Most of us are non-Swindonians
Or... How We Survived Swindon's Multi-Mini, Counter-Flow, Two-Way, Magic Roundabout

We first encountered Swindon's 'Magic' five minutes after hiring ['renting'] a car in Swindon.  Now days, Magic Roundabouts are also known as counter-flow or two-way roundabouts.  Back then, it was also referred to as a 'Star' roundabout.  So-called because the car hire ['rental'] agency provided a local map with a red star printed to show its location.

We wanted to go from Swindon Town Centre to Blenheim Palace.

Asking if there was a way we could avoid it, we were told - with a John Cleese schadenfreude sense of humour ['humor'] - that... we could avoid it 'if we went by way of Bristol!'  That was a bit of 'good fun' and a humourous exaggeration as local knowledge will tell you that it would be a round trip detour of eighty-one miles.

Upon entering the 'Magic Roundabout', the path of our hired ['rented'] car resembled that of a berserk ping-pong ball ricocheting in a pin ball machine only to be bounced out in the wrong direction.

 

Humbled by this experience and with no other viable alternative, we timidly re-entered the junction.  Driving along the circumference, we found the exit to Oxford and successfully made our way to Blenheim Palace.

With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that our car's path was an appropriate - and subconscious - application of the rules for negotiating this traffic scheme.  Nevertheless, it was a mind-boggling experience.

This experience also reinforced our long-standing maxim that... We never get lost on the motorways ['expressways'] or in rural areas.  We only get lost in towns and cities!

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Copyright © 1999 - 2005  J. C. Nash. All worldwide rights reserved.
Last modified: Thursday, 27 October 2005.

Car animation courtesy of the Animation Factory.
The animation of Swindon's Magic Roundabout is Copyright © 2002 - 2005 J. C. Nash All worldwide rights reserved.