toby1234abc:
Swindon back of beyond ,time warp truckstop,with the broken shower that looks like a murder scene from CSI with all the marker tape on the door.
The food is not the best.Most drivers walk over to Sainsbury’ s next door to buy food.
The bar at the back is shut.In the evening,the kitchen shuts early for hot meals.
If going there,cross over the pedestrian bridge to the other side of the roundabout.
Large family pub/restaurant with real ales and decent pub grub.
Attractive staff.
If adventurous,a taxi to town or bus that stops by the truckstop on the main road.
The hotel on the roundabout does meals but are pricey.
Yeh Sainsburys is usually my first point of call, if I ever have the displeasure of staying there again I’ll pop over to that pub !
There’s a hair dresser / barber (female) in there last time I was in there.
I thought this would be useful
THE FIN103:
Does anyone remember the Indian guy who sold watches in the hollies? I think it was in the 80s.
I bought one off him.
It still works and tells the right time twice a day 
Dave the Renegade:
The Hollies last May.
Bugger me that’s changed! I’m sure it was a building last time I was in there. 
THE FIN103:
Does anyone remember the Indian guy who sold watches in the hollies? I think it was in the 80s.
yes, it was murder trying to avoid him, picture this, you’re sat down eating your meal, you already have a watch on your wrist from last time he collared you, and he has the cheek to try to sell you another one… I can also remember “green goddess” who used to give us all the traffic updates for the surrounding road network…
good days.
Don’t remember the green goddess ! You must be a shade older then me truckertone!!
Don’t remember the green goddess. We used to call the hollies The SPAMMEY cafe! Anyone know why ?
The green goddess could certainly push a good signal out from the Hollies, you could hear her at Keele.I miss the traffic reports.
claretmatt:
Fred Done plans to open 50 truck stops within five years - Manchester Evening News
well done that man, ( pardon the pun )… at last, positive thinking… now all he needs is our support…
The Hollies gets a lot of locals coming in to eat.Lot of cars and passing trade.
From business men to a group of golfers.
The Hollies has always been known locally as ‘Greasy Lils’. Was good at one time and attracted a lot of custom from the industrial estates nearby, but then the place started to get a bit shabby and the quality of food became indifferent.
Good to see it has had fresh investment and is once again beginning to thrive. Better than losing yet another stopping place.
You’ll always get the odd stroppy staff member having a bad day, even in the posh restaurants out there.
claretmatt:
Fred Done plans to open 50 truck stops within five years - Manchester Evening News
That article was last June. I wonder how he is getting on?
Developing truck stops to me looks like a planning permission nightmare. I suppose he would look at using old sites, but would it be straight forward to reopen a truck stop on an ex-site that hasn’t been used as such for donkeys years? I imagine local residents wouldn’t be that impressed. 
I can just imagine trying to open 50+ sites being a massive headache.
