Hi Jim.Well I reckon the cafe is what was known as the Bistro 
in the early 80s, somewhere near Boroughbridge southbound A1.I 've seen the photo before but it’s another one full of “character” that you never get tired of looking at.There’s a Commer artic of Capstaffs Newcastle (what happened to them?),in the background is one of Crow’s trailers from Gateshead and I reckon that Atki is definitely one of D.M.Smiths just by going on the headboard scripture.
Going back to that park,I’m not so sure about it now…perhaps somebody else could enlighten us 
Chris Webb:
Hi Jim.Well I reckon the cafe is what was known as the Bistro
Going back to that park,I’m not so sure about it now…perhaps somebody else could enlighten us
I reckon you may be right about the Bistro Chris, sadly another one gone, and only recently. Do you remember the truckstop / pub a bit further north on the same southbound side?
That Crows motor has certainly got some height on his trailer 
Wheel Nut:
Chris Webb:
Hi Jim.Well I reckon the cafe is what was known as the Bistro
Going back to that park,I’m not so sure about it now…perhaps somebody else could enlighten usI reckon you may be right about the Bistro Chris, sadly another one gone, and only recently. Do you remember the truckstop / pub a bit further north on the same southbound side?
That Crows motor has certainly got some height on his trailer
Malc I can’t think of the truckstop/pub you mentioned,was it open in the 80s? That Bistro was the only place open at night between Newcastle and Doncaster (unless the Barton truckstop was open all night?) and it was a dump,may well have been better in the daytime.Some of the trunkers used it but I only went in once or twice,mucky tables,dodgy looking girls supposed to be serving but mostly ■■■■■■■ it,places that were common enough all over the UK. I used to take snap with me like a lot of our drivers,sometimes I’d call in for a chinese takeaway in Gosforth and snaffle it up at Stannington where we changed over on the east side.
I meant to remark about the heighth of that Crows trailer,I wouldn’t want to be saddled sheeting and roping owt like that nowadays.
Just had a thought,what was the place just north of Dishforth roundabout on the A1,both sides of the road.I can’t remember if that was open all night or whether it closed about 2200 hrs.
Hi Chris I think it was the “Windmill” big parking areas and it used to be open 24 hours
cheers Johnnie
sammyopisite:
Hi Chris I think it was the “Windmill” big parking areas and it used to be open 24 hours
cheers Johnnie
Hi Johnnie,that’s it,the Windmill and I think the northbound was open all night and the southbound closed or maybe the other way round.I don’t think I ever used it on trunk.
We still didn’t get the name of the one on the A19 opposite the Woodside,the one with the sloping park that is shut now,any idea? I thought it was Woodlands
Chris
Hi Chris I carn’t recall it and we used it regular as you could get in with a wide load on and the car park sloped down to the road pretty steep as well it was a Shell service station as well if the brain sparks into life I will post it There was also a big lay-bye at the exit where the police would park you to wait for the change over.
cheers buddy Johnnie
Chris Webb:
sammyopisite:
Hi Chris I think it was the “Windmill” big parking areas and it used to be open 24 hours
cheers JohnnieHi Johnnie,that’s it,the Windmill and I think the northbound was open all night and the southbound closed or maybe the other way round.I don’t think I ever used it on trunk.
We still didn’t get the name of the one on the A19 opposite the Woodside,the one with the sloping park that is shut now,any idea? I thought it was Woodlands
Chris
Hi did’nt know that cafe had closed.(with the silly face on the fuel tank) I used it quite alot as it was the last one before i would go across country to Beverly for a load of bagged lime/chalk powder for our depot in Chester.Did you say the Bistro had closed again, 9 years ago it was the cleanest cafe around.
Is the Quernough cafe ajcent the Bistro still going■■? Can any of you lads still driving tell me is the Red bus still in the Layby just south of Wetherby.
I havent been up that way for years. The last time i was in the Red bus was 10 years ago it had gone off the mark a bit only had a cuppa. But that Sheila
was always a good laugh pritty high miler i’d think.
John
Talking of T Cs.
Firm I worked for in Trafford Park, late 60s early 70s asked me to stay late and load up for an urgent delivery, early start, be there for 0730 less their job stops and we lose the order. You know the type, get there at 0730 and the foreman comes out and says to you. “Oh, good morning driver you’re a little bit early this morning, we didn’t expect you till this afternoon, would you mind waiting a little while and we’ll get to you as soon as we can”.
Well, it was something like that.
Anyway that’s beside the point. After loading I gave the crane driver and a foreman a lift home (the pub) and on the way about 8.00pm one of our other wagons passed across the front of us at a set of lights in Ardwick. Isn’t that ‘lend us 10 bob’ Bill, the foreman said, he’s supposed to be in Hartlepool?
So, a couple of Months or so later, he’s called into the T Ms office, where the TM is having a brew with the TC.
T M says, Bill when you went to Durham and Hartlepool, where did you stay
Bill replies, at Mr. and Mrs. Macphersons in Stockton.
TC, but your vehicle was photographed near Huddersfield after 6.00pm.
Bill, not me mate.
TC, pictures don’t lie.
Bill, not me mate.
TM, might as well come clean Bill
Bill, not me mate
This went on for quite a while, by this time there’s half a dozen of us outside the office in hysterics
TC says, Bill, just tell me you had to come home because your wife had been taken ill. Then I’ll give you a rollicking, end of story and we can all go home.
Bill, not me mate.
TC says to TM, hope all your drivers aren’t that thick.
The outcome was the driver got fined the equivalent of a week and a halfs wages. But the TM let him keep the night out money.
Ray
Hya, at first I did think the pic of the Armstrongs was on the North bound A1 and the parking area being the Quernow which I suppose could be a reasonable assumption seeing as the Armstrong motor is in the outer lane possibly pulled out to pass another turning into the cafe and he’s on his way home, if it had been South bound as the Bistro was then he may well have pulled in also so wouldn’t be positioned as he is, if you follow my logic, however the write up for the pic in the book says he’s heading to London from Gateshead. Difficult, as they are similar views for the time the pics were taken. Those Crow sheets were pretty colourful especially as the motors were usually ‘hacky’ as we say, it was also said you could tell a Crow’s driver by the same reason! I think Armstrong may still have a preserved Comet I’ve seen it when I used to load there but not sure of its whereabouts now. I think ‘Cappy’s’ finished around the Seventies, my Dad knew a few of the drivers as they often loaded out of Steenburgs warehouse’s or the Quayside. I’ve put the pic below on here of the Bartlett & Sons Seddon from my old Observers Book of Commercial Vehicles (1967) again as in the other Seddon pics it seems to have been shot around the works. Amazing how memories come back just from one photo like the Armstrong one. Cheers Franky.
Hi Franky
The comet was restored by Bill Wilkinson who used to drive it at Armstrong’s, Bill died and I dont know what happened to the Comet ask Ian Wilkinson Bill was his uncle.
Eddie.
hi lads, the photo of armstrong comet, the cafe could be the orchard, that was it name in them days changed to bistro later, the pub before the windmill cafe was the Beadle hunt,long gone, crows lorry would have a load of cigarettes components on ( filter tips) out of jarrow, capstaff’s looks like a load of pit arches out of Raine steel, blaydon, capstaff sold out to H-T-S transport, and as we know they went down the drain,Jim i think that is a d m smith atki parked there, it must have been a warm day as he has the nearside front window open a bit on the comet, wow air cond in them days bumper 
Cheers for that Eddie me and Bumper know Ian well from his Van Hee days and the Albion his Dad restored, lovely job. Talking about those cafe’s I remember names like the Ponderosa which was Rainton I believe and Lawson’s which I think was the Londonderry cafe but I’m not sure as these were from my childhood, by the time I was driving those names had gone, I’m sure someone will know the answer.
Forgot to mention on the previous pic, the Bartletts Seddon is bottom right and Crowthers is the six legger above. Still on the Scottish theme in the Albion pages it shows a McKinnon Chieftain Super six tractor and a Reiver six wheeler (both LAD cabs) from L Sterne Hillington, which has a lovely rope and sheet job. A Tartan Arrow Dodge KP700 tractor and one of McKelvie’s Foden heavy haul tractors.
Excellent little book for the classic motors. Here’s a question though, in the back of the book under the unusual vehicles title is a export (long wheelbase) Leyland Comet artic with a box van liveried TNT with Thomas National Transport next to the large TNT letters, is this the original company of the TNT we know over here. Not sure if its an Aussie or New Zealand outfit as it says ‘Every State Every Day’ on the trailer also, I used to think it was a US truck but its a right ■■■■■■ but wasn’t sure if Oz has ‘States’. Ah too much to think about on a Friday night! Franky.
I think you are right about TNT Franky,they expanded and arrived into the UK in the 70s? and bought Inter County Express who were parcel carriers from Rochdale.I think maybe Wilkinsons from Lancs were involved as well,part of the Lex Tillotson group.IIRC Rupert Murdoch of newspaper fame owned TNT and maybe still does.I stand corrected on all I’ve said as it’s all from memory.
Frankydobo:
Talking about those cafe’s I remember names like the Ponderosa which was Rainton I believe and Lawson’s which I think was the Londonderry cafe but I’m not sure as these were from my childhood, by the time I was driving those names had gone, I’m sure someone will know the answer.
Lawson’s owned a few Transport Cafe’s Londonderry, Windmill, Orchard & I think the Moss at Carlisle was also owned by them.
They used to employ girls who had been a bit on the naughty side, ex Borstal, Approved School, or even runaways, which made these Cafe’s very popular with some Drivers, the girls lived on the premises 
Dave.
.
Here’s a nice old photo of the Fina depot at Grangemouth.That is one hive of activity,look at all those wagons .I’ve been in BP,ICI and ISR at Grangemouth many a time in the William Dobson of Edinburgh era when his motors were to be seen in there and when BP was still known as Forth Chemicals Ltd,but it was never as cramped as that.
I can’t see the old Silver Link cafe at Kincardine Bridge,bit too misty
.
stravaiger:
o what then Dave is the Exelby connection between the Derry and the Golden Fleece j42 M6? and I think your right with the Moss connection because I was nattering to the night manager on Todhills South (Old Moss) about photos etc (In Vain) and he was saying something to that effect.
Sorry Jim Can’t answer that question, can only speculate that the Lawson Family diversified when sleeper cabs became the norm.
Dave.
hi lads, the Armstrong comet was 1 of i think 5, the one billy Wilkinson drove, then later bought for preservation, was ecn73 “think that was the reg” 
anyway i spoke to billy’s brother jimmy about this lorry’ seemly it’s now owned by some one at banbury and now has a cattle deck fitted on and is featured in one of the classic lorry mag’s shortly, Jim i would hate to be in this job now, the job went pear shape when the phone box went into the cab, old gaffer just asked you to ring in every night about 5 then he would tell you if he needed you up to Scotland to load or back home, so you worked your load around that, we had 1 guy worked his loads to suit where Newcastle fc were playing mid week, other one for the speedway team, don’t think it would happen now 
bumper
had a short film once on dvd that someone gave me and it was about some distillation tower that was transported from down south to Grangemouth when it was first being developed … showed Grangemouth as a cold and bleak landscape … (no change there then … lol…)… will need to try dig it out… in fact am sure i have also seen it on U Tube… need to try and find a link to it…