Numbum:
Rover Way cafe outside Cardiff docks years ago.
Been in there a few times, food was always good.
dafdave:
gunnerheskey:
The old shell garage & cafe on the old A74 north top side of beatock opposite the old quarry entrance.
Had many a night in the Harthill cafe, just off the M8 on the old A8.
I used to like the old Lymm, a bit further down on the left.
The old Evesham vale cafe was the dogs at one point. Until they tried to turn it into a bistroHad many a good night myself in the harthill café in the 70s when dave ran it.
regards dave.
Is that what used to be called " Mollys Bar " ? Then changed to the Burnside ? That is now our house
altitude:
Numbum:
Rover Way cafe outside Cardiff docks years ago.
Been in there a few times, food was always good.
Look’s like 2 of Derek Horton’s ERF’s on there,
Thinking of old cafes in the early 70s I stopped over in a cafe in the then one way system in the middle of Petersfield, when the A3 went straight through. I think the place was called the Collage Cafe or a similar name (it was a long time ago), anyway on this evening there were about 6 or 7 drivers in the TV lounge when the owner came in with a crate of beer and a box of cigars and told us to help ourselves, it seems he had just become a grandfather for the first time and he wanted to share the good news with us.
Strangely a similar thing had happened to me earlier in 67/68 at Jacks Hill Towcester when John Dean (Deans Haulage Salisbury) had news that his misses had given birth to a lad, about 6 of us piled into a taxi and went into Northampton to wet the babys head courtesy of John. Happy days long gone.
I was in the Checkley Truck Stop and Station, Barry Brash’s place, when his grandson was born, all we got was tea 
marshman:
I was in the Checkley Truck Stop and Station, Barry Brash’s place, when his grandson was born, all we got was tea
I was in there once near Christmas and Barry put a couple of bottles of Whisky on the bar!
Somebody might recognise a few old names here, courtesy of Peter Blackshire.
dafdave:
gunnerheskey:
The old shell garage & cafe on the old A74 north top side of beatock opposite the old quarry entrance.
Had many a night in the Harthill cafe, just off the M8 on the old A8.
I used to like the old Lymm, a bit further down on the left.
The old Evesham vale cafe was the dogs at one point. Until they tried to turn it into a bistroHad many a good night myself in the harthill café in the 70s when dave ran it.
regards dave.
The cafe at Harthill is now our house , they built a new cafe The Burnside up the back but even its closed now
Even French routier restos call it a day sometimes.
Pity they didn’t tell the sleepers in the lorry park though 
Spardo Where abouts is that one …?
i would like to know also as they are right hand drive ■■
It’s at a crossroads on the N148 between Fontenay-le-Comte (85) and Ste. Hermine I think.
There used to be more in there but the place is getting more and more overgrown. Last time I saw it was last June, which was when I took the pictures.
Can’t help thinking there is an interesting story there somewhere. Why just UK trucks and why did it close down? OK it has long been bypassed by the AR but in France that doesn’t usually make much difference to the good ones.
I don’t remember the place being open, I often used to eat/overnight at Le P’■■■ Midi which is on the same road but south of Fontenay, just before the roundabout which used to take you to the bottom of the AR before it was extended round Niort. That one used to be less good (and called something different) before taken over by new patrons about 5 years ago.
Always spoilt for choice in that area though with good ones on the Niort ring road and just south of it on the D948. Makes it easier to work to your max hours. 
They got that Showman’s look about 'em.
Spardo:
It’s at a crossroads on the N148 between Fontenay-le-Comte (85) and Ste. Hermine I think.
There used to be more in there but the place is getting more and more overgrown. Last time I saw it was last June, which was when I took the pictures.
Can’t help thinking there is an interesting story there somewhere. Why just UK trucks and why did it close down? OK it has long been bypassed by the AR but in France that doesn’t usually make much difference to the good ones.
There’s a couple of transport cafés that have closed in this area now, there’s one further back up the N137 on the right hand side that I used to pass on my way down to La Rochelle that looks like it’s been closed for a fair while too.
Looked pretty spooky 
Andy Rich:
There’s a couple of transport cafés that have closed in this area now, there’s one further back up the N137 on the right hand side that I used to pass on my way down to La Rochelle that looks like it’s been closed for a fair while too.
Looked pretty spooky
Do you mean the one on the traffic lights in Marans? It had a fairly restricted parking area opposite but, being in a town, I would have thought would have lots of other customers as well. Ate there once, seemed ok.
There’s another further back in the village of Sableau, again with little parking, but you surely can’t mean L’Oasis at St. Jean de Beugné, just off the AR J7 . That was a great place with plenty of parking. Only objection I had to them was they sold me a phone card for the FT wallphone on one visit and the next time I went there they’d changed it for another which didn’t take the cards 
One I still go to on holiday each year is La Chène Vert which is on the D949 just before Luçon. Plenty of parking for heavies. There was a bloke behind the bar who was a bit eccentric. He brought a bowl of water for the dogs, then lay down on the floor to talk to them . He then proceeded to hand out baseball caps (of course with the logo on) to all and sundry, regulars or not. 
Just noticed you’re fairly new in here Andy, welcome and I hope you like what you see.
Thanks for the welcome David certainly seems a good forum 
It could well be the one just off the autoroute, it’s got a large parking area on site and I just remember wondering on my way past why it had closed 
Looked like it would’ve been a nice place at one time.
Last time I passed was when I stopped at LR on my way down to Spain last February.
I’ll have to check it out when I’m up that way again this year. The parking areas are opposite. I say areas because there is another behind the one at the roadside, which is where they direct all the frigos.
My first thought was to say that perhaps it was congé annuel, the annual holiday shutdown that they all take each year, but that would have been in July/August not February.
flishflunk:
Dog food dan and the Camarthen cowboy, was a one off ITV Playhouse from 1982 followed by a series in1988.imdb.com/title/tt0485630/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
Ray
The original is now on You tube if anyone wants to watch it (again?)
Just had a brief look but had to tear myself away. But, apart from the cringe making opening scenes, it did bring back some good memories.
Spardo:
Just had a brief look but had to tear myself away. But, apart from the cringe making opening scenes, it did bring back some good memories.
why do lorry driver related programs always seem to paint the driver as a ■■■ starved beer swilling cab happy caveman ■■.it annoys me