On the road again – city has always been a route centre
» GLOUCESTER has always been a route centre. That’s why the Romans built it where they did. Travel from the south west of the country to the north (or the other way around), or from South Wales eastwards into England (or the other way around) and you have to pass through the city.
Consequently it’s long had a traffic problem. In 1751, for instance, the 35 feet tall medieval stone cross, which stood at the meeting point of the gate streets was demolished for the “greater convenience of carriages”. In other words, because it was holding up the traffic.
Before pedestrianisation, vehicles crawled through the city centre. As long ago as the 1920s a national newspaper described the policeman on point duty at Gloucester Cross as the busiest man in England. This may be an overstatement, but before by-passes and motorways were built Gloucester’s location spelled out congestion. This was especially so in the summer months. Which is why in 1959 the AA sited a new patrol service centre at Highnam. It was designed to assist members travelling towards Gloucester along the A48 and A40 and, of course, the Citizen was there to report on the innovation.
From it we learn that the state of the art facility boasted a two way radio system with a range of ten miles, which directed the association’s patrol operatives on their motorbike and sidecar combinations to sort out a puncture here, or a broken fanbelt there as required.
The photos you see here are all from the late 1950s/ early 60s. And from them it’s easy to glean that car ownership was on the up. An ever increasing number of cars on local roads meant too much police time was being taken up with parking and other motoring infringements.
So in 1965 Gloucester became the first place in the county to enrol traffic wardens. Six men and two women were appointed, fitted with new uniforms and told that for the first week or two they were there to advise motorists. After that short honeymoon period they started issuing tickets and the era of parking fines was born.
Gloucester’s worst traffic gridlocks took place on August Bank Holidays. So on that day in the early 1960s an experiment was tried out at Westgate Bridge.
Policemen directed city centre bound traffic in convoys of a dozen cars at a time up Westgate Street and similar convoys of through traffic along St Oswald’s Road.
And in no time at all the traffic was nose to tail and at a standstill like it was on every other August Bank Holiday.
Mods and Rockers were hitting the headlines in the 1960s. Rockers (aka greasers) rode motorbikes and had dirty clothes. Actually, anyone who rode a motorbike in the 1950s and 60s had dirty clothes. Though we may remember them with affection, those old BSA, Triumph, Ariel, AJS and even Gloucester built Cotton motor bikes splattered oil all over the place. But mostly onto the person who was riding them.
Mods, on the other hand, favoured Vespa and Lambretta motor scooters, which were much less exciting to ride and went wrong regularly, but allowed the rider to remain reasonably presentable. Mods and Rockers frequently fought, though it’s unlikely the scooterists you see pictured here were of a violent disposition.
The photo captures on camera members of the Gloucester Vespa Club about to set off in formation round the city to promote Christian Aid Week.