Hatfield and the North?

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doebag
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Hatfield and the North?

Post by doebag »

reminded of this by the post about Milton Keynes signage.
When I was a kid, we had relatives in Hatfield, and the signs on the A1 from London used to show "Hatfield and the North" I used to think Hatfield must be miles away "up north", till I was older.
SO, why Hatfield, why not Stevenage or WGC or Huntingdon.

Also old black and white films have had these signs on, so I am not dreaming, also also, wasn't there a band/group called Hatfield and the North, or am I dreaming that one.
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Bryn666
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Post by Bryn666 »

The signs at the original M1 J2 finally ended the signs you speak of, but you're right.

Once they were replaced the signs became:

<- The North M1 | Hatfield A1, Aylesbury (A41) ->

There are of course still "Hatfield, The NORTH" signs on the A1(M) though! :lol:
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Paul
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Re: Hatfield and the North?

Post by Paul »

doebag wrote:wasn't there a band/group called Hatfield and the North, or am I dreaming that one.
You're not dreaming: Hatfield & The North.
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c2R
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Post by c2R »

Presumably Hatfield is the first primary destination on the A1 out of London, particularly after the Barnet Bypass was built, so signs out of the end of urbanisation at Mill Hill would have read Hatfield and the North....

Perhaps.
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Lewis
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Post by Lewis »

Down on the south coast we have 'London and the MIDLANDS' or even 'London and the NORTH'! I'm sure some Londoners wont be happy about that.
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Post by JohnnyMo »

Why if Hatfield is so well sign-posted comming north from London “Hatfield The NORTH” is in not the same comming south with “Stevenage, London” being the predominant signage.
Aylesbury seems to be another town over represented on signs, I remember seeing one “The NORTH (M1), The WEST (M4), Aylesbury (A41)” in south London, pointing north towards the Blackwall Tunnel.

IIRC TfL are planning to remove all primary signage to places outside London, except for quickest way to M25.
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c2R
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Post by c2R »

There is also the really helpful

A406
THE NORTH, THE WEST

sign at Charlie Browns heading anti-. I can't remember for sure, but I think it also says "Woodford 2".

Great.
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Post by IanA414 »

I think the original question regards to why Hatfield is the primary route destination instead of say WGC which is a larger town, it may hark back to the Industry that used to be in Hatfield?

There have been some strange primary route destinations.

I remember as you left Aldgate on the A11, it was signposted Newmarket, but how many people would have been travelling to Newmarket! Why not Norwich, or Chelmsford or Southend even?

Also as you drove down the A12 at Marks Tey, the A120 was signposted "Puckeridge" which is tiny. I know Stansted wasnt developed then, but why not Braintree, or Bishops Stortford even? On some of my A-Z atlases from a few years ago, they showed Bishops Stortford as the primary destination, but only for a couple of years or so, perhaps it was a mistake on their behalf.

Sorry, going off thread now!
doebag
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Post by doebag »

IanA414 wrote:I think the original question regards to why Hatfield is the primary route destination instead of say WGC which is a larger town, it may hark back to the Industry that used to be in Hatfield?


Sorry, going off thread now!
Thanks Ian, that was the sort of answer I wanted, I suppose with the old De havilland aerodrome and the rest it does make sense.

Plus it supposes what your interpretation of "the North" is. When I was a kid in London , Peterborough was up north, now I live near there, London is down south!
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Post by Paul »

IanA414 wrote:I remember as you left Aldgate on the A11, it was signposted Newmarket, but how many people would have been travelling to Newmarket! Why not Norwich, or Chelmsford or Southend even?
This is because Newmarket remains the first primary destination on the A11 outside of London! No intermediate destinations are given because the A11 'disappears' into the M11 for about 30 miles.

The first destination is always the one listed. Norwich is a couple of points further on (after Thetford), and Chelmsford and Southend are not destinations off the A11, rather the A12 and A13 respectively, which is why they're not mentioned!
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Post by Mark Hewitt »

Can't be more overblown that Scotch Corner, which I've seen signed from the M6 and yet it's little more than a serve area and a hotel
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Chris Bertram
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Post by Chris Bertram »

Mark Hewitt wrote:Can't be more overblown that Scotch Corner, which I've seen signed from the M6 and yet it's little more than a serve area and a hotel
... and a bl**dy important road junction. Miss it, and you add a lot of miles to your journey to the Lakes, and to many other places.
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Post by SarahJ »

Seeing The North, Watford and The South, Gateshead makes it all seem a bit silly. Perhaps we need to be a bit like Germany and sign final desitinations. eg A3/A5 Franfurt Cross, Nuernberg Muenchen or Mannheim, Basle. Perhaps the M1 from the M25 needs to be signed Birmingham, Leeds. But thats another thread.

SJ (happy when she sees Munich signposted from 400 kmh away, anoyed when the M1 says Luton as the furthest distination.)
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Post by IanA414 »

Harlow is on the old A11 and is before Newmarket!
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Tom
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Post by Tom »

IanA414 wrote:Harlow is on the old A11 and is before Newmarket!
The use of Newmarket (and Hatfield & the North) as a destination out of London predates the primary destination system.

See this sign which once stood in Portland Place
<-
Aylesbury A41
Hatfield/The North A1
Oxford/South Wales A40
->
Cambridge A10
Newmarket A11
Chelmsford A12
Tilbury A13

As for the destinations not signed in this example:
A3 Guildford/Portsmouth
A20 Folkestone
A4 Slough/The West

Anyone know any others?
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Post by Lonewolf »

Probably cos in the 50s, Hatfield existed (as a fairly important centre of industry), and WGC didn't!

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doebag
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Post by doebag »

Lonewolf wrote:Probably cos in the 50s, Hatfield existed (as a fairly important centre of industry), and WGC didn't!

Wolfie.
Bl**dy cheek, i am talking late 60's :D
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