of the food outlets/eating area is a nice touch, too.
With how long the M6 is, Jon would either need about an hour or multiple vids :( Hell, the segments around Birmingham, Stoke, Manchester and Blackpool could warrant videos on their own O_o
Up until 2008 the M57 was a very rare example of a UK motorway not directly linked to another motorways (though unlike the M2, only just not linked.) The Tarbook roundabout interchange was an all purpose road as two non-motorway roads interchange with it. Likewise, Switch island on the northern terminus requires a short drive on the A59 to reach the M58. The east to north turning loop and free flowing left turn from south to west put in in 2008 finally connected the M57 and M62 together. On very early episodes of Brookside you can see how close the Close is to the M57, as the Cantrill Farm tower blocks can be seen in the distance on some of the aerial shots in the opening credits. These white concrete blocks are a prominent sight around the Seth Powell junction. Rumour has it on dark nights the ghost of Trevor Jordache can be heard calling "Hello Mandy my darling" on the southbound carriageway. (I might have made that but up!!)
Ah, the Tarbuck roundabout... clearly named after one of Liverpool's finest exports, Sir Jimmy. 😉 Join Jon next week when he gives us a 20 minute video on a bus shelter named after Ian Rush 😆
In 1965 I expect at least one of the planners dreamed of a motorway running past the front of the liver building! Enabling traffic to get to the centre of Liverpool at motorway speeds! Ring road all the way! 0:33
Since you mention expressways as substitutes for motorways, the A580 East Lancashire Road seems relevant - to me, as a southerner, it comes off as a local secret alternative to the M62 between Liverpool and Manchester,never seen it properly explained anywhere - definitely ripe for the Auto Shenanigans treatment \m/
You're right, the A580 is used as an alternative to the M62. Pre pandemic, I used to commute to Rochdale from Skelmersdale. This would involve going along the M58, down the M6 and then, depending on traffic volumes, I would either be sent east along the M62, or brought off early at the A580. The problem with the A580 though is the drivers, many of which sit in lane 2 oblivious to the holdups they're causing.. Well, that, and the fact that between the M6 and the M60, increasing parts of the A580 seem to be having their speed limits reduced as housing is built alongside it.
@@RikAindow The East Lancs Road (A580) was built way before the M62 was (it opened in 1934) and should have continued on into Yorkshire but it never came to that. That purpose spawned the idea of building the M62.
it was the first road built between Liverpool and Manchester that crossed Chat Moss, the huge expanse of bogland between the two cities - the A57 and A58 both go around it, and no attempt was made to build across it until the 20th century when the M62 across Chat Moss was built in the early 1970s, it suffered from severe subsidence due to the soft ground underneath
Switch island isn't confusing. For people who don't know how to stay in lanes; they have a very handy light system that light up the lanes in the road depending on specific traffic light configs.
Switch island is that confusing for some, they have had to install lights into the road that turn on when your set of lights are on green to help people stay in the correct lane.
5:59 Switch Island. I used to go through the original, shown in its original form here, every day to and from school from Maghull to Netherton and have witnessed every iteration since. The old OS map here shows the original road that the A59 replaced to the east, adjacent to the words 'Aintree Culvert'. It was known as 'switch' island in 1965, but I dont know why it has that name.
I live between junctions 4 and 6, first ever time on the motorway as a driver was from junction 6 to Switch Island. Was very shocked that I made it through Switch Island without incident 😅
Excellent - I’ve never been to Liverpool and I’m not sure if I’d rush up there but I can imagine taking my wife and family to see the “odd junctions of the M57” 😆😆
I mean I'm from Liverpool and there's nothing wrong with it. A lot of friendly people and good history worth a visit. Yes it has its bad parts that you see on the news but everywhere does :)
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I recon at least one of those Brookside residents is probably a bit nervous about gardening around the patio. 🤣
@Chris Blay >>> 😂😂😂 You had to, as former brookie viewer may be a little digging in the garden too? Jimmy hidden a surprise for you too 😉 I remember well brookie was prime time viewing for a lot of people it rivalled & beat alot of soaps in the ratings alone more so in regions around it. Just the theme tune made you know what it meant..... unmatched even today. You could say a follow on from "bread" (series) before that "boy from the black stuff" (good film & ep) locally produced in Merseyside.... A word not used often any more..... All you hear now days is I'm from Liverpool.......with a local tone. No real roots in the local region any more far from my younger days. 😐👈👉☝👇
They might be too young to know about it... But considering the entire soap is now gonna be re-run on STV Player, they get the chance to find out!
Brilliant memorie 😂
Lol, I'm pretty sure a lot of Brookside viewers not only watched a body under a patio, but also just so happened to tune in when Anna and Nicola did the first pre watershed same sex kiss 😉
That was groundbreaking back then, totally different to nowadays, but great to hear it's going to be repeated again. 😃
@@wurlyone4685 Sounds good to me they'll out find out that soap is about > fantasy land not real life like they try to say it is today. You couldn't get me to watch one soap programme today... all cack. You better watch for that jimmey he'll get you... hehe 😙🙂 I hear he's a good teacher.... 🙃
I didn't think they could make the Switch Island junction anymore confusing , then they did!
I use it regularly to go to Ormskirk and I bloody hate it. The light up cat eyes when the lights are green going 57 to 58 is cool tho 😂
I travel from Maghull (A59) to the Wirral and I can’t remember a day that there isn’t a crash on Switch. If you don’t know what lane you should be in you’ve got no chance!
I pity people that don't use that junction regularly. You see all sorts of crazy stuff. Wish more people would expect the unexpected and give more space.
@@Valisk Common courtesy is a thing of the past, Certainly declined in the last 35 years I've been driving
If you think Switch Island is confusing .... I'm guessing Secrets of the M58 will be here RSN ... giving us the ..... novel .... Junction 5, Pimbo interchange. I think the original design plans were replaced by a piece of abstract art (or possibly pornography .... it's rather weird) and nobody noticed.
Also, uniquely, one of the road signs has Skelmersdale's slang name "Skem" on it ....
As a 5 year old Cantril Farm kid, myself and my friends used to play on the M57 just after it was built and before it was opened near the Croxteth Lane Bridge. It was great zooming up and down the newly laid tarmac on our bikes. One day we turned up and climbed through the fencing to be met with cars and lorries zooming up and down. and we then got spotted by a Range Rover Police patrol who picked us all up and took us home with a bit of a telling off for attempting to play on the motorway. It was great and we also got to see the lights and siren action being took home. Also, Brookside was on the opposite side of the field from our house, and we used to try and get filmed by the crew at the nearby shops (Baycliff Road). Great video!
“Junction 6 exists. Up at junction 7..” 🤣🤣😭😭 my favourite quote of the video. You never fail to crack me up John, keep up the amazing work as always. Thanks for brightening my weekend again :)
It's those sort of facts that keep us in business :D
@@AutoShenanigans lol I just found your Instagram as I wanted to share the channel on my account, I didn’t know you were a fellow detailer though! I started a business in august although it majorly slowed down in the winter lol. Do you still do the detailing?
@@jacobwhite1360 No.. not for a while, during covid I started a retail business but youtube started to take over and I do that instead now.
@@AutoShenanigans that’s awesome, I’m glad that TH-cam can take over that for you. We had a hose pipe ban at the end of summer which killed us off completely because we’re mobile and we operate out of my Jag x type so I don’t have water I need to access customers taps. Still we live and we learn, saving up to rent a unit as I think having a sheltered place with water access will be much more appealing than relying on British weather and customers outside taps! 👍🏻
@@AutoShenanigans exit 6, no mention of the world famous Kirkby Ski Slope?
Well once again you have confirmed how short-sighted our transport planners are - and have been - over the ages.
"Joined up thinking" is a term they need introducing to.......😍
Knowsley Brook Bridge where the tram track was, last saw trams in November 1956, just 10 months before the final closure of Liverpool's tramways. It was part of the Kirkby extension which opened during WW2 to serve the ROF there. Great video as always.
Im surprised you never mentioned the ski slope at Kirkby.
I remember the infamous Kirkby ski slope, It was built on a mound of rubbish, and without proper planning permission.
Built by a bloke called Brian baraclough, it was a major 'feature' and easily seen from the motorway !
(I'm now gonna Google it to find out more !)
@@OldSonyMan th-cam.com/video/qZX7xhOeF3k/w-d-xo.html
Showing my age, I remember when Switch Island was just a roundabout. We used to drive that way, to see grandma who lived in Melling Road, Aintree.
Such a short motorway to have so many odd junctions 🙂 Great episode.
Indeed, but as Liverpool has a number of roads radiating out from its centre it makes sense to link them together with a motorway on the edge of the urban area to make getting into or out of any given part of the city much easier.
I remember before it was built things were *not* so simple !
Wait for the M58 ; two disasters and one that appears to have been designed by throwing dice.
I watched Ashley Neal's video about Switch Island this week and now here's Jon to provide the drone footage that truely shows what a mess it is. Blimey! No wonder the M57 backs up!
It's certainly... crap.
Going to have a watch of Ashley's Video right after this.
Haha loved the Surprise Surprise theme at the end. I grew up watching Brookie
Speaking of the soap opera 'Brookside' - taking place in a real cul-de-sac with real houses?
There was a Canadian soap opera that took place in the province of Newfoundland called 'Outport'.
The series ran from 2001 to 2006.
The stories were about life in Newfoundland outports just after Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.
The producers bought a real, Newfoundland, outport village called 'Tessimile'.
It had been a fishing village of about 190 people. But, as was the destiny of hundreds of such 'outports', the government bought the villages and relocated their inhabitants to nearby, larger towns.
This was for two reasons:
1) the outports often had no direct connection to the outside world other than by boat. No rail or even roads. Even electricity was often, only locally 'produced' with generators.
2) it cost the government substantially to provide basic health, education and emergency services to these isolated locations.
Thus, many were bought up and abandoned.
This had happened to Tessimile in 1987. So, the producers of the series bought the entire village for a miniscule price - from the government. Performed some minor refurbishing and created the soap opera. The largest, single expense was to build a passable, dirt road to the village from the nearest, dedicated roadway. Though this was actually funded by the CBC (the network that broadcast the series).
The show was a big hit in Newfoundland for it's entire run. But was only a relative hit in the rest of Canada for a few years. After which, the novelty - apparently - wore off. And the high ratings in Newfoundland - with only 1/2 a million residents in total - could not justify the large expense to fund the series.
So, it went off the air in first run status in 2006. Though it still is shown in Newfoundland, in syndication, to this day.
The town was eventually bought up by fans of the series (for almost nothing). And is now a museum to the much-loved (locally) series.
Of course, I just made the above up (except the part about Newfoundland outports being bought up by the provincial government - that part was true)
Cheers.
☮
BTW - only 24.8K until 100K, Jon.
Nice work, had me going for a bit.
Dammit! You had me there. That would have been a great series. Lots of empty communities now to film a series like that. It would have been pretty depressing though given the economics of the time. I'm not sure the govt purchased the resettled communities, but rather just paid the families to move. We still "own" our land in one of them.
I remember that series! Been looking for it everywhere but I can only find short clips.
da boo doo da de doo dooo doo.. one of the best theme tunes as well.
"Trailer Park Boys" based in Halifax was more thought-provoking...
Living in Manchester, we regularly used the M57 from its first opening to visit my Auntie and cousins in Maghull, rather than the old route along the East Lancs and through Kirkby. I vividly remember them telling me during the later time that the M58 was being added that local radio (Radio City) gave a daily report on the ever-changing cone configuration at the junction and graduated from saying "it's been switched round again" to just calling it Switch Island! Fascinating to see how that's become its official name!!
Something from pedant's corner: That tramway bridge at 5:10 was used until 3/4 November 1956 carrying the no. 19 route to Kirkby. It was one of the last closures before final closure on 14/9/57.
EDIT: I deleted "pendant's" and added the correct word "pedant's"
Useful info Rekowagen but please try to spell "pedant" - or was it a typo? In which case you are forgiven
@@BillyKirbyUK you are right. That was a typo. Thanks for spotting it.
You could do a whole vid just on the various incarnations of Switch Island and how absolutely none of them have made it even slightly navigable. Even putting lane assist lights on the right turn from Dunnings Bridge rd to the M57 just confuses things.
Wait until the M67, I call it the road that lies, it has signs for Sheffield on it and only gets as close as Mottram.
Oh so you're in Merseyside are you... So cannot wait for the videos on the M53 & M531!
Another memory triggered
my grandmother lived in Liverpool
as did her friends
one friend was a lady called Annie
and she lived in Croxteth or nearby anyway
So we used to visit her and from her kitchen you could see
the M57 in all its glory.
The Junction 3 spur road was unused for a number of years. Where there is a new housing estate on Stockbridge Lane was once Parkway School stood in the 1970's but was abandoned and I think it's last use was as Knowsley Security patrols base (I worked for them for a year in the mid 80's)
All they need to do is add a couple of free flowing sliproads between the M57 and M58 and they could just call it one motorway. Probably be best in that scenario to drop the M58 name and keep it M57 because the shape of the motorway wouldn't be that far off looking like a backwards number 7.
I remember junction 3 looking like it was complete but closed off and disused when I first travelled along here in the 80s, I could never understand why. The northbound (entry) slip was gated. It was like this for what seemed like a few years before it opened
My understanding was vandalism from Canny Farm residents kept the slip road shut but that could be urban myth. I lived very close by on the Knowsley Park estate, remember the construction of the section between Stockbridge Lane and Liverpool Rd.
Yay! My favourite motorway, cheers Jon. Stockbridge Village was originally called Cantril Farm estate and was once reputedly one of the worst housing schemes in Europe. Space wrote "Beautiful Neighbourhood" based on their life experiences growing up there..
Members of the band The Farm also grew up in the area, hence the name "The Farm" taken from the then Cantril Farm (or Canny farm).
My pops was from Canny Farm. Craig Charles also was born and grew up there too.
I like those overlooked, boring bits of pathway that can be found alongside our larger roads, perhaps featuring railings and underpasses. They have such a somewhere yet nowhere feel to them. An enigmatic blend of significance and emptyness. They have an atmosphere, a noise, a smell, a presence, yet nothing. Natures most brazen plants can be found creeping their way into these curious corners reminding you that, no matter how many horsepower you have, ultimately, you will never win. If you are lucky, you will see a robin, or a magpie, or even a jay.
Wooop wooop. I can't wait for the M62 episode
Here's a our Graham!
Love it mate, love the 80s 90s nostalgia you manage to squeeze in
Cilla was such a legend!
If you're ever up in Scotland to cover some of our motorways, the motorways in and around Glasgow are all a cobbled together mess of half complete roads. The M80/M8/M74 all have a multitude of junctions that weren't completed as originally planned, whole motorways that were never completed resulting in junctions being haphazardly connected to the local road network.
Junction 7 (switch island) is an accident hotspot despite a number of costly improvement the accidents keep happening, the proposed flyover at the end of the m57 was never built so too many roads including the newly built Brooms Cross road (M57 extension) and to the complexity of the junction and hence more accidents
Maybe it's the poor standards of many drivers today, and the people that think it's fine to go through amber/red lights?
In the 1970s I often travelled from my Grandparents house in south Liverpool up to other relatives near Maghull. I can remember going past a slip road onto the M57 that was blocked off for a few years even though it was complete. Never found out why.
Junction three (Cantril Farm latterly Stockbridge Village) was built originally but never opened for a very long time. Remember it having big wooden blocks stopping traffic. Switch Island used to be a huge roundabout then they halved it and then this mishmash. Still doesn't work
Nice bridge !
Credit script - wave. Lots. Keep waving. WAVE AGAIN. Ooo pigeons. STILL WAVING.
Another bloody fantastic episode Jon.
Switch Island was also used for the experimental 'runway lights' which make it fun to drive hee hee
I skidded once on M57, when sudden Hailstorm hit the road. I braked slightly, big mistake, then was going sideways and ended up on the hard shoulder, luckily there was no other traffic about at the time?
I think we don't appreciate this channel enough for managing to get good audio next to a noisy motorway. Unless he's a very good mime.
Just like that bit of Tramway; most people would look at that and think ‘CBA to find out what that thing is’ but Jon DOES find out and feeds our minds with data and history 😁
Fun fact!...The slip road at 1:58 is where Sam Tyler (John Simm) met his demise at the begging of 'Life On Mars' to a carless E reg Cavalier driver. If you were facing the other way towards the underpass that is.
I loved this from the moment you bleeped out a "fxxk" !!! 🤣🙂
Great Description of Junction 6
100% accurate.
Nice one Jon 👍.Keep warm 🥃🥃. YNWA
Having watched this I'm now eagerly anticipating the announcement by Liverpool Council to build a ring road.
BTW loved the 'Cilla' reference in the closing music.
Thank you, I knew that I knew it but couldn't place where from...
@@tobortine Oh yes Cilla black was very big Liverpool lovey right to her last days. No one has ever or will replace her. You have to be a certain age to know what she did in her career for the public & the show presenting later in life was only small item she provided for many. Just like old babs - Barbara Windsor one of a kind. 😏
@@gettogo0159 As Ben Elton once said, "Ooh, you lucky chucks, you've won a romantic dinner for two in McDonalds."
@@TheLeedsAppreciationSociety 😊
yay, the M57! my 2nd closest motorway, behind the M56! can’t wait to watch this
Absolutely awesome! My local motorway! And switch island is just a bodge of a bodge of a bodge
I thought I see you knocking about suspiciously the other day around there 😂😂 that’s my neck of the woods,nearly got to meet the legend for a second time 😮
Why does everyone think I'm up to no good! :D
@@AutoShenanigans you’ve just got that look about you 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Excellent. These videos bring out the road geek in me. Although I’m 56 now I well remember as a teen when driving with parents saying and pointing out ‘old road’ when were we on a new alignment of a road! And I still do.
This series has got me involved to the point I can't wait for my "local" motorway (M62) to get the treatment.
Thanks for the explanation of the tramway. I've often wondered what that bridge was for and, like you, originally thought it to be a railway bridge. Excellent content as ever!
Yeah it took a while to work it out!
0:14 damn….
Being a coastal city wouldn't in and of itself necessarily stop creating a ring road even if in this case it wouldn't be an efficient use of roadbuilding. It's not a ring road but if you google The Bandra-Worli Sea Link you'll know what I mean. It's an expressway built over the sea in Mumbai and takes a lot of traffic out of the very congested suburbs.
I grew up walking distance from the section between Prescot and Cantril Farm (renamed Stockbridge Village). The Junction at Cantril Farm was closed for many years.
Before the A5758 was built, if one was heading to Switch Island from the north the only way to do it was through a housing estate and several sets of traffic lights, on 30mph roads. The 5758 is much quicker.
Happy Sunday. Enjoying cool beverage and the history of Motorways. Thanks again. Disclaimer. I am not enjoying a beverage and motorways in a moving vehicle. At home with my slippers on
Junction 7 - with the stress on the junk. What an awful mess. As my mother used to say "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
At Kirkby I can remember a completely blocked off junction and a ski slope?
I used to live in Speke and worked in Kirkby, so used said southern expressway and the M57 daily. I've often wondered why the M62 starts at Junction 4 in Wavertree, so I'll wait for that.
you too? 20 years ago, I lived in speke, and worked in Kirby.
I also grew up in Broadgreen, and my stepmother lived at the shops next to the old jag dealer at the rocket flyover
Anyway, the 62 starts at 4, because it was originally designed to go into the city, along edge lane, and I think link up with one of the tunnels (the kingsway iirc) But they never went through with it.
Also, that's not wavertree it endsat, thats Broadgreen. You go left along queens drive) to childwall, through the lights, 4th exit at the roundabout after King David school (where the actor Jason Isaac's went) and go down for a mile or so to the clock tower, and then you're in wavertree. Did that journey for years going to school at the Blue Coat
Yup, one of those classics. You end up wondering why they bother planning for motorways to actually go into city centres
it was meant to terminate on the Liverpool Inner Motorway, a city centre ring road that was planned around 1963 and never built
It's nice the relief presenter John has had a chance of doing these videos, but when is the star of the show Rozelle coming back? 🤔😁
Great video John, very interesting again,I love it when you mention abandoned railway or tram service, very nice thanks 👌👍😀
Thanks John. Nice to see you in the northwest. M58 next? It'd be rude not to whilst you're here. The M58 has even more unfinished parts to explore..
I feel like Jon is just doing this series as an excuse to explore old infrastructure, mainly old railway bridges and viaducts
You can feel however you want me ole luvver. Until the government ban having feelings.
He has a thing for quarries.
he's going to love doing the 62. The liverpool end is at the 'rocket', which is about 2 miles from the oldest railway station still in use, Edge Hill. and there's an absolute SHED load of tunnels and lines around there. Not to mention the Williamson tunnels.
@@KTetchDureek they are going to reopen one of the oldest stations but can't use the name as it's already being used.
@@willtricks9432 But he missed the two quarries on Wednesdays video. So close to that not motorway services in Leicester that had closed. BIGLY quarries too.
You should cover the M2 here in Northern Ireland. Its an unfinished mess that was part of a motorway megaproject that was started but then never finished. Interested remnants and such.
Happy Sunday Jonny pisshands
Lovely nickname
Why piss hands??
@@kyte4201 Watch the making of episode...
I Think he's washed them since the "Incident".
@@willtricks9432 I would hope so...
Loved the team bridge bit , who knew !
You forgot to mention the ski slope in Kirkby right next to the motorway😂, have a dig, it's quite hilarious!
Top one
Nice one
Get sorted
My favourite city, Liverpool! I'm friends with a few guys on the clubland scene there! And, STV announced this week it'll be uploading all episodes of Brookside, a few a week, onto the STV player, so good timing for your location visit!
Funnily enough, BBC radio Merseyside were talking about it as I was going about my filming day :D
Been waiting for this one! This is where I grew up. Now for the M58 which I remember being built.
Jon I love learning about the uk from a unique perspective of your own just on highways as a Native Canadian indigenous man❤ regardless of our countries um stumbly bumpy histories I still love and hold interest in the UK and it’s interesting infrastructure and the d railways because England being the place where rail was invented and perfected. Lol I’m on one as I speak now in the Montreal Underground. Coming back from Cote Vertu to connect with orange line.
Thanks again 👍
Little bit of blind date there john, nice one lad
So interesting to find out the bridge was originally for Trams. Always wondered what it was for and just thought old railway.
Another random place to visit, not so much motorway but near by is Skemesdale. You can see it had plans to be very big and busy when created, but a lot of roads clearly never built or finished as simply no need. Mainly the B312
When I worked at Jacob's in Aintree we'd be required to go to their other sites in Wigston and Reading. Our hire car origin was the Liverpool factory in Long Lane L9 however something we noticed driving back was one of the distance signs on the M57 put a location FURTHER AWAY with a later sign you passed! I forget now, maybe someone here will rememember. I'm going back to between 1990 and 1998.
Glad you've come up to our merry part of the world to do some moto exploration 👌🏻The M53 is a fascinating piece of motorway too, looking forward to seeing that one in the future 😁
my neck of the woods :D
the knowsley expressway before it changes to the m57 is really important for none motorway traffic (L plates and such) to get from Widnes to Huyton a bit faster as the only other route would be to go through Widnes and through Cronton along country lanes.
M57 is also a BMW 3.0l straight six turbo diesel engine
Junction 6 Exists' lol
Enjoyable vid of our wonderful M way again.
Ty Sir'
Went through Switch Island going to Crosby and its the first time in 5 attempts we got through it and back without a mistake or someone trying to ram us. Its a horrible junction 😳
You have to go straight on and then make a U-turn. Very strange indeed.
In 1972, the M57 ended at J5/J4, on the A580, on a bit of a fork interchange. You'd have to join the roundabout interchange if you wanted to join from the A580 westbound.
Switch Island looks more like an afterthought or no thought at all. I regularly use this route and the number of accidents here are unbelievable. Never seen a junction like it.
It would have been okay had the M57 been completed but the M58 would have needed to have a separate junction.
The amount of information is almost an assault on the senses! Amazing work! 😂
That was a facinating fact about junction 6.
You are most welcome.
Dammit I haven't even watched this video yet! 🤦♂️
You never waste our time. All information is good. 😀It's a shame about the tram network.
Enjoying this while sat at Keele services on the M6. Welcome Break do a beyond crummy job of looking after the place, but despite that (and hence perhaps strangely?) it's quite well appointed In terms of the franchise outlets, including a Waitrose 🤷
Still using the bridge for the location of the food outlets/eating area is a nice touch, too.
M6/A74M say what?? Please make this soon, would love to see the best Motorway in the UK. I hope you are well, keep up the grand work.
Likely gonna see the rest of Lancashire and surroundings before moving onwards and upwards
With how long the M6 is, Jon would either need about an hour or multiple vids :(
Hell, the segments around Birmingham, Stoke, Manchester and Blackpool could warrant videos on their own O_o
Thanks for the entertainment 👍
Up until 2008 the M57 was a very rare example of a UK motorway not directly linked to another motorways (though unlike the M2, only just not linked.) The Tarbook roundabout interchange was an all purpose road as two non-motorway roads interchange with it. Likewise, Switch island on the northern terminus requires a short drive on the A59 to reach the M58. The east to north turning loop and free flowing left turn from south to west put in in 2008 finally connected the M57 and M62 together.
On very early episodes of Brookside you can see how close the Close is to the M57, as the Cantrill Farm tower blocks can be seen in the distance on some of the aerial shots in the opening credits. These white concrete blocks are a prominent sight around the Seth Powell junction. Rumour has it on dark nights the ghost of Trevor Jordache can be heard calling "Hello Mandy my darling" on the southbound carriageway. (I might have made that but up!!)
Never been in Liverpool but passed it going to sunny Llandudno another interesting an informative video greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Ah, the Tarbuck roundabout... clearly named after one of Liverpool's finest exports, Sir Jimmy. 😉
Join Jon next week when he gives us a 20 minute video on a bus shelter named after Ian Rush 😆
Could be worse, imagine if the likes of John West sponsored a building of a housing estate and not just fun runs, imagine the names used then 😉
7:16 It's Bliiiiind Daaaate! With your host, miss Cilla Black
Here's our Graham
In 1965 I expect at least one of the planners dreamed of a motorway running past the front of the liver building! Enabling traffic to get to the centre of Liverpool at motorway speeds! Ring road all the way! 0:33
This is the best video I've ever seen about anything
Since you mention expressways as substitutes for motorways, the A580 East Lancashire Road seems relevant - to me, as a southerner, it comes off as a local secret alternative to the M62 between Liverpool and Manchester,never seen it properly explained anywhere - definitely ripe for the Auto Shenanigans treatment \m/
You're right, the A580 is used as an alternative to the M62. Pre pandemic, I used to commute to Rochdale from Skelmersdale. This would involve going along the M58, down the M6 and then, depending on traffic volumes, I would either be sent east along the M62, or brought off early at the A580. The problem with the A580 though is the drivers, many of which sit in lane 2 oblivious to the holdups they're causing..
Well, that, and the fact that between the M6 and the M60, increasing parts of the A580 seem to be having their speed limits reduced as housing is built alongside it.
@@RikAindow The East Lancs Road (A580) was built way before the M62 was (it opened in 1934) and should have continued on into Yorkshire but it never came to that. That purpose spawned the idea of building the M62.
it was the first road built between Liverpool and Manchester that crossed Chat Moss, the huge expanse of bogland between the two cities - the A57 and A58 both go around it, and no attempt was made to build across it until the 20th century
when the M62 across Chat Moss was built in the early 1970s, it suffered from severe subsidence due to the soft ground underneath
Think the A580 was also supposed (like the plans for the M62) to extend further into Liverpool
Where is the bridge at the end of your video? Can we just have an abandoned railway video, love seeing all the old railways in the videos.
Thanks
Nice one mate, appreciate that
Switch island isn't confusing. For people who don't know how to stay in lanes; they have a very handy light system that light up the lanes in the road depending on specific traffic light configs.
Now I’m excited 😁
Does this mean next week is the 58 with those ridiculous junctions you enter/exit Skelmersdale I was on about months ago
Awful and annoying especially going to the garden center when a boy racer is up your exhaust
@@dave_h_8742 Roundabout city
Switch island is that confusing for some, they have had to install lights into the road that turn on when your set of lights are on green to help people stay in the correct lane.
5:59 Switch Island. I used to go through the original, shown in its original form here, every day to and from school from Maghull to Netherton and have witnessed every iteration since. The old OS map here shows the original road that the A59 replaced to the east, adjacent to the words 'Aintree Culvert'. It was known as 'switch' island in 1965, but I dont know why it has that name.
I live between junctions 4 and 6, first ever time on the motorway as a driver was from junction 6 to Switch Island. Was very shocked that I made it through Switch Island without incident 😅
I got to spot my house! Yay
Excellent - I’ve never been to Liverpool and I’m not sure if I’d rush up there but I can imagine taking my wife and family to see the “odd junctions of the M57” 😆😆
I mean I'm from Liverpool and there's nothing wrong with it. A lot of friendly people and good history worth a visit. Yes it has its bad parts that you see on the news but everywhere does :)