What's so special about Grantham?

[Mincey]

Every time I drive north up the A1 home, I'm informed about how many minutes it is to Grantham by the overhead signs. Why Grantham? Is it because it was the birthplace of one Margaret Hilda Thatcher, or is it because there is (or was) a parcel depot up there to which all my undeliverable parcels for a certain carrier were taken to? Is there something even more special about Grantham which I am not aware of? Someone must know.

[The-Acre]

Best fish and chips in England?

[Mincey]

8 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Best fish and chips in England?

That would be a good use of the signage - I'll give you that.

[Old Sandy]

Nicholas Parsons was born there too , and his father was the local doctor who it is said may well have delivered  the baby Thatcher, and that baby then blighted our lives for a decade and more. 

 

[Mincey]

30 minutes ago, Old Sandy said:

Nicholas Parsons was born there too , and his father was the local doctor who it is said may well have delivered  the baby Thatcher, and that baby then blighted our lives for a decade and more. 

 

I have found out why Grantham appears on the overhead signs. It's not quite as good an answer as yours, but it is interesting in other more technical ways. I'll post the solution in the morning.

[Mincey]

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin. Here is what Highways England told me:

Grantham has roads which form part of the Strategic Road Network. This means that Highways England can accurately calculate the travel time to the centre in real time and display this on the Travel Time Variable Message System (TTVMS).

The next TTVMS is between junctions 34 and 35 which gives travel time to junction 41 which is the M62 junction for Wakefield. I will now be lobbying my local MP to make Peterborough part of the Strategic Road Network.