On this Day 1979: Celebrating 20 years of the M1 Motorway

On this Day: November 2nd, 1979

20 years after the official opening of the M1 motorway ATV Today’s Tony Maycock joins a champagne party held on one of the original motorway coaches.

The report features shots on board the Midland Red motorway coach as the passengers sing Happy Birthday and open bottles of Champagne.

Tony interviews the coach driver Ernie Hawkins who has been driving on the M1 since it opened. He talks about how the coaches and the new road cut journey times to London. There is also a chat with AA patrolman Stan Hallard, who has helped many motorists over the years, including Enoch Powell and Dorothy Squires; and also interview with AA Inspector, Don Woolhead, about the days when it was often necessary to pour petrol onto the road and ignite it to warn oncoming traffic of an accident.

For bus fans, there is also a brief shot of the Midland Red motorway coach on the road  – a Midland Red CM6T in original red livery dating from the sixties.