Reviewing 2024, here's the story I had originally lined up for last week. I've an idea to feature a monthly 'One For The Road' track. Plenty of material and reasons for 'Road' music, which begins today: 

Last November there was a story I found interesting that remembered, 65 years ago, the opening of the M1 motorway in England. The first section (only 73 miles of the London to Yorkshire motorway - that wouldn't be fully complete until 1999), was basically today's Junction 5 to 18.

Various junctions and sections would be added over the years from 1959 with some fascinating facts on those early days of motorway travel in England. The article headline was "How dream of fast living got stuck in a jam". At first people really didn't know how to drive on motorways, although you can argue not much has changed these days. Police would patrol and educate drivers using loudhailers to issue instructions. There was no crash barriers or lights and staggeringly NO speed limit. Limits were temporarily introduced in 1965, following a series of accidents in fog. The initial four month trial was extended and in 1967 a permanent 70mph limit was in force. 

The M1 also had a 24-hour restaurant at Watford Gap Services - which attracted the likes of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones as in the 1960s, London's pubs shut at 23:00 on the dot.

According to the AA, 20,000 drivers used the M1 each day in the first year - compared to between 130,000 and 140,000 a day 65 years on ! With today's average speeds on the road at just over 60mph, which alludes to the article headline of traffic jams and my feeling that the M1 is now virtually the 'Highway to Hell' ?

Which brings me to today's music. This probably needs no introduction, but it’s going to get one, as it's about driving on the M1. The Tom Robinson Band with '2-4-6-8 Motorway' came from Robinson's memories of driving back to London through the night after gigs with his first group Café Society. By the time their van hit the last stretch of M1 into London he sings [lyrics] "motorway sun comin' up with the mornin' light."

UK motorways are relatively new when compared to the first ever motorway opened in Italy in Sept 1924: the Autostrada Milano-Laghi - which was 100 years old, last year. 

While researching all this I found a Timeout 'Top 50 Road Trip Songs' - it's a fairly obvious selection though actually missing today's track !?  https://www.timeout.com/music/50-best-road-trip-songs