Whilst belting down the A30 the other day in my Maserati at 175 miles per hour, on the way to Bracknell from my Camberley, I caught a brief glimpse of a sign for the mythical village of Bagshot !
I had never noticed the sign before and was somewhat shocked to realise that Bagshot is still quaintly signposted as if it were still actually a village.
Usually I am going far too fast to notice. Typically I exit the so called ‘Jolly Farmer’ roundabout, (named in tribute to the only business that has managed to sustain itself in that location for more than a week) jam my foot down on the accelerator and hammer down the downhill straight of the A30 at a speed approaching that of an F15 fighter. By the time I fly past Penny Hill Park the skin on my face is being clawed back by the G forces and I’m salivating in anticipation of the thrill of blasting around the corner at the bottom of the hill to find the lights green by the BP garage – so I can hammer past Pantiles at warp speed.
Were it not for a particularly slow and annoying group of elderly people crossing the fast lane of the A30 speedway I would not have been unnecessarily forced to brake. This was when I noticed the Bagshot sign – as the pensioners hobbled away from my screeching tyres.
My curiosity had been drawn. Later, after a quick search in Google, I chanced across this rather modest website purporting to have been started to provide a forum for discussing ‘Actions and Plans to improve Bagshot’.
Well. I really am flumoxed. I know Baghot used to exist. I know it used to be a village, back in ancient times. But does it really exist now ? And if so why ? Surely it is just simply part of Camberley – at best a mere pit-stop on the suburban freeway.
Do you really believe that Bagshot does still exist ? If so, please do tell me why you believe this to be the case ?
10 Comments
November 20, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Dear Road Hog,
What a waste of space you are (my opinion)
If you slowed your life down you would, maybe, see that Bagshot is not as you put it a ’suburban freeway’ but a very busy and highly populated village. Yes there is room for improvement which is the reason for this blog and one of the improvements would be traffic calming in and around the village so that ‘boy racers’ like yourself could be stopped and in a perfect world prosecuted.
This is obviously a wind up but at least you have highlighted why the A30 needs to be slowed down.
Do you realise that we have two very good schools (infant and primary) in Bagshot and your type of behaviour can put the childrens lives at risk.
I hope more people read this and realise that Bagshot is OUR VILLAGE and we want to protect and preserve it.
For your information we have many businesses in Bagshot that have been trading successfully for over 30 years.
November 20, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Roadhog. You are missing a trick. Bagshot does indeed exist. It’s a well known ratrun to the M3.
If you peel off the A30 to the right just before the BP chicane you’ll find the High Street – a real blast if you take it at around 70..
A couple of kids jumped out on me the other day and dropped their sweets on the road trying to get out of my way – ah poppet – but there’s no need to let them slow you down.
Watch out for the tricky bend at the end of the High Street but if you take the right line you can normally take it on 2 wheels before you hit the mini roundabout around the corner – where you can usually catch some decent air before burning thro the viaduct.
If you miss the chance to dab on the brakes to take the sharp left hander at the roundabout – don’t worry about it.. Just go straight on – there’s a housing estate called Connaught Park ahead that’s well equipped with a huge long racing curve that you’ll get at least a ton out of.. happy burnin!!
November 20, 2007 at 7:56 pm
This is absolutely disgusting ! I really cannot believe that people like you can so blatantly boast about your reckless exploits. What is the world coming to..?
November 20, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Ms White, How lovely to hear from you. Are you a local fishwife or something ? I confess I am quite touched to see you referring to ‘OUR VILLAGE’ as if there is anyone other than you that really cares.
November 21, 2007 at 10:05 am
Roadhog
Great car, shame the driver is brainless!
I suggest you take your car to a Brands Hatch where it is safe to drive and keep your foot off the accelerator when driving elsewhere.
We want Bagshot to be a safe place to live in. So do us a favour and keep driving by – slowly !
We do, however, warmly welcome law abiding visitors to our lovely village
November 21, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I do not believe the roadhog posting. Surely Valerie you posted it so that you cna have you and your friends respond to it.
November 22, 2007 at 5:08 pm
No Richard, I can honestly say hand on heart that I did not write or post the roadhog article. I think whoever it is has found a novel way of drawing attention to the issue.
November 28, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Dear RoadHog, m
May your licence points be many and your ban long. You can then take a bus or train to Bagshot and wander around the shops, choose to eat from the variety of eateries and wash it down with a glass of Babycham at one of several pubs. There is even more to see and do, but you don’t want to get too excited.
December 4, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Well the’speed freaks’ of the village appear to have left out Bridge Road. Approached from either the ‘BP chicane’ or the two wheel roundabout in the High Street this also proves a poplular with the petrol heads. Complete with a zebra crossing where pedestrians can be killed whilst crossing in a ’safe’ place there is an old peoples home.To spice things up even more there is the unexpected que into the BP or indeed vehicle exiting right from the petrol station. As a resident I look forward to the day I get to dial 999 for an ambulance and rush out to give someone rusty first aid.
December 8, 2007 at 12:53 am
Well done Roadhog22 for caring about our village. Seriously, people speeding (including myself) does destroy the village, particularly in the rat run that is the high street from the A322 to the A30. The dilemma is this – should we make the high street one way (and if so, which direction – I say from A30 to A322), make it a congenstion zone for all but residents (!), put speed bumps in, pedestrianise the A30/high street junction at the fighting cocks or put in chicane traffic calming in order to preserve this? Actually, I think pedestrianising the A30/High street is the answer. Those who live there will go up park street instead, and if that gets too busy, close that off and make every one go up bridge street. All but those who live on Bridge street may well agree!!! Whats your view?!