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Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (7th Sep 2004 - 23:17:37) Just a quick update after the weekend: As the lights are outside my house, I've had a fun few days, with drivers pulling into our driveway, one driver actually knocking over the signs in my drive, pedestrians kicking over all the signs one evening last week, drivers kicking over signs this morning and even turning all the traffic lights off. The main problem, which started late Saturday, was that the lights controlling traffic leaving Liphook, started to delay traffic for at least 4 minutes, and eventually froze on red. Drivers got fed up and started jumping the red light - headlong into oncoming traffic. There have been some spectacular near misses. Best one was this morning. I was coming back from Alton, following a very large, well-driven lorry. Lorry passed through the green light and outside 91 Headley Road came bonnet to bonnet with an idiot male driver in a green BMW estate, who'd tried to jump the lights and get through the restriction. At the last minute he braked, almost went through a neighbour's hedge and just missed the lorry, who was travelling at no more than 10mph. After two messages to Hampshire County Council's Highways Dept this moring, someone from Morrisons arrived, fixed the lights and left all the signs where they had been kicked. I put up some of the signs and later two workmen appeared and started digging/filling-in part of the trench outside 89/91. The lights are still working okay, the signs are all back up. A plea from me and my neighbours at 89 - please obey the signs and stop where you are supposed to. Otherwise we constantly have to force our way out into the road, in front of oncoming traffic. And to the woman in the green Range Rover and the woman behind her in the converticle grey Audi (you'll remember who you are and what you did last Saturday afternoon)- if you block my driveway again, and particularly if you pull forward again trying to stop us getting out - we do have very large towbars and hydraulic steps on the backs of our vehicles!! The people who live along Headley Road have endured this joke of gas main instrallation work long enough through the summer - let Morrisons get their work done and good riddance! Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (9th Sep 2004 - 08:55:07) And at last some good news! Very polite man from Morrisons came to visit this morning. They will be turning off gas supplies to some of us late afternoon for an hour or so, reconnecting the new mains and should fill in the holes and complete the work within a day or two. Yippee!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (9th Sep 2004 - 19:14:21) I am absolutely cheesed off with the roadworks as i have to travel through them at least 10 times a day, so to "Freddie" I say, By June next year they should be just about completed. In the meantime, i will continue to feel sorry for you and your neighbour, and if it had been outside my house for that length of time i would probably kick the signs down myself.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (9th Sep 2004 - 20:50:47) Dick - Good news was too fast! Tonight, the diggers managed to break into the water main under my driveway. So, now the holes for the gas main are full of water! Frantic mobile calls by Morrisons to the water board resulted in a temporary fix. They resume work tomorrow. Rumours of our repairs were greatly exaggerated (to paraphrase Oscar Wilde). Freddi(-(

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Eneida Nelson (10th Sep 2004 - 08:10:46) Well Freddie Morrisons do seem to leave mayhem in their wake!! I suppose we were lucky that "all" that happened to us was a quarter of a tree collapsed over our fence. They sent a surveyor to look at the tree but by then we'd already had it cut off before it damaged the fence and since there was nothing to see they're not accepting responsibility! Cost us £70.00.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (10th Sep 2004 - 10:37:17) Hi, Eneida - I'd get onto HCC in Winchester. They have an online response service which has worked well for me. As the Highways Authority, the claim should go to them. Good luck! Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Steve Read (10th Sep 2004 - 21:52:30) Its good to see the Circus in town, Haslemere gets Millers Circus at Lion Green complete with big top and all the trimmings. While Liphook gets Morrisons on the Headley Road with all the clowns sat around drinking tea, talking on mobiles, unable to operate a set of traffic lights and going through Eneida's tree roots and Freddies water main like demented beavers. Wonder if on their job description forms red noses and a big pair of shoes are issued free!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (11th Sep 2004 - 18:26:22) Steve, Funny you should say that, there was one bloke with a big nose.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (13th Sep 2004 - 11:05:28) And I go away for two days, come back this nmorning only to find the traffic lights outside my house are stuck on red, drivers are either not moving or others, getting more and more impatient, are driving through, head on to incoming traffic. I suppose I'll have to call HCC iin Winchester again. Anyone reading this - don't come anywhere near Headley Road in the next few hours.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Chris (13th Sep 2004 - 14:41:27) ...disgraceful. The least they should do is get the traffic controlled manually using "stop" and "go" signs until a proper, working traffic light system can be guaranteed. Transco Morrison are going to be responsible for a bad accident there one day if something isn't done by them to improve the situation. What annoys me is the lack of work at that site. They are useless!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Steve Read (13th Sep 2004 - 18:53:01) Circus update, Rain stopped play today for the clowns, they had to sit in the vans whilst on their mobiles and drinking tea. I see they have dug a few more holes and are now working their way back towards the village (hang on to your remaining trees Eneida they are coming for them) I see Freddie found this morning the lights were stuck on red, well at 7am they were stuck on green and at 8.30 the traffic was back to Hill House Hill. If the Herald scan this site maybe front page headlines about this long running farce and the inability of Morrisons to complete a job, which originally was going to cause delays for 4 weeks (mid June). Just a thought, would be interested to know what the original tender price was and what it finishes up at, or hang on a minute would it be on day rate. mmm! Might be on meterage completed, thats why they are going back again. One thing for sure we all know who will end up paying.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (13th Sep 2004 - 22:00:06) Steve - The Herald are on the case. Bumped into Steve Baker (Liphook Herald editor) earlier and he's been chasing the story. It'll all be published later this week. Meanwhile, having cleaned up all the rubbish, stones, broken sandbags etc and cut the grass verges outside, I now have a tracked digger churning up the verges and more stones, wood and other assorted jumble all over the verges. Still, keeps me busy at weekends! Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Steve Read (14th Sep 2004 - 17:56:34) Great news Freddie, Would suggest to Steve Baker to use biggest print across the front page, then for all of us to send copies to the MD of Morrisons and Transco. Todays performance consisted of one man digging another hole at 10.30am, at 3.00pm all gone home. Must have been a matinee on Tuesdays!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (14th Sep 2004 - 23:25:52) Steve - If only they had gone home! Two of the guys came back at about 5.30 tonight and started digging another great hole, with the pneumatic drill hammering away. My wife was trying to work at the front of the house and the noise just drove her to distraction and she gave in after an hour. They were still drilling around 7.30pm, when I drove away and escaped for a few hours. Don't know what time they finished, but it's now 11.30pm and all's quiet. Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (15th Sep 2004 - 21:59:31) Update tonight: the lights controlling the traffic leaving Liphook are jamming on red again. There was a near miss and a heated exchnage a few minutes ago at 22.05. Be warned, if you are trying to leave in the morning, that the lights will be stuck on red until the Morrisons men arrive and fix them, which wil be around 0800. Drive safe!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (15th Sep 2004 - 23:35:01) Freddie, Just out of interest, can anybody remember what it was they started doing in the first place. Hadrians wall didn't take this long to complete....

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (16th Sep 2004 - 21:09:16) Dick - Laying a new gas main. And some good news - although they are a bit slow, the temporary traffic lights are working tonight. Still didn't stop some nutter accelerating through a red light this morning T 07.20 as I backed out into the road. Amazing that one little VW cannot squeeze past an oncoming old Land Rover!Still, he was really impressed when I drove around him!!¬!! Gas guys came into the house today (3x) and have got us connected to the new main + some of the neighbours. Now they start working back up Headley Road, connecting everyone else. Looks as if it will be another 4 weeks before they finish. Fun times.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Mike Grimes (17th Sep 2004 - 15:45:09) More now, somebody's nicked their digger!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (17th Sep 2004 - 16:50:16) It wasn't me, honest guv'nor!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Steve Read (17th Sep 2004 - 18:26:47) Friday update, saw some suits on site today doing as much as the clowns, looking in a hole! Must have been the ringmasters. Mike, Beaulie nicked the digger, brand new when they started the contract one careful owner hardly used. Dick, Morrisons did win the contract for Hadrians Wall completed sometime around the Civil War. On a serious note does anyone know how much further back towards the village they are going and maybe I missed something here why are they re-digging anyway? Also are they on for a Xmas Bonus?

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (17th Sep 2004 - 23:18:01) Freddie, Just had a thought, if they are still laying the gas pipe come carnival, it will mean that they will have to back fill all the holes and then gig them all out again. So "Steve" it looks like they will be on a Christmas bonus. Hadrians wall must have been finished before the civil war as it only took place this week at Westminster...

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (17th Sep 2004 - 23:21:17) Just had another thought, (shouldn't do it, it hurts too much) but the heading for this talkback is "TEMPORY TRAFFIC LIGHTS". Shouldn't that now read "PERMANENT"

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (18th Sep 2004 - 09:19:29) Dick - had not thought about Carnival! Good thinking, Batman!! I'll let Carnival Committee know and the Parish Office. Everyone in this thread: as far as I understand, the Morrisons guys and the Transco engineers will now work their way back up Headley Road to The Square, connecting everyone and making sure there are no problems with pressures/leaks etc. Be warned, the engineers had to come into our house and check all gas appliances three times! Plus they have to open/close meters etc while they are doing this. Whole process took quite some time. Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Eneida Nelson (20th Sep 2004 - 08:58:48) Well really!! I was hoping for a lie in this morning after 3 late nights of the husband watching golf and have just been woken up by 6 blinking orange lights outside my window. No idea what this lot are up to but their van says "they are working for safer streets" so the middle of the rush hour is obviously the ideal time! Personally I think they heard what a good time Morrisons were having on the Headley Road and didn't want to be left out!. Eneida

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (21st Sep 2004 - 21:50:05) Hi, Eneida - Yippppeeeeeee! All the holes outside our home have gone. The workmen are moving up in your direction (sorry!!!!). The temporary traffic lights have disappeared. We'd forgotten what it was like not to have drills going outside the house!! Sanity returns. best rgds Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (22nd Sep 2004 - 22:58:41) Freddie, I know your up to something !!! The entire workforce of Morrisons, all four of them, have dissapeared and what have you done with the traffic lights ??? Or could it be..............no, they couldn't have finished, could they !!!!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Steve Read (29th Sep 2004 - 17:24:22) Just a word of warning, I was driving through Horndean on Tuesday when I came upon chaos & carnage. Holes dug everywhere, cones all along the road, two men sat in van watching proceedings drinking tea and the lights not working ! Do you need me to tell you who the contractors were. I think not.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (4th Oct 2004 - 22:27:40) BEWARE !!! I think the return is imminent. I'm sure it was our microbes in the atmosphere that killed off the last lot but they may have become immune to that now and are just waiting for the right moment to return. Could this be CARNIVAL WEEK !!!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (7th Oct 2004 - 22:37:09) I told yooouuuu.................

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Paul Robinson (8th Oct 2004 - 10:36:44) Just a thought. Would the Headley Road road works get finished in half the time if the work was commenced at 08.00 in the morning and continued until 18.00 in the evening? See elsewhere on this site for a report from me on the distance travelled by the workers from as far away as Kent and Buckinghamshire while their equipment is picked up from Reading. Anyone spoken to Morrison /Transco. I think we should be told.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Chris (10th Oct 2004 - 10:11:24) The work would be completed more quickly if they actually turned up and did some. You'd think that the policy with respect to a busy road such as this would dictate action to complete the job quickly so that the disruption to residents and traffic and the propensity for accidents is minimised. This is obviously not the case and as far as I can see, no amount of telephoned or written complaints has an effect. Does anyone know of a more direct route to getting some results?

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Alex Cameron (11th Oct 2004 - 10:27:04) I'm going to diverge a little here to ask a question - what is stopping us from a little civil disobedience? If they aren't doing any work and there doesn't seem to be any legitimate reason for them being there, removing their equipment could be seen as a valid form of protest, and possibly an important public service. Just a thought...

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Paul Robinson (11th Oct 2004 - 11:30:28) Dateline Monday 11th October Time 11.23am The Transco Morrison site is still not operational. All plant chained and padlocked together which is bad news because a socking great flatbed lorry has pitched up and the driver is looking for someone as he has called to pick up the mechanical digger. Could it be the repo man? However better news from a hundred yards further up the Headley Road almost opposite the Co-op a van from Clancy Docwra has just arrived on behalf of South West Water to dig a hole in the pavement. Someone should tell them that when they have finished they could sell the hole to Transco . . . if they could only find someone to sell it to.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Eneida Nelson (11th Oct 2004 - 14:48:14) My cold water taps have been gurgling and exploding all day - anybody else had the same? Most disconcerting because it's not just the taps....

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Paul Robinson (11th Oct 2004 - 17:53:14) Can I suggest that we ammend the title to this thread as I think we can all generally accept that the traffic lights are no longer 'temporary' Rumour has it that English Heritage has slapped a preservation order on them!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Dick (12th Oct 2004 - 22:33:15) Just seen the new signs go up in the village square saying "Work commences here on 25th October for one week" Carnival is the 30th. !!! Will the procession have to stop and start with the traffic lights ? We could be out there all night....

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Paul Robinson (13th Oct 2004 - 08:10:38) Have just attended a meeting of Carnival marshals with the police and we are assured that there will be a cessation of work for the evening of the carnival. That is, of course, always assuminging that work has re started between now and then! Its now Wednesday and there has been no work in the festering and maturing hole at the junction of Headley Road and The Avenue for the last four days. The first job they will have to do is empty it of leaves, water and litter!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - rob (20th Oct 2004 - 23:16:02) Now they want to come into our houses. Or do they? We got given a note on Tuesday morning saying they had to have access on Wednesday from 8.00am so they could connect us up to their lovely new mains pipe and then check our pilot lights. Like everyone's always at home all day, just in case Morrissons might call. So I made arrangements (thanks neighbours) for the neighbours to cover. But the gas man cameth not! I hear on the grapevine they might come tomorrow. But not if the weather's a bit dodgy, apparently. Poor precious darlings are probably worried they might bring mud into the house on their boots? Does this mean the traffic lights might - at long last - go? I'm not holding my breath. This whole saga has been a disaster from beginning to end - and the worst of it is we've had absolutely no-one we can get hold of to sort anything out because noone is accountable for anything. Yeah, grumpy .... Rob.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Andy (29th Oct 2004 - 10:55:41) At Last!!!! The Morrisons Muppets have gone. But for how long? Anyone noticed that the number on the "Sorry for the inconvenience" board is wrong. BT does not use the 0345 number range any longer. Wonder why they havn't changed that then?

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Steve Read (16th Nov 2004 - 18:38:54) Tuesday, 16th November, Oh no!

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (17th Nov 2004 - 22:34:14) All here - At least the phasing on the temporary lights is correct. Wonder who messed around with the switches??? Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Eneida Nelson (1st Dec 2004 - 16:00:54) Well good news, I hope. I've just been told by a very nice young Scottish man that this nightmare should be finished by Christmas. Scots are very thruthful people aren't they?

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Paul Robinson (1st Dec 2004 - 19:20:46) Did he say which Christmas?

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Eneida Nelson (5th Feb 2005 - 07:34:51) Hi Paul I don't wish to alarm you, but something rather ominous has appeared opposite my house overnight (and I don't mean Alex!).

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Freddie Dawkins (5th Feb 2005 - 15:55:09) Crikey, Eneida - Is this the longest running thread so far? I've been out of Liphook fro 2 weeks - can't wait to come back to more "temporary" holes outside my house!! rgds Freddie

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - James Murphy (5th Feb 2005 - 21:49:11) I don't get this at all! - it's the longest thread because any sign of road works on the Headley Road then one of you "curtain-twitchers" fires off a post on this site to winge! You complain when there are holes in the road, then complain when the workmen are fixing them. It would be a different story if you were one of the unfortunate contracters working in the rain and at all hours. Get over it! James, Headley Road Resident

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Eneida (6th Feb 2005 - 09:30:05) Listen James whingeing is one of the few great British traditions not currently under threat and we will whinge as much as we want, with or without your permission. If it upsets you so much - don't read it!! Actually Freddie, the book club is the longest thread so far.

Re: Headley Road temporary traffic lights - Chris (6th Feb 2005 - 09:41:17) All hours!!!??? Don't make me laugh...most of the complaints levelled at these incompetent idiots were based around prolonged absenteeism (like weeks at a time) and the disruption caused, not to mention the ever present danger of failed temporary traffic lights and other traffic control mechanisms! What happened to professinalism, adherence to deadlines and safety first? None of this figured during the sorry saga.

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