fryingpan:
The one at Harrietsham was the Halfway Cafe, now housing. Just south of that was the Roebuck Cafe. There were loads on the A20, a few of which are still open. From West Kingsdown southwards, they were Oasis, Hollyville, Clearways, Johnsons, Oakdene, Venture, Winsor, Jungle, Roebuck, Halfway, Little Chest, (also called Rose Of Tralee), now called A20 Roadhouse, Jiffy Snacks, Airport Cafe. I think that’s it!
Spardo:
Thanks Chris, I was feeling a bit superior reading your first sentence - 'ah, but the 80s and 90s, you’re too young’
Then the bit about your Dad in the 60s.
Merrychest it is then, I’m off to find a few more brain cells
Unless, of course, there is someone who was in there in the 50s ?
Have lived in the south east all my days, when I referred to the 80s & 90s that was me driving for a living, I had been in there in the very late 50s & 60s with my Dad although I cant remember any details from then.
Another member mentioned the name Merrychest being painted on the roof that is correct it’s still just about visible from the main A2
Will do a pic for you next time I’m passing in daylight 
trucky1955:
Spardo:
Thanks Chris, I was feeling a bit superior reading your first sentence - 'ah, but the 80s and 90s, you’re too youngThen the bit about your Dad in the 60s.
Merrychest it is then, I’m off to find a few more brain cells
Unless, of course, there is someone who was in there in the 50s ?
Have lived in the south east all my days, when I referred to the 80s & 90s that was me driving for a living, I had been in there in the very late 50s & 60s with my Dad although I cant remember any details from then.
Another member mentioned the name Merrychest being painted on the roof that is correct it’s still just about visible from the main A2
Will do a pic for you next time I’m passing in daylight
Thanks again Chris, I have seen it on Google earth but don’t know how old that picture is and we stopped there about 3 years ago long enough for a quick look from the outside. I was writing a bit of fiction at the time and part of the plot involved someone coming through the tunnel under the A2 behind the cafe and I wanted to see if it was possible. Never even got out of the car, we were heading for the ferry but the cafe didn’t look open at the time.
I would be interested in seeing a picture.
It is many, many years since I frequented the place, probably the 60s or 70s, but it was always in my mind as The Treasure Chest.
Memory is a funny thing.
Nell’s is Nell’s though. Isn’t it? 
fryingpan:
The one at Harrietsham was the Halfway Cafe, now housing. Just north of that was the Roebuck Cafe. There were loads on the A20, a few of which are still open. From West Kingsdown southwards, they were Oasis, Hollyville, Clearways, Johnsons, Oakdene, Venture, Winsor, Jungle, Roebuck, Halfway, Little Chest, (also called Rose Of Tralee), now called A20 Roadhouse, Jiffy Snacks, Airport Cafe. I think that’s it!
Not many of those left now, Johnsons (The Rising Sun) now a solicitor’s office remember going in there in the sixties with my Dad also the Venture and the Windsor in later years.
The Venture closed about four years ago, the Windsor a few years before that.
Oasis still open so is the Oakdene although not been in them.
The Airport cafe at Sellinge is still there and open
Spardo:
trucky1955:
Spardo:
Thanks Chris, I was feeling a bit superior reading your first sentence - 'ah, but the 80s and 90s, you’re too youngThen the bit about your Dad in the 60s.
Merrychest it is then, I’m off to find a few more brain cells
Unless, of course, there is someone who was in there in the 50s ?
Have lived in the south east all my days, when I referred to the 80s & 90s that was me driving for a living, I had been in there in the very late 50s & 60s with my Dad although I cant remember any details from then.
Another member mentioned the name Merrychest being painted on the roof that is correct it’s still just about visible from the main A2
Will do a pic for you next time I’m passing in daylightThanks again Chris, I have seen it on Google earth but don’t know how old that picture is and we stopped there about 3 years ago long enough for a quick look from the outside. I was writing a bit of fiction at the time and part of the plot involved someone coming through the tunnel under the A2 behind the cafe and I wanted to see if it was possible. Never even got out of the car, we were heading for the ferry but the cafe didn’t look open at the time.
I would be interested in seeing a picture.
It is many, many years since I frequented the place, probably the 60s or 70s, but it was always in my mind as The Treasure Chest.
Memory is a funny thing.Nell’s is Nell’s though. Isn’t it?
Yes Nells is still there and open, it’s a bit of an assort course to get to it as the main A2 has been altered with the addition of the high speed railway, don’t know if it’s affected their trade at all.
There used to be a smaller cafe just before Nells on the same side (Bobs) thats been gone a long time now, so there’s only the Merrychest and Nells left on that section of the A2 to the M2 junction but of course you have to know in advance how to get to them as you could easily drive past them if you don’t know where to look, also the snack bar at Cobham golf course lay by went in the M2 widening over ten years ago.
what was the one off the A2 london bound. I think it was the nortfleet junction. you came up the slip road and turned right into it. you treated the parking area like a roundabout and went round clockwise. the cafe was on the left and I think there was a toilet block there.
DADDY LONGLEGS:
what was the one off the A2 london bound. I think it was the nortfleet junction. you came up the slip road and turned right into it. you treated the parking area like a roundabout and went round clockwise. the cafe was on the left and I think there was a toilet block there.
Yes it was the Northfleet/Pepper Hill junction.
That also went with the A2 widening and high speed rail link, even the two little chefs and petrol stations at cobham were demolished, only the London bound side has been rebuilt with a large shop and food/drinks to go!!
Still no news about the Derry, Someone must have been in since it changed hands, Regards Larry.
I went along the A4 near Bowood House earlier and there was a pub with a kitchen showroom nextdoor that looks like it was a cafe/garage in a previous life??
Lawrence Dunbar:
Still no news about the Derry, Someone must have been in since it changed hands, Regards Larry.
Hi Larry,I have a friend who calls in there regular,drives for a Scottish firm,no bad reports yet.
Thats good to hear, It would be a great shame in my book to see a long established cafe bite the dust, It was one of my regular stops & I allways thought it was value for money, the Lawson Family that owned in the 50s when I first went into the place they catered for the drivers top notch fresh cooked b/fasts, & their cheese on toast was perfect.I know Im getting on in years, but there has got to be some drivers still about that stopped there in the old days, Pollocks, Orrell & Brewster, Jakey Adams. Baxters Road Services. Claben Kippers. Nichol of Kintore, Munros Transport, Christies of Aberdeen, Rapid Road Services Greenock McNiels of Maryhill, plus lots more, but the old grey cells are getting weary, so come on you old timmers thats still breathing , talk to me, please on this great thread, It keeps going in my senior years, Regards Larry.
dafdave:
Tankerman:
dafdave:
Tankerman:
I was fortunate enough not to have to go South of Thelwall for the last 18 years of my working life (finished 97) but Watling Street used to have wooden sheds out the back with cubicles for bedrooms, just as cold and damp as The Ranch. One 3 inch water pipe ran through them all fed with luke warm water from a little boiler and that was the heating. I stayed in there a few times in the 70’s and never had a warm wash or shave. you could smell the bogs from the north circular (no M25) About 3 am there were drivers clumping along the wooden floorboads shouting to their mates " are ye ready Jimmy" and that was the end of a restless night, One blanket and a grey sheet was all you get . Oh happy days, no chance. Best digs were those private houses about 5 minutes walk from the lorry park, at least you wasn’t kept awake with fridges and early starters.dafdave
Aye you bring back a few memories there.The scotch lads in their clogs up and down the wooden floored cubicles.Heres one for you, do you remember jimmy who was part of the furniture behind the counter. He used to open up in the mornings but would only serve toast from 5/7 o clock.He lived in two of the cubicles knocked together. He wore a long off white coat and had two jugs of milk one had no sugar the other had sugar mixed in.He was also hard to understand as he had no roof in the pallett of his mouth.
Regards Dave
Ok Dave. Yes I remember Jimmy but had forgot his name until you mentioned it. Can you remember the name of the pub up the road we used to walk to for a pint or 5. They sold better food as well. does anybody know what is on the site of the old Watling street cafe, it would have made a great truck stop. right next to the M1 and not too far up from the smoke.
Keep smiling,
Russell.dafdave
Russell is the watling st. cafe shut? it was open when i came off the road 6yrs, ago.
Dave
I have no idea Dave, as I said in my post above, I was fortunate not to go South of Thelwall for the last 18 (now 19)years.
I do believe it is now a decent truck stop, (how I hate the word “truck”, they are lorries or wagons) . I have just looked on Google Streets and it looks newer than I remember. We used to walk half a mile to the Wagon and Horses pub up the road for decent grub and a pint, risking our lives coming back in the dark and the trunkers rushing down.
I retired in 1998 and have no wish to return to lorry driving.
T.M.
Great watering hole but I remeber getting my tanks miked there one night. I had only just filled up on Key Fuels and had 88 gallons on board. never heard a thing next morning pushed the ignition key down and fuel gauge read empty. No one had seen a thing except one of the lads remember an old Merc parked very close at one point but thought nothing of it. Never stopped me going there always good grub.
Cliff
Lawrence Dunbar:
0Any news or comments about the Derry since it has re-opend under new ownership ■■< Regards Larry.
brit pete:
does any one remeber GATES_CAFE on the A2 before little-chef took itover My girlfriend(wife) &I used to come overfrom germany for the cruise in chelsa-battersea park. the place was all ways spotless and had a great staff ,the food was all ways freshly cooked and we fehlt athome there
Hi I Remeber the Gate Cafe very well,We used it all the time,when traveling to and fro to Europe,Worked for S C A Howells And Reavells P.I.E and any more.Just a foot note work friend,Ron who worked for S.C.A turned his truck over turning into the Gate Cafe Regards Alanp
The gate was a very popular cafe. We used to use it all the time coming out of Dover and Farthing corner services going in.
Cliff
Alanp:
brit pete:
does any one remeber GATES_CAFE on the A2 before little-chef took itover My girlfriend(wife) &I used to come overfrom germany for the cruise in chelsa-battersea park. the place was all ways spotless and had a great staff ,the food was all ways freshly cooked and we fehlt athome thereHi I Remeber the Gate Cafe very well,We used it all the time,when traveling to and fro to Europe,Worked for S C A Howells And Reavells P.I.E and any more.Just a foot note work friend,Ron who worked for S.C.A turned his truck over turning into the Gate Cafe Regards Alanp
Anybody remember Nottons cafe that was nr to the County ground in Swindon. I think it closed about 20 years ago after the local council banned lorries from overnighting on the CG car park and it lost a lot of trade.
Used to serve meals on oval metal plates and the memory of a scraping fork on metal still makes my teeth itch 
Suedehead:
Anybody remember Nottons cafe that was nr to the County ground in Swindon. I think it closed about 20 years ago after the local council banned lorries from overnighting on the CG car park and it lost a lot of trade.
Used to serve meals on oval metal plates and the memory of a scraping fork on metal still makes my teeth itch
I think some of Johnsons of Wooton Bassetts’ drivers went in there…I vaguely remember seeing their Constructors parked near the CG when going out with Dad.
Muckaway:
Suedehead:
Anybody remember Nottons cafe that was nr to the County ground in Swindon. I think it closed about 20 years ago after the local council banned lorries from overnighting on the CG car park and it lost a lot of trade.
Used to serve meals on oval metal plates and the memory of a scraping fork on metal still makes my teeth itchI think some of Johnsons of Wooton Bassetts’ drivers went in there…I vaguely remember seeing their Constructors parked near the CG when going out with Dad.
Talking of Johnsons,was in there a couple of times last week and see two or three of yours in there.
Do you run the scalps/type 1 straight back to Gill mill?