A Tour of the M1

25-26 October 2008

 

The M1 ought to start with a triumphal arch. In practice, it sort of slides out of Brent Cross shopping centre. AA Gill

The M1 is widely perceived as a necessary evil synonymous with bad weather, tailbacks and stewed tea. Yet there was
a time when the first intercity motorway in the UK was a celebrated part of the national geography, valued as a destination in itself. We explore the length of this great tarmac institution, meeting architects and historians, artists and truckers. We unearth the story of the motorway’s construction, reveal the poetry of its monumental architecture, dine
in its historic service stations and recover the utopian thrill of its early days.