Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the M1 Motorway opening.  The BBC reported on it's
Inside Out programme that they had discovered that there was only one person who
successfully objected to the route.  That person was the country's first 'motorway protestor', his
name was John Clements and he lived at Whilton Locks.  The cottages he lived in were directly in
the path of the motorway and were due to be demolished.  However he had no intention of leaving
his home and garden and he refused to move, he was the only person to succeed to move the
motorway, which resulted in a two mile bend in the road! 

There was some very interesting film shown on the programme, of the motorway under
construction which had been taken by Bernard Brodies father who's farm at Brockhall was bisected
by the motorway.

Had it not been for John Clements the hamlet of Whilton Locks may not exist now and the
M1 Motorway would surely have been even closer to Whilton Marina!

Follow the link below to BBC's Inside Out web site to read more about this facinating story.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/threecounties/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8333000/8333523.stm

Or watch the programme on BBC i player, by following this link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00nqftn/Inside_Out_East_02_11_2009/

Enjoy the story

Til next time.............

Sue