Lawrence Dunbar:
0The Eagles Nest Café Shap Fell, Regards Larry.
Brilliant Larry,
What a wonderfully evocative photo of what in real time is not that long ago! My uncle talked about that cafe, and it was visited by a few who post on here. I missed it by a couple of years as a driver, I think. I don’t remember it in 1969, but I’m sure it was there when I went from Barrow to St Boswells when I was 16 in 1964 on my 60cc Puch Cheetah Scooter! Even the lorries were overtaking me up Shap!
John
It ceased to operate in the late 50s, And was replaced by a one on the summit opposite the phone box called The Selside Café, All that’s left of it now is the concrete base where it stood, Ive spent many a freezing cold journey going over Shap, Regards Larry.
That makes sense Larry. Funny how your memory works. Little video clips of several seconds of action, with nothing either side.
I can remember a truck overtaking me, with a hugely amused driver - I must have been the first ‘vehicle’ he’d ever passed going up! He motioned a ‘drinking’ movement at me, and pointed to the top.
When I got there, he was in his cab still - obviously had a flask. He said something like ‘ah, I just meant there was a cafe at the top’. I also had a flask and sandwiches (well, it was the sixties) so didn’t go in. I have no memory of the actual cafe, but obviously the original had gone by then.
Spardo:
I never knew the Eagles Nest, Lawrence (being one of the younger fellows on here ), and was about to ask you if it was the one at the bottom of the hill when I suddenly thought, no that was the Jungle. Am I right? And if I’m wrong, then you are the one who is wrong about the Eagles Nest. I definitely spent a few hours at the bottom of the hill.
I think you are right though. I was on the road from ’ 62 onwards so if it was at the bottom, it was still there then.
Coming from Nottingham My normal route north was not that way and my break of choice was always Stainmore.
It was the Jungle Café at the bottom & the Eagles Nest was two old buses at the top, Regards Larry.
The Jungle was still open in 1969. I usually stopped there going North or South. This may have been partly because I fancied a red haired girl who served there. She was about my age - 21. She was the one who said ‘transport drivers only in here!’ To me. I looked about 16 or 17.
By coincidence I met her at charnock Richard a couple of years later - that was when they still had a separate transport cafe. I was sitting eating and she said ‘excuse me, transport drivers only in here’. I was about to protest when I realised who she was.
She told me that all the drivers said they wouldn’t be using the motorway, but would still come over old Shap. The day after the motorway opened, the cafe was deserted and stayed that way. End of her job!
John West:
The Jungle was still open in 1969. I usually stopped there going North or South. This may have been partly because I fancied a red haired girl who served there. She was about my age - 21. She was the one who said ‘transport drivers only in here!’ To me. I looked about 16 or 17.
By coincidence I met her at charnock Richard a couple of years later - that was when they still had a separate transport cafe. I was sitting eating and she said ‘excuse me, transport drivers only in here’. I was about to protest when I realised who she was.
She told me that all the drivers said they wouldn’t be using the motorway, but would still come over old Shap. The day after the motorway opened, the cafe was deserted and stayed that way. End of her job!
Thus pass the glories of the world!
John.
Hiya John, IIRC The Jungle became a “ghost cafe” the same day the M6 opened as the Westmorland Gazette had a photo of the continuous Kendal thro’ traffic in the morning and another one taken a couple of hours after the m/way opened with just a few local vehicles dotted up and down the main street.Cheers Dennis. PS will the “Yard” be building 4 Subs or 3 or none at all ■■? You’ll get a Tory back in “The red town” yet !!
John West:
The Jungle was still open in 1969. I usually stopped there going North or South. This may have been partly because I fancied a red haired girl who served there. She was about my age - 21. She was the one who said ‘transport drivers only in here!’ To me. I looked about 16 or 17.
By coincidence I met her at charnock Richard a couple of years later - that was when they still had a separate transport cafe. I was sitting eating and she said ‘excuse me, transport drivers only in here’. I was about to protest when I realised who she was.
She told me that all the drivers said they wouldn’t be using the motorway, but would still come over old Shap. The day after the motorway opened, the cafe was deserted and stayed that way. End of her job!
John West:
The Jungle was still open in 1969. I usually stopped there going North or South. This may have been partly because I fancied a red haired girl who served there. She was about my age - 21. She was the one who said ‘transport drivers only in here!’ To me. I looked about 16 or 17.
By coincidence I met her at charnock Richard a couple of years later - that was when they still had a separate transport cafe. I was sitting eating and she said ‘excuse me, transport drivers only in here’. I was about to protest when I realised who she was.
She told me that all the drivers said they wouldn’t be using the motorway, but would still come over old Shap. The day after the motorway opened, the cafe was deserted and stayed that way. End of her job!
Thus pass the glories of the world!
John.
Aye, Its a caravan park now, Regards Larry.
It’s called “Kendal Caravan Sales” Larry,Cheers Dennis.
John West:
She told me that all the drivers said they wouldn’t be using the motorway, but would still come over old Shap. The day after the motorway opened, the cafe was deserted and stayed that way. End of her job!
Thus pass the glories of the world!
John.
That’s the difference between English cafes and drivers and French ones. So many of our old ones are still going strong because drivers will divert and support what they see as a good thing. Why is that I wonder?
John West:
She told me that all the drivers said they wouldn’t be using the motorway, but would still come over old Shap. The day after the motorway opened, the cafe was deserted and stayed that way. End of her job!
Thus pass the glories of the world!
John.
That’s the difference between English cafes and drivers and French ones. So many of our old ones are still going strong because drivers will divert and support what they see as a good thing. Why is that I wonder?
Hmmmm… To be fair, for most of the drivers it wouldn’t have been their decision, ‘yeah boss, I went over shap the old way - it took me two hours of hard slog to do what I could have done in 1/2 an hour on the new motorway’
Don’t think it even got that far! As Bewick says, as soon as the motorway opened the A6 was dead!
Whenever I drive through Kendal now and try and tell (yawning) wife and daughter about coming this way in my lorry, loaded with timber, they can’t begin to imagine it, and realistically, nor can I!
I think it’s slightly different in France, not that I drive there now - but my cousin does. He has a caravan, and often uses the toll-free routes (the Wests are traditionally mean as a flea!)
But their A roads are much better than ours, and I think that’s why their restaurants may be better than ours. There is still the traffic to keep them in business.
Bewick:
Hiya John, IIRC The Jungle became a “ghost cafe” the same day the M6 opened as the Westmorland Gazette had a photo of the continuous Kendal thro’ traffic in the morning and another one taken a couple of hours after the m/way opened with just a few local vehicles dotted up and down the main street.Cheers Dennis. PS will the “Yard” be building 4 Subs or 3 or none at all ■■? You’ll get a Tory back in “The red town” yet !!
I don’t know Dennis, there was a bloke being interviewed on the news last night who said that it was all just talk and things will go on the same. All the politicians spout what they think everyone wants to hear, then do what they like - on tax free expenses of course!
To be sure if Ms Sturgeon’s SNP and the Greens hold the balance of power, the defence budget will be cancelled, Barrow will become a Ghost town and the money will be used for something really useful, like nappies for Vietnamese goats!
John West:
Hmmmm… To be fair, for most of the drivers it wouldn’t have been their decision, ‘yeah boss, I went over shap the old way - it took me two hours of hard slog to do what I could have done in 1/2 an hour on the new motorway’
You are right, of course, John. I was talking in general terms. The contrast between the 2 countries is quite remarkable. Your comment made me laugh though. When I started for Gauthiers here one trip was to Marseille. Vincent, the Boss’s son was astounded that I took the direct route through Rodez to Millau then down the a/route to Montpellier and the east. He criticised me for not heading due south all the way round Toulouse and Carcassonne - until I pointed out to him how much I had saved the company in fuel and peages, and all in the same time on the road. When the story was related back at base to the Boss later in the week he laughed too with a knowing wink at the youngster who had known nothing but the autoroute age.
For those who can’t quite remember when the M6 opened over Shap, it was Friday Oct 23 1970, at around 1.30pm. The last northbound traffic from Carnforth would have taken about 20-30 mins to clear Kendal I guess. Southbound a bit less, as lorries coming through Shap village would have seen the new M6 sign at J39 and, turned left off the A6 there. So, somewhere around 2 pm, Kendal would have gone all quiet and peaceful.
Some drivers in the Jungle and Selside cafes would have started their break on a busy noisy A6 and, when they came back out found total silence and a deserted road, which must have been a strange experience.
I recall seeing an ad for the Jungle, for sale in 1973. How on earth it survived for 3 whole years after the M6, I don’t know. The local Shap quarry tippers would have been the only possible regular customers perhaps.
fryingpan:
For those who can’t quite remember when the M6 opened over Shap, it was Friday Oct 23 1970, at around 1.30pm. The last northbound traffic from Carnforth would have taken about 20-30 mins to clear Kendal I guess. Southbound a bit less, as lorries coming through Shap village would have seen the new M6 sign at J39 and, turned left off the A6 there. So, somewhere around 2 pm, Kendal would have gone all quiet and peaceful.
Some drivers in the Jungle and Selside cafes would have started their break on a busy noisy A6 and, when they came back out found total silence and a deserted road, which must have been a strange experience.
I recall seeing an ad for the Jungle, for sale in 1973. How on earth it survived for 3 whole years after the M6, I don’t know. The local Shap quarry tippers would have been the only possible regular customers perhaps.
I remember going up Shap past the Jungle cafe to a brakedown a Seddon four wheeler 13/4 with a split gearbox !! bad change down to try for crawler .
It was mid December and the snow was deep .
The guy driving the snowplow shouted the time every time he past .I was only a kid and was thinking in the Jungle cafe that this is what it must have been like in the wild west .
We went to the cafe Three times through the night so that was three breakfasts for me ,The staff wanted to know where I was putting it all the guy I was with (B Prescot) said he would rather feed me for a week than a fortnight . The Jungle cafe was in its last years but you would never have guest .
Well as Ive said before the Jungle Café was a good one, The grub was allways fresh the staff were very pleasent & would pass the time of day with you, They served the best soup you could get along with a lump of crusty bread or a bun whatever took ones fancy, They certainly looked after their customers in the winter, Of course its history now sadley to say like all the other good watering holes around the country, Happy long gone days, Regards Larry.
My mother used to work in a cafe Nr Huntingdon in the 60s, she always talks about her memories with such affection as she used to love the work and the customers. I will try to get the details of which cafe as some of you might remember her, her name is Betty by the way.
Richard R:
My mother used to work in a cafe Nr Huntingdon in the 60s, she always talks about her memories with such affection as she used to love the work and the customers. I will try to get the details of which cafe as some of you might remember her, her name is Betty by the way.
Afton? Or something like that.
Junction of the A 1198 and A 428, I think, about 8 miles south of Godmanchester. Used to be on the main road, then they built a flyover and it was on the slip road. Then it shut down and later re-opened under another name.
The last time I was there, years ago now, it had moved completely to an industrial estate nearby, yet another name, but can’t remember either of them.
marshman:
That cafe was called The Afton. Back in the '60s BRS Grays used to changeover with Scunthorpe there at night.
Thought I was right. It wasn’t particularly good as I remember but it was convenient between Nottngham and Felixstowe I suppose.
One firm I worked for had a fleet of contract hire tippers. We got weekend overtime to go down that way in a couple of minibuses to collect them and bring them back. All 4 wheelers with that squarish cab Dodge after they finished with the LAD cabs. There were about 20 of us and those V ■■■■■■■ engines didn’t half disturb the peace as we all piled into the Afton on the way back.
Longwayround:
There was a real greasy spoon quite close to Brands Hatch.I stopped there more than once,though more to stave off starvation than to enjoy the unremarkable quality of the food.
Thinking about it the food wasn’t bad,certainly better than school slop, it was the worn out fixtures and general filth that was the turn off,and margerine.
Don’t remember the name,if it had one.
Do you mean Oakdene Cafe at Wrotham?
Just reread this thread and cruising in battersea park seems to have a different meaning nowadays BP
probably not the oakdene used to go in there regularly,good food and tea
The best little Cafe when I was up and down the road to London was The Avairy on the A5 just south of Hinckley Knight,it was open 24hrs when the A5 was a busy road,great l’al place breakfasts a “speciality” I know there were many other very good Cafe’s but everyone had their favourites and The Avairy was mine ! Not just sure when it closed.Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
The best little Cafe when I was up and down the road to London was The Avairy on the A5 just south of Hinckley Knight,it was open 24hrs when the A5 was a busy road,great l’al place breakfasts a “speciality” I know there were many other very good Cafe’s but everyone had their favourites and The Avairy was mine ! Not just sure when it closed.Cheers Bewick.
Hiya
Dennis, I couldn’t ever make the Aviary but did stop at the Hinckley Knight for a
liquid breakfast there was always three or four Bowker’s lads in there for a pint
or two in the morning sort of Dutch courage to help you face London.
thanks harry, long retired.
), and was about to ask you if it was the one at the bottom of the hill when I suddenly thought, no that was the Jungle. Am I right? And if I’m wrong, then you are the one who is wrong about the Eagles Nest. I definitely spent a few hours at the bottom of the hill. 
When the story was related back at base to the Boss later in the week he laughed too with a knowing wink at the youngster who had known nothing but the autoroute age. 
.
