Members of the production team have been out and about in recent months, collecting motoring stories from years gone by. These stories could be individual accounts of road journeys, exciting adventures and achievements from specific years… as well as more noteworthy developments in road safety, vehicle technology and motoring law. The key thing is the people telling the stories... it’s all about real life on the road. Don’t forget, you can enjoy listening to any of our podcast recordings as individual items in their own right. Just browse through the growing library of content, choose the year and have a listen! We think just about everyone will have a tale worth telling from their experiences on the road. Passing a driving test, trying out a brand-new car, trying to cope on a troublesome journey… anything’s possible as we seek to assemble a worthwhile and extensive archive of motoring history for Voices from the Road. We also acknowledge the very sad memories that many families may carry of a loved one lost in a road collision. Part of our commitment is to help ensure their memory lives on.
Voices from the Road is a 90th anniversary project launched for GEM Motoring Assist
Latest episodes
1960, 1997 & 2002
In this episode out consultant historian Alan Wakeley examines how our road network has developed since 1960. our reporter James Luckhurst tells of an unforgetable trip to Finland in 1997 with Kent Police Sargeant Trevor Southgate. Heidi Duffy from Shiny Side Up lets us know of the story behind the creation of this safety initiative. Find out more about Shiny Side Up at shinysideup.co.uk.
1937, 1963 & 2005
We take a drive in a vintage Morris Series II from 1936. Has the difficulty of driving tests changed over the decades? We take trips down memory lane to 1963 and 2005 to find out...
1983
In 1983 UK parliament passed legislation to make seatbelt wearing compulsory for drivers and front seat passengers. We learn about the path to passing this bill from Barry Shearman MP, the broadcaster Nick Ross, safety advocate Jean Gaffin, and barrister Glyn Maddocks.
1935, 1955 and 1958
David Periam and Doctor Alan Wakely talks about a crash on a road in Lincolshire in January 1933. Chris de Blocq van Kuffeler remembering the pain of his 1955 road trip across the south of England in the new family car…. In this edition we crawl across East Anglia on a very foggy Christmas Eve night in 1958, and we hear about one family’s excitement on taking delivery of their very first car – to a naval base in the Netherlands.
2014
This time round we offer an extended discussion focussing on just one year – 2014. In the UK, Brenda Holmes is working with Norfolk Police to publish video footage of a road collision from the previous year in which her son David died. The footage was recorded using a camera attached to David’s own helmet and it shows – in disturbing detail – what happened when a car turned right across David’s path on the A47.
1960, 1971 and 1975
In this programme we take an unauthorised trip in an amphibious car on the Shropshire Union Canal and we hear what happened when one MG driver – on his first European journey - was confronted at gunpoint by police on the Italian border. But first we start this episode by heading to 1960 and meet Sylvia Watts, who is turning her attention to the process of learning to drive.
1970, 1982 and 1935
Presented by Valerie Singleton OBE, this episode features a story from the road from 1970: Graham Barber, organist of St Bartholomew’s church in Armley, near Leeds. Graham was remembering the life – and the death – of his inspirational teacher and mentor, the organist Brian Runnett. Then from 1982, we meet Dawn Franklin – recounting how she managed to collect a parking ticket less than an hour after passing her driving test. Then featuring a story from 1935, Eddie Loofe talks to James Luckhurst about his father’s driving lessons back in 1935.
We would love to hear from you if you have an idea to contribute to the Voices from the Road podcast! We have assembled a small editorial panel whose members will consider the merits of your idea. Once it gets the thumbs-up, we can agree the format of your contribution, and how the recording will take place. In its simplest form, it can be done via an online meeting, but if it deserves a little extra attention, then a recording on location or with a group of others is also possible. Do get in touch with your idea!
