The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
This film is part of Free
Road Safety Protest
Parent power blocks historic Watling Street as banners and placards bring traffic to a halt on the A5.
From the collection of:
Overview
The A5 through Brownhills in Staffordshire follows the ancient Roman road known as Watling Street. By November 1967 it was carrying more traffic than even the Romans could have predicted. So much so that parents are demanding a pedestrian crossing that will make the walk to Watling Street Primary school less of a lottery. As tempers begin to fray the reporter is unable to get a word in edgeways. (The opening traffic scenes do not have any recorded sound.)
We don't know if this appeal to the then minister of transport, Barbara Castle, was effective but a look at the same location today reveals traffic lights with a pedestrian crossing situated outside the school. The traffic levels now are even greater than could have even been predicted in 1967.
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