So, judging by the letters written to the Bucks Herald, the majority of correspondents seem to have a much better idea than the council about the junction of the Oxford Road and Fowler Road.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but...

 

A.) It used to be a roundabout. When it was a roundabout, we NEVER saw traffic backed up to "Big Hand Mo's", or out to the Buglehorn pub coming in from Stone.

B.) It was converted to traffic lights (presumably at our expense?) to control traffic when the Oxford Road Bridge underwent extensive reconstruction. Coincidentally, the double roundabout by the site that was Big Hand Mo's (which always seems to have bits of car bumper and glass strewn all over it - wonder why that is? becaUse it's a STUPID roundabout system?) was changed to a single, large roundabout.

So, let me get this straight. One side of the bridge, you have traffic lights to control traffic over the bridge, but the other end you put a roundabout. Why this disparity? 

Either way, let me explain my arguments for why the ONLY WORK NEEDED AT THE FOWLER ROAD JUNCTION IS TO REVERT BACK TO A ROUNDABOUT:

Argument 1: Traffic lights were installed to control traffic. By control, what is ACTUALLY meant is RESTRICT traffic, because only 1 side of the bridge was open at any one time. At the same time, as much traffic as possible was diverted to other routes, especially HGVs. So other schemes were put in along with the traffic lights to control a much restricted flow of traffic over the bridge. However, the bridge is now rebuilt, and all the original traffic, including HGVs, are now using it.

WHO ON EARTH EXPECTS THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS TO COPE WITH THIS???

Argument 2: The convoluted roundabout system at Big Hand Mos (Or should I call it the Hen and Chickens Roundabout for our older readers?) was converted to a single roundabout. No traffic lights? Why would that be, then?

BECAUSE TRAFFIC LIGHTS WOULD HAVE JAMMED UP THE RING ROAD FROM THE BICESTER ROAD TO EXCHANGE STREET. I BET YOU.

So if this theory is correct, then the volume of traffic round the ring road would have been too great for a set of traffic lights. Instead, a single roundabout was installed at Big Hand Mo's to remove the filter lane to go down the oxford road, another method of reducing the traffic going down the oxford road, along with diversion signs etc.

Now, when the re-building of the bridge was complete, the single roundabout at Big Hand Mo's was reverted back to the convoluted car-bashing double roundabout we all know and love. However, the traffic lights were left installed on the Fowler Road junction, and they fiddled about with the timings of the lights etc. Presumably this was to do with cost. The Big Hand Mo's roundabout had been constructed with temporary concrete blocks, whereas the roundabout at the fowler road junction was ripped up and paved over with traffic lights.

Freda Roberts had it right about the roundabout.

WHY CAN'T THEY ADMIT THEIR MISTAKE, STOP FAFFING ABOUT WITH FILTER LANES AND LIGHTS TIMINGS, RIP THE WHOLE LOT UP AND PUT THE ROUNDABOUT BACK?


Next Article: The Horse and Jockey Roundabout. Deja Vu anyone?

There is currently an article on the BBC News website about our Special Forces, following on from the rescue of Norman Kimber.
As is now the norm with these articles, the public are invited to "have their say". However, any article submitted to the BBC is checked and edited, and may not even make the page.

Which is here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4857704.stm

Now I have read the article, and I have read the comments the BBC have seen fit to post.

Disregarding comments on the legality of the whole situation in Iraq, I find it ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE how ungrateful and uninformed some of these people are.

I will not accept any denigration of our armed forces, be they regular, TA, Navy, Air Force or Special Forces.

The job they do now is as vital as it was in 1914-19 and 1939-1945. Every year Remembrance day rolls around and there is a national reminder that Good men and women laid their lives on the line to protect others. It takes a different character to be able to do that. A character that is to be respected and valued, not dismissed and denigrated as unimportant and unneccesary.

This Remembrance day, when you see some of our ex-servicemen and women out on the streets raising money by selling poppies, have a look at the medals they're wearing. These aren't fancy brooches, bought in a shop. They were EARNED in service to this country. And that means something.

Our troops form the most prefessional armed services in the world bar none. There is only one nation that has more combat-proven experience, and that is Israel, because they have been constantly at war since the country was formed.

Unfortunately, opinions in this country are formed based on information provided in this country, and in most cased from "the media". Almost all of this is negativ information, about soldiers being killed in places "they shouldn't have been", or allegedly bullying/beating local civilians. Where's the news on the positive incidents?

The American Military has more money, and more equipment than us, but nowhere near the professionalism or appropriate attitudes found in the British forces. This statement is easily qualified by pointing the reader at the example of a town the Americans captured during the Gulf War 2003. What was the first thing they did? raise the stars and stripes. What did they have to do immediately afterwards? take it down again, because they'd caused massive offence by this one act that typifies their attitude.

Now I don't care whether we should be in Iraq or not. the point is we are. And those troops on the ground will always deserve our unwavering support and respect.

Why?

For Goodness Sake! Why?

It doesn't work on the oxford road. How on earth do you think it's going to work at the Horse & Jockey?

How bad do you seem to think the traffic coming from Whitchurch actually is? A trickle?

You'll have the traffic backed up to HARDWICK!

Whoever thinks traffic lights need to be installed on this roundabout need to be made to drive from Stone to Whitchurch and back again at both rush hours. Then try and say that traffic lights will work.


Ther is a time and a place for traffic lights. These junctions are not it.