as a tramper i occasionally find myself having to stop at the above mentioned establishments, and there are my least fav of all of the motorways services and they are getting worse.
this week i stopped at Cherwell Valley and at 6 in the evening it was time for a meal so i thought we’ll get the meal voucher and i’ll have a hot meal (thats not the most accurate description of the stuff the sell, but close)
anyway not only had i paid a small fortune to park, but my meal voucher was of no use either as they only had chips etc and 60- 75 % of the ‘menu’ was not available.
just a personal point of view but the roadchef services seem to be better and almost always have GOOD CLEAN showers for truckers.
anybody else have any views on this?
so for my list of Moto Motorway Service to avoid goes like this:
Thurrock Services
Cherwell Valley
i’m sure there is more, feel free to add on guys and galls
Southwaite is another bad one, the lorry park has a huge pothole in that you can lose a 4x4 in, the toilets stink!! (so called “waterfree” urinals) the charge the earth and i’ve heard they’ve got clampers to catch you out if you don’t pay the car parking fee!!
Only good thing about Moto is they have M&S shops.I’d rather pay more for food from them than get anything from Burger King or the likes.
I was at Thurrock on Wed night and went for a shower, the place was [zb]ing stinking, one shower cubicle had blood smeared over the walls, and the others had some ■■■■ walked into the other two. Needless to say i gave it a miss.
I like Birchanger services, nice clean showers, decent area for shaving etc, and food is alright, although I try not to eat at the services when ever I can.
Roadchef aren’t too bad, although they are good for their free wifi!
magnumboy:
Only good thing about Moto is they have M&S shops.I’d rather pay more for food from them than get anything from Burger King or the likes.
I was at Thurrock on Wed night and went for a shower, the place was [zb]ing stinking, one shower cubicle had blood smeared over the walls, and the others had some [zb] walked into the other two. Needless to say i gave it a miss.
I like Birchanger services, nice clean showers, decent area for shaving etc, and food is alright, although I try not to eat at the services when ever I can.
Roadchef aren’t too bad, although they are good for their free wifi!
And they have ony just been done, go to agree with the M&S it is the only food i have at them
well i complain to the manager and if that gets no where i send email to head office.
The only service area company not to send me vouchers is Welcome break.
Last month i had £20 vouchers in post from moto after a poor visit to Reading and they forgot to put stamp on letter so i pay £1.24 to collect.
Moto got another email to which i got £5 cheque!!!
I always complain and take another visit few weeks later to check up!!
havn’t paid for food at any services for ages. i don’t mind paying top money for top service. but top money for poor service. no way.
As for parking. i never pay, i just carry bolt cutters. parking should be free. we are the backbone of the country.
you pay way over the odds at M+S regardless of whether it is nice food or not, no sandwich etc is nice enough to pay near on 4 quid for. Your money is simply paying for the faux middle class reputation and the daft green livery/neon signs.
They have started rolling out M+S food places into a lot of BP garages now as well, so you can guarantee to pay silly prices for food wherever you stop.
If caught the fine for criminal damage is less than the clamping fee.
i got a turkish guy at warwick services on his way within a few seconds. we didn’t speak the same language but he was very grateful.
I thought the fine for damaging a clamp in order to remove it, and render it useless, was up to £5000…Where as most MSA clamping release fees are about £300.
very very rarely use services unless running low on time and dont know area, over priced and mostly full.
they be charging us to park in laybys soon…
I got £35 parking fine last monday on industrial estate in dover. Was parked off road before double yellows and was no no parking signs. i was awake in cab with curtains closed only to hear scuffle on windscreen. parking attendant said because i was parked on path…where els is safe to park when out of time and all laybys on a2 full of foreign trucks heading to dover port i told him. So i emailed dover parking and appealed just waiting for response. If not il leave to my company to pick up bill as its there truck not mine. Was parked safley off road and wasnt blocking pathway…oh and was bank holiday monday and industrial estate was dead.
you pay way over the odds at M+S regardless of whether it is nice food or not, no sandwich etc is nice enough to pay near on 4 quid for.
Not quite true.
Their cheese and onion,is only £1.15,and the salmon and cucumber is around the £2.80 mark.
Topped off with a couple of portions of red leicester cheese,and a bottle of the very nice lemon and lime still water,you’ll get change out of a fiver.
And for the sweet tooth,I recommend the soft white mint crumbles in the blue bag at the sweet counter,£1.25 a bag.Much better than having breath like a rugby players jockstrap.
birch services are minging
i had the craps a few weeks ago
stopped at sandbach, ok
knutsford ok
birch!! was a disgrace!! no seats crap all over all the place.
i emailed em to complain but never heard back off em.
The Highway Man:
Southwaite is another bad one, the lorry park has a huge pothole in that you can lose a 4x4 in, the toilets stink!! (so called “waterfree” urinals) the charge the earth and i’ve heard they’ve got clampers to catch you out if you don’t pay the car parking fee!!
Many moons ago i worked for a company that did the clamping and removals contract for Westminster Council.
If i remember correctly, if the clamp was left by the roadside, apparently undamaged, there was nothing that could be done. However if the clamp was missing or damaged, then it was theft or criminal damage respectively.
A lot of parking companies take photos of vehicles they have clamped for proof.
