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Walking back from exercise class I noticed a poster advertising a talk about local turnpike roads. "That sounds interesting," I muttered to myself before clamping my hand to my mouth.
"For goodness sake, first I get a bad back then I find turnpike roads interesting! Did I get old overnight?"
"For goodness sake, first I get a bad back then I find turnpike roads interesting! Did I get old overnight?"
Then I pulled myself together. "It means you're still interested in things and want to learn. That's good. Means your brain is keeping young. Even if your body isn't."
So, for anyone interested here's what I found out (through google not by going to the talk) about turnpikes.
In the 17th century parliament set up a number of Trusts to build, maintain, and operate toll roads across the country. Originally a turnpike was a framework of pikes that could be turned to allow horses through, but on the toll roads they were simply gates that stopped transport. After the toll was paid the gate was opened.
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| The remains of the turnpike at Southend in Mumbles From British Listed Buildings |
7 comments:
I must be old too, because I found your explanation very interesting!
We still have turnpikes! But now they're highspeed multi lane highways. But you still pay to get on. One near me, the infamous NJ Tpk.
Oh good, Debra!
AS seen in the Sopranos, Boud!
There is a tube station in london called Turnpike Lane. In N22 afaik. Piccadilly line.
There's a turnpike not far from where I live - it's like stepping back in time.
Interesting, Liz.
At closest approach, the Kansas Turnpike runs about 3 miles from our home. Boud, I recall our excitement when the New Jersey Turnpike opened. (I lived in Kansas City MO at that time. Mom had just bought a new Dodge Corona and we could just imagine whipping along the turnpike at 60 miles/hour. Most recent use: 2016.)
Well, that is new info to me, but I like knowing it. Americans seems to use that term for highways sometimes, but Canadians don't in my experience: highway, freeway, expressway.
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