Road sage

A voice from the Jurassic in this month's Geoscientist, in the shape of a letter from Graham Cannon of Burnley. He says there is only one thing wrong with British motorways - they have too few picturesque cuttings where good rock outcrops can be seen. Apparently a survey to find "the most pleasant parts of the motorway system," placed Twyford Down on the M3, former home of Swampy's burrow, among the winners, along with the Gordano Valley on the M5.

We could make roads more fun, suggests Mr Cannon, by "breaking up the monopoly of the usual green margin". Instead, he calls for more French-style roads with copious rocky bits to look at. Mr Cannon thinks the highlight of the Cognac area is not the booze but the limestone swallow holes seen from local roads.