The Man Who Lives in the Middle of the M62

Wednesday, 20th December 2006 by

The story goes that when they were building the M62 motorway through northern England, one homeowner refused to sell his property, forcing the motorway to be split either side of his home. The story became ingrained in the history of the area, and John Shuttleworth even wrote a song about it.

m62.jpg

Interesting I thought, and then in a spectacularly disappointing move, Wikipedia swiftly debunked this claim as myth. It seems that the owners, Ken and Beth Wild, have lived and worked here since 1971 (Ken is a sheep farmer), and the road actually forks around the farm to negotiate the hilly terrain.

Boo! Wikipedia, eater of time and destroyer of legend, curse you, and all who write for you! Here's a BBC article about the couple with a video clip (and despite the sunny image Google provides, this looks like an absolutely miserable place to live).

Thanks to Nev Stokes and Cookie Monster.