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Mizter T wrote:


On Mar 11, 12:55*pm, Graeme wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

On Mar 11, 11:26*am, wrote:

On Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:24:43 +0000 Paul Terry
wrote:
I don't really understand the reason for the polarised arguments in
this debate. I have thrice forked out the enormous cost for a taxi
to Gatwick because of a flight so early that I wasn't confident
that the bus to Clapham Junction would get me there on time. One of
these three occasions was fine, on another I only just arrived at
Gatwick in time because of a jam on the M25. On the third occasion
(earlier this year) the taxi couldn't even get onto the M25, let
alone anywhere near Gatwick, and I missed my flight.

If you live near clapham why would you need to go near the M25 to get
to gatwick? Straight down the A23 onto the M23.

Says the man who evidently doesn't know about the A23! The train is the
very clear winner for any such journey.

I made that mistake once, tried to drive from Gatwick to Clapham High St
on a Saturday morning, took me over two hours. *The quick (fsvo) way is,
counter-intuitively, actually round the M25 and in on the M3.

You can cut off a big dog-leg on that route by leaving the M25 at junction
9 and taking the A243 through Chessington to get to the A3.

Not convinced that's any quicker. Fortunately it's not a journey I'm liable
to repeat any time soon.


Even if one is heading for 'central' south London then I've been told
that leaving the M23 and heading along the M25 from junction 7 to jn 6
on the A22 Caterham bypass to get in to Purley is preferable to going
straight through Coulsdon on the A23.

That I can believe.

--
Graeme Wall

This address not read, substitute trains for rail
Transport Miscellany at www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail
Photo galleries at http://graeme-wall.fotopic.net/

Mizter T wrote in
:

Even if one is heading for 'central' south London then I've been told
that leaving the M23 and heading along the M25 from junction 7 to jn 6
on the A22 Caterham bypass to get in to Purley is preferable to going
straight through Coulsdon on the A23.

Even now that there is a bypass round most of Coulsdon? You may feel as if
you're going faster by taking the A22, but it's quite a bit further and
quite slow from the northern end of the Caterham bypass into Purley.

I'd agree with using that route coming along the M25 from the east, but
from the M23 it's marginal at best out of peak hours.

Peter

--
| Peter Campbell Smith | Epsom | UK |

On Mar 11, 6:13*pm, Peter Campbell Smith wrote:

Mizter T wrote:
Even if one is heading for 'central' south London then I've been told
that leaving the M23 and heading along the M25 from junction 7 to jn 6
on the A22 Caterham bypass to get in to Purley is preferable to going
straight through Coulsdon on the A23.

Even now that there is a bypass round most of Coulsdon? *You may feel as if
you're going faster by taking the A22, but it's quite a bit further and
quite slow from the northern end of the Caterham bypass into Purley.

I'd agree with using that route coming along the M25 from the east, but
from the M23 it's marginal at best out of peak hours.

I've never done this diversion myself, and I can quite believe that
the illusion of movement might make it seem quicker when it's not (and
I can imagine the source of said advice falling into that mindset!).
Whenever I've been that way I've gone the Coulsdon route, which is as
you say improved now given the new bypass. I've only every really
driven the A23 when it's not so busy (certainly avoided in peak
traffic) and my recollection is that it's been alright.

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Mar 11, 6:13 pm, Peter Campbell Smith wrote:

Mizter T wrote:
Even if one is heading for 'central' south London then I've been told
that leaving the M23 and heading along the M25 from junction 7 to jn 6
on the A22 Caterham bypass to get in to Purley is preferable to going
straight through Coulsdon on the A23.

Even now that there is a bypass round most of Coulsdon? You may feel as if
you're going faster by taking the A22, but it's quite a bit further and
quite slow from the northern end of the Caterham bypass into Purley.

I'd agree with using that route coming along the M25 from the east, but
from the M23 it's marginal at best out of peak hours.

I've never done this diversion myself, and I can quite believe that
the illusion of movement might make it seem quicker when it's not (and
I can imagine the source of said advice falling into that mindset!).
Whenever I've been that way I've gone the Coulsdon route, which is as
you say improved now given the new bypass. I've only every really
driven the A23 when it's not so busy (certainly avoided in peak
traffic) and my recollection is that it's been alright.

A22 into Purley can be a nightmare. Worse when the kids are at schoo