Can remember when the services used to have seperate “restaurants” for car and lorry drivers.Blue boar or Kennings wasnt they ?
Last one i went in was at Aust i think - bout 20 years ago 
harry_gill:
hiya,
Does anyone remember the early days days of the motoway services when PSV drivers used to get free meals if they showed the cashier their badge, something of a little thank you for supposedly bringing a load passengers into the establishment so when i did a spell of night trunk and could travel about looking sort of clean and tidy i aquired my dads old surplus to requirements badge which i wore on the reverse of my lapel when i got to the paypoint i just flashed the badge and hey presto a free meal it never failed, but not being a regular night man i wasn’t as well known as the regular guys so it was easy but never used the same place twice running but certainly saved a good few quid, do the services still operate the practice, c’mon you bus drivers tell us.
thanks harry long retired.
Hi Harry I remember doing that with the PSV badge quite often actually as I had one from before I went lorry driving just look a bit tidy and shoes and a jacket on bingo free nosh 
PS I got a clippie as well and she still here and England had not won the world cup then 
I remember a lot of old hands on BRS had busmans caps, rekon they was on the same fiddle. I used to go in the Blue boar at Watford gap when there was a seperate room for drivers but it could get rowdy in there at night
Suedehead:
Muckaway:
truckeygar:
Thats about all that is nice at the Glider at the top of chalford hill, last time i went in there it took a while for a breakfast that wasnt good and the prices even worse. I had a good breakfast at the old little chef at eynsham next to the jet garage , i was in a car mind no room for trucks , supose i could of parked on the pumps thou .Only ever had tea and cake there when taking the “scenic route” to Wickwar. Very rare I ever use a cafe, take food and flask with me. The tea van at Burford’s been tidied up,(if you like kebabs as a staple diet!) used to be a grotty place where kids from the school used to sneak to for a ■■■ or for damp fingers…Had an arguement once with the tea van owner, thought that I should buy something from him as he “paid for the layby.”
Word got around at Smiths and next day about 6 of us stopped there, none buying! Does anyone remember the couple that had the tea van near the old Coln Gravel pit A361 near Little Faringdon turn? An ex Earthline driver runs it now; great if everything you like hearing how anything you’ve done pales into insignificamce compared to his time on Earthline!That must be Bandana Brian, is there anything he hasnt done?
Mean steak sticks but the [zb] could talk for England
I think he done 12 loads of contaminated from Sellafield to Shipton Cement Works and still had time to do one load of ■■■■■■■■ from Shellingford to Swindon!
Suedehead:
Muckaway:
truckeygar:
Thats about all that is nice at the Glider at the top of chalford hill, last time i went in there it took a while for a breakfast that wasnt good and the prices even worse. I had a good breakfast at the old little chef at eynsham next to the jet garage , i was in a car mind no room for trucks , supose i could of parked on the pumps thou .Only ever had tea and cake there when taking the “scenic route” to Wickwar. Very rare I ever use a cafe, take food and flask with me. The tea van at Burford’s been tidied up,(if you like kebabs as a staple diet!) used to be a grotty place where kids from the school used to sneak to for a ■■■ or for damp fingers…Had an arguement once with the tea van owner, thought that I should buy something from him as he “paid for the layby.”
Word got around at Smiths and next day about 6 of us stopped there, none buying! Does anyone remember the couple that had the tea van near the old Coln Gravel pit A361 near Little Faringdon turn? An ex Earthline driver runs it now; great if everything you like hearing how anything you’ve done pales into insignificamce compared to his time on Earthline!That must be Bandana Brian, is there anything he hasnt done?
Mean steak sticks but the [zb] could talk for England
I think he done 12 loads of contaminated from Sellafield to Shipton Cement Works and still had time to do one load of ■■■■■■■■ from Shellingford to Swindon!
Suedehead:
Can remember when the services used to have seperate “restaurants” for car and lorry drivers.Blue boar or Kennings wasnt they ?
Last one i went in was at Aust i think - bout 20 years ago
toddington had one on the northbound where the garage now stands,they shut that and moved one into the main resturant building upstairs complete with a truckers accessories shop which i spent loads of time browsing in while me dad was having his well earned cups of char !!!.happy days 
Leicester Forest south transport restaurant was the building on the right of the lorry park & Trowell had a similar building for transport only , Hilton park’s was on the top floor northbound & didn’t some of the services have the transport one side only so you had to go over the bridge . Who remembers Forte’s & Granada & Watford gap was blue boar, Leicester Forest Ross & weren’t some owned by Rank ? & plenty of room to park up 
Has the Cb shop on Michaelwood services (M5) shut? Didn’t notice it last time I stopped there. Another tea van quite popular with tipper drivers is Toms, A40 layby at Sherborne, not far from where the Windrush cafe used to be. I agree with Truckeygar that Windrush Cafe needs to be reinstated.
PS. Anyone used over the years the cafe beside the A4074 at Berinsfield? Now called H Cafe, popular with bikers. Used to stop there when I was training for license with Rollrights, and went there once or twice when I first started driving, was a bit pricey but sandwiches were huge. Used to be called Fox’s Diner then had a couple of attractive young ladies there… 
it was’nt there last time i was there !
tonyhogi:
Leicester Forest south transport restaurant was the building on the right of the lorry park & Trowell had a similar building for transport only , Hilton park’s was on the top floor northbound & didn’t some of the services have the transport one side only so you had to go over the bridge . Who remembers Forte’s & Granada & Watford gap was blue boar, Leicester Forest Ross & weren’t some owned by Rank ? & plenty of room to park up
knutsford had one upstairs on the bridge !
I remember when the service stations used to have transport cafes each sides of the motorways, and they had cake and sandwiches in the glass counters which opened outwards, but they soon changed them, for there was many drivers taking them out eating them or putting in their pockets before reaching the cashier, then a load of them changed to only one transport, Watford gap, Newport pagnell, Toddington, Leicester Forest, Sandbach, Knutsford, Wooley Edge,Woodall, and quite a few more, then they put up prices, but gave meal tickets with the parking to keep the lorry drivers comming, but quite a few advoided parking on the services, but it picked up again several years later.
Anyone rememember the cafe Phylis used to run in Mill Lane Bradford across the road from the Aone depot? Bit scruffy but good food it was the unofficial Aone canteen. She used to have a daughter who worked as a stripper in Germany any driver who gave her a lift to Germany when she returned from holidays in Bradford were supposed to have been well rewarded. Not in cash more of a ride for a ride basis
Norman Ingram:
I remember when the service stations used to have transport cafes each sides of the motorways, and they had cake and sandwiches in the glass counters which opened outwards, but they soon changed them, for there was many drivers taking them out eating them or putting in their pockets before reaching the cashier, then a load of them changed to only one transport, Watford gap, Newport pagnell, Toddington, Leicester Forest, Sandbach, Knutsford, Wooley Edge,Woodall, and quite a few more, then they put up prices, but gave meal tickets with the parking to keep the lorry drivers comming, but quite a few advoided parking on the services, but it picked up again several years later.
Hiya Norm we had a driver in the 70s(now RIP) who would go into the service station cafe and get 2 toast and order a “well fried egg” then when he got along to the till he paid for his tea and toast.He would then come and sit down,take the egg out of his boiler suit pocket,knock the fluff and crap off,slap it between the toast and enjoy his “subsidised” breakfast.He did it all the time----never got tumbled! Cheers Dennis.
Norman Ingram:
I remember when the service stations used to have transport cafes each sides of the motorways, and they had cake and sandwiches in the glass counters which opened outwards, but they soon changed them, for there was many drivers taking them out eating them or putting in their pockets before reaching the cashier, then a load of them changed to only one transport, Watford gap, Newport pagnell, Toddington, Leicester Forest, Sandbach, Knutsford, Wooley Edge,Woodall, and quite a few more, then they put up prices, but gave meal tickets with the parking to keep the lorry drivers comming, but quite a few advoided parking on the services, but it picked up again several years later.
Hiya Norm we had a driver in the 70s(now RIP) who would go into the service station cafe and get 2 toast and order a “well fried egg” then when he got along to the till he paid for his tea and toast.He would then come and sit down,take the egg out of his boiler suit pocket,knock the fluff and crap off,slap it between the toast and enjoy his “subsidised” breakfast.He did it all the time----never got tumbled! Cheers Dennis.
There was one of the services where you could get your breakfast and reach over and put it on a table and just get your mug of tea and only pay for the tea I think it was the Blue Boar but not sure ( so I was told ) others to have Drivers restaurants were Washington,Charnock Richard,Strensham and Keele also the one on the M61.
cheers Johnnie
Yes Dennis, they was up to all the tricks, I was on the buses and have my badge, and a driver I knew would strip off his overalls, put on his jacket, and get his breakfast and up to the till, when it came to pay, he would flip his lapel and show his badge, and they would wave him through, over the 40 years I knew him, I can never remember him ever paying for a breakfast, another time I saw a chap just pay for a bowl of soup, and his mate in the queue threw 2 or 3 roll over to him and the butter as well,
Another services with a drivers restaurant was Forton (now Lancaster).
It was up in the tower, it still might be but I doubt it.
Come off J20 M1 Head towards mkt harborough, just after walcote, there’s a big layby on the right. There used to be a 24hr cafe called Tubs cafe…
Been gone at least 10yrs, now just a 7am - 3pm E-Coli van…
gunnerheskey:
Come off J20 M1 Head towards mkt harborough, just after walcote, there’s a big layby on the right. There used to be a 24hr cafe called Tubs cafe…
Been gone at least 10yrs, now just a 7am - 3pm E-Coli van…
Love that one gunner… E-Coli van … problem is it’s very true I never use them, I just park up and make a roll if I am away.
Muckaway:
Has the Cb shop on Michaelwood services (M5) shut? Didn’t notice it last time I stopped there.
Its been moved a while, now resides in gordano’s msa car park.