What's the weirdest thing you've rescued from the tip?
I didn't know I wanted to own a line drawing of the Merstham Interchange in Surrey. I rarely have the need to use the junction between the M23 and the M25, unless I'm unfortunate enough to be flying from Gatwick.
As a result, the Merstham Interchange doesn't rank highly on my top 20 motorway junctions of the UK.
I'm quite fond of junction 31 on the M5, partly because it means I'm nearly home, but also because the bend is a terrific test of a car's handling capabilities. For what it's worth, the Accord Type R remains the car to beat on this particular bend.
I seem to recall a rather delightful corner when exiting the M25 and joining the M11. The beginning of the M69 at Leicester is also pretty special, if only for the fact that it feels like the start of a race on Gran Turismo.
But the Merstham Interchange is of no more interest to me than Kim Kardashian's new clutch bag or who's behind the mask. At least I didn't think so until I chanced upon the picture at the local recycling centre.
Better than a carriage clock
Quite how it ended up in a Devon recycling centre is beyond me. The logo would suggest it was created for or by the construction firm French. The company dates back to 1870 but was acquired by Kier in 1973 – two years before the junction was completed.
Was it given to one of the directors as a leaving present during the acquisition? It certainly beats a carriage clock. Did it spend time hanging in the boardroom at Kier? More importantly, does anyone care?
According to SABRE, the Merstham Interchange is one of three four-level stacks in the country. This in itself makes it worthy of a line drawing.
For now, I'll refer you to the original question? What's the weirdest thing you've rescued from the tip? Answers on a postcard to the usual address.
