Letter: Can you work it out? Leamington's 'Hotel California' roadworks leave you in an endless loop, where you can never leave!

The Leamington Courier has an extensive puzzle section which is very popular with readers. Some have a favourite, the crossword or Sudoku, whilst others complete many or even all of them. I propose another puzzle. It’s a geography puzzle, Find your way around Leamington.

Question 1. Coming along Rugby Road from Warwick, Lillington Avenue is closed for the upgrade of the water mains and sewage system. At the roundabout do you turn left up Northumberland Road or right along Binswood Street? There were no diversion signs when the works started. Bonus point if you ignore your satnav which keeps telling you to take the second exit along the closed Lillington Avenue.

To her credit, once she was alerted, Warwickshire County Councillor Sarah Millar got straight on to the contractors who put up diversion signs.

Question 2. Once diversion signs were in place, the diversion signs tells you to turn around the roundabout and retrace your route. At the end of Rugby Road, at the junction with Warwick New Road and Emscote Road, you have to make a choice, go left or go right. It’s a T junction [lose a point if you go straight on into the garden of the house opposite], but there are no diversion signs here.

If you turn right, you have almost reached Warwick when the diversion sign indicates a right turn up Coventry Road by the Castle Limes Hotel. Bonus point for persistence if you have got that far.

Question 3. You try again. As you approach the Lillington Avenue roundabout, a sign says Diversion ends. Lose a point if you think your troubles are over, because 25 yards further on, there is a diversion sign taking you back around the roundabout whence you have come.

Do you (a) pull over to the side of the road and start to weep; (b) decide that like The Eagles Hotel California you’re never going to leave and decide it’s just easier to buy a house in Leamington and stay; or (c) continue in an endless loop between Leamington and Warwick? Three bonus points if you have not given up the will to live by this point.

The Lillington Avenue closure is due to continue until December and other road closures will continue well into 2025. Diversion signs are mainly to help people who are not locals and do not know the area. Let’s hope the contractors make a better fist of indicating the redirection of traffic for people unfamiliar with the area as the works continue.