Hawkesbury Upton
N 51° 34.886 W 002° 19.320
30U E 546977 N 5714703
This is our 'home' waymark which we're claiming to start off this series. It is on the wall of a public house opposite the village hall in Hawkesbury Upton.
Waymark Code: WM358
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/28/2005
Views: 86
We both remember seeing these distinctive signs in our childhood and were intrigued as to why they were in some places and not others. The AA told us that they no longer have a record of them so we thought it'd be a fun challenge to map them!
Below is a short history of the origins of the Automobile Association. On June 29, 1905 a group of motoring enthusiasts met at the Trocadero restaurant in the West End of London. This was the inauguration of the Automobile Association, formed to help motorists avoid police speed traps!! (Plus ça change...)
In 1908, the AA published the AA Members' Special Handbook, a list of nationwide agents and mechanics. The following year saw the introduction of the AA's free legal system.
Between 1910 and 1929 the AA introduced AA Routes. To this day, the association continues to produce travel guides and maps. Also, from 1912 the AA began inspecting hotels and restaurants, issuing the coveted AA Star Classification to those deemed to be of superior quality. By 1914, the AA had grown to 83,000 members.
In the 1920s the association introduced pre-purchase and post-accident repair checks.
By 1939, the AA's membership had grown to 725,000, a number equivalent, at the time, to 35 percent of all UK cars. World War II ended and the AA began to protest about wartime petrol rationing. The campaign was successful and rationing was repealed in 1950.
1949 saw the launch of the AA's breakdown and recovery service. Initially only available in London and surrounding districts, it has been gradually extended to cover most of the UK
Visit Instructions:
To claim this log: Only the first person/group/team to log each sign can claim it.
Your close up photograph must clearly show what is written on the sign.
We have claimed the Hawkesbury Upton sign. We know of 6 others throughout England.
We will also accept other circular AA signs of this type such as those celebrating the centre line of totality of the 1927 solar eclipse (we know there is at least one of these waiting to be claimed).