Lawrence Dunbar:
Well your good old Gaffer must have been a good one to pay you these dodgey payments, Regards Larry.
Hiya,
When in no hurry I’ve done the Kincardine Bridge and booked the Forth Bridge.
thanks harry, long retired.
We used to take steel to Firth Derihon at Darley Dale from Steel Peech and Tozer Templeborough and went through Chatsworth Park. One of our lads,Graham Wheelhouse,booked entrance fee to Chatsworth House and nearly got sack for being a cheeky sod. [emoji38]
Of course there has been a weight limit through there for years now.
Presume firth deriham at darley dale is what became firth rixons, now arconic?
Big place next to A6 on right going south?
Wagons over Chatsworth bridge?
That must be some years ago ! ?
Proper horse and cart bridge that.
Just having another look at that moonscape of a lorry park at the Star and thinking how brave we were to venture in with high roped and sheeted loads. Must have done a good job with the ropes and hitches and justified the cracks in my hands, agony on a freezing morning with the embedded salt.
What year do you reckon the picture was, bearing in mind the 38/3300 Daf and the Roadtrain? 80ish?
Warrior:
And was dunkirk a sod to drive through before they built the bypass.
There was also a cafe on the old A2 at Dunkirk,just before The Gate Inn on the other side of the road,which was also home to Bailey’s Coaches.
They used to do the school run to Whitstable and,through the mechanic there,I got a Saturday job washing the coaches down.
Another one I remember is,again on the old A2,between Sittingbourne and Faversham,but for the life of me I can’t remember the name,but that was also turned into a Little Chef.
The Sunset Transport Cafe on the A299 Thanet Way at Whitstable is now a fish & chip restaurant/take-away.
What about the Sunset truck stop at penkridge on the 449 used to go there when i had my first minivan at 17 used to play on pinball machines ben gone along time now. Had rooms for the drivers
My claim to fame concerning the Sunset at Penkridge is I stopped there overnight on the first day they reopened after the big fire destroyed it.Went back a week later and some nice guy had lifted all the plugs in the sinks and all the toilet chains.Tell me why? Very clean to start with but went downhill.Long gone now. Same with my youth,hair and teeth.
Aye i rememer the sunset ,the big old house that sat in the middle of the park.I was there the thurs.night as they closed on the friday.Another old one gone.
Hi all, anyone remember the Aviary Island cafe on the A5 just south of Hinckley? Used to call in on my bike in the late 70s before I had passed my test and so couldn’t use the motorway. It’s now a big hotel, Jury’s inn. Did I dream it or do any old drivers remember it?
harry: KW I can remember the A12 when Bert’s was there on the bend before Brentwood on the old road. Len used to run it and lived in the bungalow next door. He sold the plot for building land.
I remember the cafe,but it was before my time.
Another one on the A12 was The Bungalow at Marks Tey,which as of last year was still there,as I called in for a dinner.
What was the one called as you came from Chelmsford towards Brentwood on the old A12?
They had a huge breakfast which I think was called the Truckers,it was double everything,with a steak & kidney pie and chips on top of it.The sign said that if you can finish the lot,then you got your money back.
Don’t know if anyone ever did.
And what was the name of the one on the old A45 from Cambridge to St Neots?Just off a roundabout.The Comfort? Or was The Comfort on the A11?
Memory is getting bad.
Deputy Dog’s at Barham,again on the old A45,used to be a good cafe when Tony Doggett opened it up.
Had a few good nights out there when he had the,ahem,exotic dancers on.
Those girls could have been magicians the way they made those pool balls disappear
Never forget the day when the ministry men,as well as the customs,were having there dinner in Deputy Dog’s (the weighbridge was 500yds down the road) and a Dutchman came strolling in with a couple of carrier bags of baccy which Tony used to buy off him to sell in the cafe.
Red faces all around.
Was the Enterprise, and I think the Dutchman, you were thinking of, might have been big Steve, looked like a Viking,and ran the pallets,and other things.
stuartm375:
Hi all, anyone remember the Aviary Island cafe on the A5 just south of Hinckley? Used to call in on my bike in the late 70s before I had passed my test and so couldn’t use the motorway. It’s now a big hotel, Jury’s inn. Did I dream it or do any old drivers remember it?
It was a great little 24hr Café which always was a favourite of mine when I was tramping up and down the A5 as an O/D in the late 60’s /early 70/71. This is a mid 70’s shot of the Atky 4 wheeler we ran parked at The Aviary, IIRC it was driven by my younger Brother and the shot was taken by him en route on it’s way to London loaded with Westmorland water worn limestone rockery. Cheers Bewick.
Thanks Bewick, I called in there on quite a few occasions for a warm up and a cup of tea, I still ride but nowadays feel the cold more so it’s mostly a summer time job. Take care and thanks for sharing your memories.
On the subject of old cafes , the old Quernhow cafe site on the old A1 is being redeveloped I think a local haulage firm are building new offices and workshop there
Spardo:
Just having another look at that moonscape of a lorry park at the Star and thinking how brave we were to venture in with high roped and sheeted loads. Must have done a good job with the ropes and hitches and justified the cracks in my hands, agony on a freezing morning with the embedded salt.
What year do you reckon the picture was, bearing in mind the 38/3300 Daf and the Roadtrain? 80ish?
Not sure of the year in the photo Spardo. I did a lot of Scottish when subbing off Pritchett Bros, Ashton in Makerfield in the early Seventies, and sometimes called at the Star. As I’ve posted somewhere, I remember the lavatories were foul! An American and his wife pulled in in a car when I was there and asked to use them. I felt ashamed about what they would think of us!
gerard:
On the subject of old cafes , the old Quernhow cafe site on the old A1 is being redeveloped I think a local haulage firm are building new offices and workshop there
The Quernhow Cafe, It was a great eating place, IIRC It opened in 1962/3ish. The same family had it right up till it was sold to ■■? I cant remember his name but he did have a lay bye Cabin at Ranby Roundabout, Which IIRC It burnt down and thats when the owner took the Quernhow over, I only had one meal in there and I never went back it certainly dropped in the high standard the the previous owner maintained, Regards Larry.
gerard:
On the subject of old cafes , the old Quernhow cafe site on the old A1 is being redeveloped I think a local haulage firm are building new offices and workshop there
The Quernhow Cafe, It was a great eating place, IIRC It opened in 1962/3ish. The same family had it right up till it was sold to ■■? I cant remember his name but he did have a lay bye Cabin at Ranby Roundabout, Which IIRC It burnt down and thats when the owner took the Quernhow over, I only had one meal in there and I never went back it certainly dropped in the high standard the the previous owner maintained, Regards Larry.
Aye Larry it was a great café,good snap and clean.My first stop after leaving Sheffield for breakfast. I remember that lay-by cabin near A1/A614/A57 island but never used it.
The name of the lay by Cabin Could it of been Marios, Im sure someone mentioned this one night at the Drivers Getogether in The Labour Club in the TOON, Of course I would of had a rather large ammounts of Barley Squeezings at this time, Regards Larry.
gerard:
On the subject of old cafes , the old Quernhow cafe site on the old A1 is being redeveloped I think a local haulage firm are building new offices and workshop there
Ive a feeling that it will be Q H Logistics , Which was Housemans Transport from Thirsk , They also had a yard South Bound on the A 1 at Sinderby, Regards Larry.
