stravaiger:
Hi Chris, big Al The Scremerston was a regular port of call for me when running containers into Simpsons Malt (Used to love those bonneted Mercs) or when going to North Shields with coated pipes. As you’ll know it’s been by-passed many a year and when I got an opportunity this summer I called round and of course all gone. On the site is this modern cafe but the young girls there knew nothing of the original or of any old photos, or why the Scottish Saltire was flying out there (In merry old England). Having said that not one of them would have been over 21. Chris had a good look at your photo but it does’nt match up with the “Cedar” which is the first one to spring to mind when you think of north of Berwick. I have some pics of that as well.Scremerston was gone by the time I got there and we were just left with the pub, but we managed
In your little black book under Notts you had the Blue Star Garage.
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Hi Jim.Maybe my mate got the location wrong,I’ll ask him.
We still didn’t get the name of the cafe on the A94 between Brechin and Laurencekirk did we? Made a nice Cootie Dumpling 
stravaiger:
The “Blyth” cafe on the Bawtry Road as we knew it, now Jaynes?? does anybody ever remember someone making an early morning start, clobbering the cafe roof on the way out and not having what it takes to stop and own up? Absolutely yonks ago by the wayChris still can’t think of what cafe it might be, in the meantime here’s the one I mentioned at Grantshouse a few miles Oe’r the border…jim
is it browns youre thinkin ofboth sides of old a1 alan (chris dvd posted wed hope i got postage right)
hi everyone, the old grants-house cafe was about a mile north of grants-house, on the left going north it closed in the 70Ty’s for awhile then reopened for a short while, the building is still there but is in disrepair now, we used to stop with Mr’s weightman at grantshouse, her husband Tommy would run you up to the pup have a few pint then bring you back, these were good digs clean comfy beds and all food was home made, lot of yorshire lads stay there, bumper
Bumper you are right, I used to use it, then it finally shut down, and I was on the look out for another cafe, and I saw the Milk bar as it had open up, I never knew it as the Cedars, I remember it well, as I took three young girls from Near Doncaster into it on the third time I used it, I remember one at Belford, and Felton, one was owned by a transport firm, but the place was by-passed and it was never the same, and a hill was a problem when we had the small Seddons and the Leylands, specially with the skellies in the bad weather, another one I would use was on the right on the A1 near to Stannington, some goodlooking girls worked in there. 
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hiya,
Norm looks like the one near Stannington has gone but not by a big margin could have been a fire, looks like it on Google used that one very frequently even after my long distance days was over, not a million miles from home and did a lot of work round that way when on for the water company, surprised it closed it was always well patroinised and still easy to get too and back onto from the A1.
thanks harry long retired.
Harry, now you have mentioned the fire, I think someone told me that, when I was still on the road, I know when I was in there, I always saw two or three beautiful lasses. Now this very moment I remember a cafe on the A74 at Elvanfoot who had some good steak meals, and some wonderful stew steak dinners, it would melt in your mouth, Scottish beef, I can taste it now, as I talk about it.
stravaiger:
The “Blyth” cafe on the Bawtry Road as we knew it, now Jaynes?? does anybody ever remember someone making an early morning start, clobbering the cafe roof on the way out and not having what it takes to stop and own up? Absolutely yonks ago by the wayChris still can’t think of what cafe it might be, in the meantime here’s the one I mentioned at Grantshouse a few miles Oe’r the border…jim
Hi Jim,
On Alan’s picture their is a TK Bedford parked on the right hand side of the cafe,as you look at it,got that one, plus about forty more,a true lorry man and a brilliant artist.
Cheers Dave.
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stravaiger:
Dave the Renegade:
stravaiger:
The “Blyth” cafe on the Bawtry Road as we knew it, now Jaynes?? does anybody ever remember someone making an early morning start, clobbering the cafe roof on the way out and not having what it takes to stop and own up? Absolutely yonks ago by the wayChris still can’t think of what cafe it might be, in the meantime here’s the one I mentioned at Grantshouse a few miles Oe’r the border…jim
Hi Jim,
On Alan’s picture their is a TK Bedford parked on the right hand side of the cafe,as you look at it,got that one, plus about forty more,a true lorry man and a brilliant artist.
Cheers Dave.Dave I couldn’t agree more. Alans stuff is brilliant and I can browse the the book time and time again and see something fresh. Used to wonder when in a museum why some old dear would be reduced to tears gazing at some work or other while others (Me) failed to see anything. I got it now. Putting Alan’s images on here in reduced form or whatever loses a lot of the quality of the work which is why I think it’s fairly ok to post a few here and there without knocking it on the head. But to see it as presented by the artist is just something else. As well as the book I have some of his cards etc and to my shame poster sized prints of “Sugarloaf” and “Skyebridge” still in their delivery tubes intact as the day they arrived because I’ve never got round to framing them yet
Can I just say a word about the book. How long is it now since it came out? 3 years? maybe 4 now? well I remember looking at it on the screen, and I had already answered Alan’s survey at the time, but knew I would have to wait 'til the New Year as I had left it too late. Imagine my genuine surprise when Santa had called and left you know what. It was my youngest son who had taken the initiative and ordered and there is no way Alan Spillet could have had the cash in the bank before posting. What a team Colleen and Alan and if your in contact Dave say thanks again for me.
When I grow up I want to be an Artist. Just not ready to grow up yet…jim
Hi Jim,
Got to be four years since the book came out,looked on his website earlier,he’s only got a few books left,so it sounds as if he will do another book.He only has 100 calenders left. I have both the Sugerloaf and Skyebridge prints,did it the lazy way,got Alan to frame them,he drops mine off on his delivery run through Wales. I have years ago stopped and bought some framed prints from him at his home,its quite a nice run along the coast to Newquay where he lives.Trouble is I’m running out of wall space to put anymore up. I did indulge myself and bought Mr Magoo one of his originals this year,just thought as I have so many of his prints,it would be nice to have one original. I see he has sold one of the others,with just the "Skye Road " left,if I could afford it I would have bought it,and probably be shot by my good lady.
Cheers Dave.
Hi stavaiger those Simpson’s Malt bull nosed Mercs used to earn their corn I had a relation that drove for them quite a few years Berwick to Invergordon and back in a shift and a night shift did the same before the A9 was improved as well and they were 1418s so would only be around 180bph so that would have been hard collar
Sammy, that road in the late 60’s, I would travel on it, when you got pass Perth, and you was on the bends & bridges, I saw many drivers letting the air out of their tyres, to get under the bridges with their loads, a few was scratching their heads how to get to Inverness, until informed what to do, but if you were too high, you had a long detour!
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hiya,
Jim i don’t think your looking at the job through any coloured specs but real motors in the proper age those trucks were the real M’coy they had to be driven the old double de-clutching breeches arse steering and in my case in the early years no heaters but fun to drive, modern stuff just is’nt for me, characterless, that i should think take very little effort to drive the nearest i ever got to modern was an f88 but it was just normal and same as the old stuff but it did have a good heater and power steering and a space behind the seats which was supposed to be a bunk but for me was extra storage, there was still plenty of overnight digs about when i chucked the distance work.
thanks harry long retired.
hi Norman, the cafe at felton was owned by pentleton & hare, the peth as we called it used to catch a few, a last minuet grab for crawler,the other cafe north bound was at brownieside, little chef bought it and banned the all lorry 's, bumper
Nice to know Bumper, there used to be a cafe between Bewick and the holiday camp on the righthandside going towards the town, is that still there, also I went to the cafe in portabella, last time I was in there, a young couple was running it, in the late 80’s, also one on the A68 10/15 miles from Edinburgh at a petrol station must have been near Pathhead, another on the A701 near Howgate. another one comes to me near the KIncardine bridge, Blackwood on the A74 had a cafe years ago, when you have spent over 40 plus years on the road, you had a nose for the good cafe’s, but by-passes & motorways killed off many a good cafe. 
Norman Ingram:
Nice to know Bumper, there used to be a cafe between Bewick and the holiday camp on the righthandside going towards the town, is that still there, also I went to the cafe in portabella, last time I was in there, a young couple was running it, in the late 80’s, also one on the A68 10/15 miles from Edinburgh at a petrol station must have been near Pathhead, another on the A701 near Howgate. another one comes to me near the KIncardine bridge, Blackwood on the A74 had a cafe years ago, when you have spent over 40 plus years on the road, you had a nose for the good cafe’s, but by-passes & motorways killed off many a good cafe.
Kincardine Bridge cafe was the Silver Link Norm,a dormitory upstairs, all beds had an ex Royal Navy bedspread complete with anchor,all nice and neat with a polished floor just like the old RAF and Army billets.This place has been mentioned so many times before on here but so what,the snap was good and it was clean.Now it’s a bloody kitchen showroom or summat 
I wonder if the pubs are still open.I and many others used to walk across the bridge and go in one in the village,can’t recall the name.
Yes Chris you are right the food was good, and the beds were clean and warm, but you could get it windy there.