To all who frequented the dangerous A74 in the sixties.
I came up to Scotland to stay with my granny’s sister in Wanlockhead for 6 weeks during the school summer holidays.
Travelling on the X30 bus from Manchester ( called the Gay Hostess - cannot call it that anymore ) we used to alight in Crawford at about 5 pm at the village centre.
As I recall, the establishment might have been called the ’ Merlindale Tearooms ’ and we used to sit there until the local bus company coach ( J & J Leith and Sons from Sanquhar ) arrived to take us up to her home.
The A74 was a death trap then and single lane at the beginning of the decade. Very short slip lanes and vehicles turning right in front of oncoming traffic.
Even when the first dual carriageway was installed, traffic would cross the central reservation (with NO barriers) to turn right.
Trucks travelling up from England on the original A6 would have to gather speed down hill to help make it up the next hill. Remember the big clock ’ Leyland Motors for all time ’ ? It’s now in a Kendal museum.
One of the construction companies building the FIRST dual carriageway ( there were 2 attempts to improve before the motorway came ) was M M Ltd, (black lettering on orange background) with a strange yellow digging machine with shovel and backhoe called a JCB was moving the spoil away or into trucks - the rest, as they say, is history.
Steam trains ran alongside for a lot of the way. I remember being at the Rex Restaurant next to Lockerbie station (now Salvation Army centre) in another teabreak when 1 of Stainers locomotives - Princess Elizabeth - thundered through on it’s way to Glasgow Central station.
AEC, Scammell, Leyland, Albion, ERF, Foden, Atkinson and Thornycroft trucks were all passed by the bus on the way north and south.
Does anyone else have more info on the Merlindale Cafe / Tearooms ?
One of the best digs, when I was on Smith of Maddison, was Mrs Dorrien at Lockerbie, a private house, spotlessly clean, fantastic dinner and breakfast, the epitamy of a home from home.
We use to park in the tyre depot which you could see from the A74, providing you were out of there before 8.00am it wasn’t a problem…
After the plane had hit I looked in all the papers and watched the news, to see if they’d been affected, it looked like the tyre depot had taken a hit, but I couldn’t be sure… but I think the digs were OK, certainly Mrs Dorrien wasn’t on the list of those killed…if any drivers live in Lockerbie perhaps they could tell me if the tyre place was destroyed…
What about Dirty Dicks, or if you were posh filthy Richards at Garstang.
Also Olympia Strand Road Preston, sat there many mornings waiting for Woodside Brothers truckers coming down from Glenluce.
Fergie47:
One of the best digs, when I was on Smith of Maddison, was Mrs Dorrien at Lockerbie, a private house, spotlessly clean, fantastic dinner and breakfast, the epitamy of a home from home.
We use to park in the tyre depot which you could see from the A74, providing you were out of there before 8.00am it wasn’t a problem…
After the plane had hit I looked in all the papers and watched the news, to see if they’d been affected, it looked like the tyre depot had taken a hit, but I couldn’t be sure… but I think the digs were OK, certainly Mrs Dorrien wasn’t on the list of those killed…if any drivers live in Lockerbie perhaps they could tell me if the tyre place was destroyed…
no they were all ok it was the south end o town that got hit,i recon you mean national tyres just off leonard terrace… at that time I lived round the corner. Was a good place but as usual the sht in a bag mob couldn’t take a telling and the town said enough
Fergie47:
One of the best digs, when I was on Smith of Maddison, was Mrs Dorrien at Lockerbie, a private house, spotlessly clean, fantastic dinner and breakfast, the epitamy of a home from home.
We use to park in the tyre depot which you could see from the A74, providing you were out of there before 8.00am it wasn’t a problem…
After the plane had hit I looked in all the papers and watched the news, to see if they’d been affected, it looked like the tyre depot had taken a hit, but I couldn’t be sure… but I think the digs were OK, certainly Mrs Dorrien wasn’t on the list of those killed…if any drivers live in Lockerbie perhaps they could tell me if the tyre place was destroyed…
no they were all ok it was the south end o town that got hit,i recon you mean national tyres just off leonard terrace… at that time I lived round the corner. Was a good place but as usual the sht in a bag mob couldn’t take a telling and the town said enough
Fergie47:
One of the best digs, when I was on Smith of Maddison, was Mrs Dorrien at Lockerbie, a private house, spotlessly clean, fantastic dinner and breakfast, the epitamy of a home from home.
We use to park in the tyre depot which you could see from the A74, providing you were out of there before 8.00am it wasn’t a problem…
After the plane had hit I looked in all the papers and watched the news, to see if they’d been affected, it looked like the tyre depot had taken a hit, but I couldn’t be sure… but I think the digs were OK, certainly Mrs Dorrien wasn’t on the list of those killed…if any drivers live in Lockerbie perhaps they could tell me if the tyre place was destroyed…
no they were all ok it was the south end o town that got hit,i recon you mean national tyres just off leonard terrace… at that time I lived round the corner. Was a good place but as usual the sht in a bag mob couldn’t take a telling and the town said enough
OK, thanks Jimbo, I’ve always wondered…
I remember mrs dorrien,i,m sure shes the one who used to say,"i don,t know what i,ll give you for dinner,it,ll have to be sausage egg and chips"which was always ok,if filling in for one of the Boots motors out of maddiston,when you got to the digs you had to know which one to go to,because the woman across the street also put up maddiston drivers and the two women would end up arguing about where you stayed.
Also while with smith regular digs were ,andras at brock,penkridge,chris annes at trafford park which must have been the mankiest place in manchester,the derry,kirkpatrick fleming,the bell bar,brownhills,the hollies and many others,some good some bad,but all useful.
I never stopped in many digs after getting very itchy legs and ankles while staying in a place near Sittingbourne, I.I.R.C. I was tipping at B.O.C. Transhield and after that the cab of my Ford D series didn’t seem too bad after all. Two places that I did like was Chris’s Cafe at Stokenchurch near High Wycombe and a place where I stayed one night called The Sleepy Sausage on the A45 at Willoughby near Daventry. The café and the digs which were owned by a bloke called Paul are still there as I have just checked the place out on Google Earth but the digs that I stayed in were somewhere across the road. I met up that night with two B.R.S. drivers from the Cheetham Hill depot who invited me along to the local pub in the village with them. The pub looked more like a house with a couple of barrels of beer behind the bar, no pumps on the bar, it was the type of pub where the landlord knocked the tap straight into the barrel. In those days the pubs during the week in Scotland closed at 10 p.m., in England it was 10.30 p.m., in London it was 11.00 p.m. but in Willoughby it was when all the drivers left, just before midnight. I bet that Nozzer remembers the café.
loader8:
I remember mrs dorrien,i,m sure shes the one who used to say,"i don,t know what i,ll give you for dinner,it,ll have to be sausage egg and chips"which was always ok,if filling in for one of the Boots motors out of maddiston,when you got to the digs you had to know which one to go to,because the woman across the street also put up maddiston drivers and the two women would end up arguing about where you stayed.
Also while with smith regular digs were ,andras at brock,penkridge,chris annes at trafford park which must have been the mankiest place in manchester,the derry,kirkpatrick fleming,the bell bar,brownhills,the hollies and many others,some good some bad,but all useful.
Loader…Nope. Mrs Dorien was always a meat and three veg lady, plus puddings to die for, maybe the odd chip dinner, but very few…
Andrews at Brock, stayed there most Sundays on the way to Scotland, not a drinker myself, but use to go with the lads to the “Green Man” just up the road… Great digs was Andrews, and I believe his son and daughter in law took it over when he retired…
nick2008:
Torquay opposite the coach park was a place owned and run by Monica and her hubby the place is still there don’t know if they still have it but its advertised as being family run for over 20 yrs so you never know …
Christmas week was always a good one because she would do a Christmas special with a few drinks on the table.
Breakfast in the morning with a packed lunch all thrown in for about £12…
Newcroft - used it for many years! My former colleagues tell me it’s still going strong, although I believe John died several years ago.
I remember Monica’s breakfasts were to die for!!
Steve
Hi,as far as i know there"s nothing left in Torquay now,by the lorry & coach park,as i live in Torquay.norman croad,Torquay.
loader8:
I remember mrs dorrien,i,m sure shes the one who used to say,"i don,t know what i,ll give you for dinner,it,ll have to be sausage egg and chips"which was always ok,if filling in for one of the Boots motors out of maddiston,when you got to the digs you had to know which one to go to,because the woman across the street also put up maddiston drivers and the two women would end up arguing about where you stayed.
Also while with smith regular digs were ,andras at brock,penkridge,chris annes at trafford park which must have been the mankiest place in manchester,the derry,kirkpatrick fleming,the bell bar,brownhills,the hollies and many others,some good some bad,but all useful.
Loader…Nope. Mrs Dorien was always a meat and three veg lady, plus puddings to die for, maybe the odd chip dinner, but very few…
Andrews at Brock, stayed there most Sundays on the way to Scotland, not a drinker myself, but use to go with the lads to the “Green Man” just up the road… Great digs was Andrews, and I believe his son and daughter in law took it over when he retired…
“I used to stop at Andrew collinson"s at Brock on sunday,on the A6 nr Garstang,wen on scotch run,nice digs,wen i was on for Harris & Miners,Devon,i was seeing a young lady who lived opposite”
I had a couple of nights in the Durose Transport Motel whilst my motor was in Lex Tillotsons. Boy could those Caledonian drivers snore and “trump” Jim.
Lawrence Dunbar:
I used to quite often stay at Mrs Smiths on Hyde Road Manchester , The place was spotless clean & the grub was very good, Plus free parking at Ardwick Green, This was the 50/60s Era, Her daughter also catered for long distance drivers just a couple of doors away Doris Dance was her name,The good old days Eh, Regards Larry. PS Mrs Smiths Tel No Ardwick 1858.
You might remember these two Larry which were also on Hyde Road, Jimmy’s and Thelma’s.
never tried bray’s , i was warned off by other drivers . tailors on the old kent road at new cross , put money in the gas meter jn winter for the gas fire in every room . a real fire trap of a place , one staircase for 4 floors , but the grub was passable and it was handy for the pubs , and in those days you could park on the derelict streets over the road . good nights in the lord montague at new cross or a taxi to the adam and eve in peckham . dave
Hi Dave, was it The Lord Montague I seem to remember a pub in New Cross called The Montague Arms where Jimmy Jones the comedian was the regular compare before he got famous. The blind kid who played the organ I believe went on to be Lennie Peters from Peters and Lee. It was always full of drivers many of which had parked up at places like Valance Road, Aldgate and Shepherds Bush just to have a good night out. It was a fair way to travel on the tube but you were always sure of a good laugh.
mushroomman:
Hi Dave, was it The Lord Montague I seem to remember a pub in New Cross called The Montague Arms where Jimmy Jones the comedian was the regular compare before he got famous. The blind kid who played the organ I believe went on to be Lennie Peters from Peters and Lee. It was always full of drivers many of which had parked up at places like Valance Road, Aldgate and Shepherds Bush just to have a good night out. It was a fair way to travel on the tube but you were always sure of a good laugh.
Regards Steve.
One of my favourites was the Salamanca inn on the old A34 , 1950s BRS days i think it was somewhere near Holmes Chapel /Sandbach -no need to go out after a good meal and sink a pint or three,
What about the SALLY -ANN HOSTEL off SCOTLAND ROAD Liverpool, they kept one floor for the drivers and you never ate there, and you paid the young little Ba----ds half a grown to look after your lorry mister.If you were late going in after the beer, you had to give the night watchman a bunce to get back in… or you just kept rattling them old metal shutters.One thing used to annoy me was the comedians of the time, used to glorify the antics of the young kids [.scalies] as if it was their right to extort money from out of townenr s …and hang on the back of your trailers going down the East lancs…Best digs, home, or someone els es if you were lucky.
I seem to remember a pub in New Cross called The Montague Arms where Jimmy Jones the comedian was the regular compare before he got famous. The blind kid who played the organ I believe went on to be Lennie Peters from Peters and Lee. It was always full of drivers many of which had parked up at places like Valance Road, Aldgate and Shepherds Bush just to have a good night out. It was a fair way to travel on the tube but you were always sure of a good laugh.