Malcolm wrote:

Fareham/Gosport has been gridlocked since about 4pm.

I drove out at 5pm without any real problems. I had to take a circuitous
route down country lanes to avoid the gridlocked A32. Mostly the
gridlock was caused by clueless (and often selfish) clowns. Points go to
the Merc driver who blocked the road because he wasn't looking ahead and
failed to see the queue of traffic on the hill that he was approaching,
he slammed on the brakes too hard and too late and wedged the car
sideways.

More point to the van driver ascending another hill who decided to
swerve around the vehicle that was struggling to climb the hill - no use
of indicators of course - causing the car descending the hill to have to
slam on the brakes. Then both car and van slid into each other and the
stranded vehicle. Blocking yet another route.

More point to all the people who flagged me down and earnestly told me I
would "never get that big thing up/down that hill" every one of them was
wrong.