Old Cafe's

muckaway · 5 February 2012 20:35

Suedehead:

Muckaway:

Suedehead:
Anybody remember Nottons cafe that was nr to the County ground in Swindon. I think it closed about 20 years ago after the local council banned lorries from overnighting on the CG car park and it lost a lot of trade.
Used to serve meals on oval metal plates and the memory of a scraping fork on metal still makes my teeth itch

I think some of Johnsons of Wooton Bassetts’ drivers went in there…I vaguely remember seeing their Constructors parked near the CG when going out with Dad.

Might want to rephrase that mate

I thought it’d appeal to some from Wooton Bassett

suedehead · 5 February 2012 20:41

Muckaway:

Suedehead:

Muckaway:

Suedehead:
Anybody remember Nottons cafe that was nr to the County ground in Swindon. I think it closed about 20 years ago after the local council banned lorries from overnighting on the CG car park and it lost a lot of trade.
Used to serve meals on oval metal plates and the memory of a scraping fork on metal still makes my teeth itch

I think some of Johnsons of Wooton Bassetts’ drivers went in there…I vaguely remember seeing their Constructors parked near the CG when going out with Dad.

Might want to rephrase that mate

I thought it’d appeal to some from Wooton Bassett

Sorry mate, i edited the post a bit late and its now ROYAL Wootton Bassett

jeffrey_ellener · 9 February 2012 08:35

anybody remember the deanhurst cafe on gelderd road gildersome just down the road from a.one transport and up from peter slaters

lawrence_dunbar · 9 February 2012 18:22

I can remember a cafe on that road 50/60s, It was a caravan to start with then they built a permanent one, I cant recall the name & Im sure it was open 24 hrs, The bloke that I new that worked there was called Cliff.?, Regards Larry.

tankerman · 9 February 2012 19:27

Did the cafe do bed and breakfast in the 70’s Larry, I seem to remember staying there once or twice and it was a long walk to the pub.
I was probably going to deliver acid to Wyke from BP Saltend and was too late to tip.

I have just been looking at Google earth and the cafe I was thinking about was on the A58 Whitehall Road where it drops down to the M62 Bradford
link.

I should have looked before I posted.

T.M.

chris_webb · 9 February 2012 19:33

Tankerman:
Did the cafe do bed and breakfast in the 70’s Larry, I seem to remember staying there once or twice and it was a long walk to the pub.
I was probably going to deliver acid to Wyke from BP Saltend and was too late to tip.

I have just been looking at Google earth and the cafe I was thinking about was on the A58 Whitehall Road where it drops down to the M62 Bradford
link.

I should have looked before I posted.

T.M.

Was it Briggs cafe on the A58?

tankerman · 9 February 2012 20:01

It was Chris, I was trying hard to remember but you beat me to it.
I have been on day trunk for a week, Accrington to Wythenshawe Hospital visiting my missus but I brought her home today as a back load.
That’s why I am worn out and my memory is fading fast.

I bet you remember the drop at Wyke as well, I usually log booked it home from Hartshead but if I was running late, say 5PM, I would bed down at Briggs and tip in the morning.

T.M.

budley · 16 February 2012 12:43

Big Al:
Marshalls had pet products tankers and gas tankers,the gas was marketed under “Marlin” which was I suppose short for Marshalls and Lincolnshire.Their yard was on the right going out of Scunthorpe towards Brigg on the A18.

I used to run to Brigg sugar beet factory in the 60’s and used Marshall’s cafe, not the worst cafe I have ever been in. Marshall’s lorries had a dreary grey livery, I seem to remember they had a lady driver in the fleet (very unusual in the 60’s)
I think her name was Rita ? regards Big Al
[/quote]
Yes it was rita, she ended up owning and running a fleet of 8 wheel tippers with her husband alan, mainly maggie deutz but also volvo f7, dafs and hino’s. They had a lot to do with the A180 barnetby top to grimsby extension in early 80’s and various construction works. Very nice woman, sadly now passed away.

trucky1955 · 16 February 2012 23:21

Spardo:

trucky1955:

Spardo:
Thanks Chris, I was feeling a bit superior reading your first sentence - 'ah, but the 80s and 90s, you’re too young ’

Then the bit about your Dad in the 60s.

Merrychest it is then, I’m off to find a few more brain cells

Unless, of course, there is someone who was in there in the 50s ?

Have lived in the south east all my days, when I referred to the 80s & 90s that was me driving for a living, I had been in there in the very late 50s & 60s with my Dad although I cant remember any details from then.
Another member mentioned the name Merrychest being painted on the roof that is correct it’s still just about visible from the main A2
Will do a pic for you next time I’m passing in daylight

Thanks again Chris, I have seen it on Google earth but don’t know how old that picture is and we stopped there about 3 years ago long enough for a quick look from the outside. I was writing a bit of fiction at the time and part of the plot involved someone coming through the tunnel under the A2 behind the cafe and I wanted to see if it was possible. Never even got out of the car, we were heading for the ferry but the cafe didn’t look open at the time.
I would be interested in seeing a picture.
It is many, many years since I frequented the place, probably the 60s or 70s, but it was always in my mind as The Treasure Chest.
Memory is a funny thing.

Nell’s is Nell’s though. Isn’t it?

Well here’s the pics Spardo of the Merrychest open as usual only difference it shuts at 15.00hrs now not 19.00hrs like it used to.
The tunnel that goes under the A2 is still there (Sandy Lane) you can only walk through it as there are bollards there.
The name painted on the roof is only visible from the duel carriageway and when your in a truck, as you can’t see over the fence when in the car.

spardo · 17 February 2012 08:34

trucky1955:
Well here’s the pics Spardo of the Merrychest open as usual only difference it shuts at 15.00hrs now not 19.00hrs like it used to.
The tunnel that goes under the A2 is still there (Sandy Lane) you can only walk through it as there are bollards there.
The name painted on the roof is only visible from the duel carriageway and when your in a truck, as you can’t see over the fence when in the car.

Thanks Trucky, that’s interesting, and more or less coincides with the current Google Picture, although I couldn’t see the name on the roof from the air .

Yes I should have mentioned the walkway which was Sandy Lane is just that, for walkers, and that was one of the things I wanted to check as my protagonist was leaving the village of Bean on foot.

Bit of a downer though, 3pm shutdown, still we still have Nell’s for an evening meal and parkup for the night though.

trucky1955 · 17 February 2012 10:22

Spardo:

trucky1955:
Well here’s the pics Spardo of the Merrychest open as usual only difference it shuts at 15.00hrs now not 19.00hrs like it used to.
The tunnel that goes under the A2 is still there (Sandy Lane) you can only walk through it as there are bollards there.
The name painted on the roof is only visible from the duel carriageway and when your in a truck, as you can’t see over the fence when in the car.

Thanks Trucky, that’s interesting, and more or less coincides with the current Google Picture, although I couldn’t see the name on the roof from the air .

Yes I should have mentioned the walkway which was Sandy Lane is just that, for walkers, and that was one of the things I wanted to check as my protagonist was leaving the village of Bean on foot.

Bit of a downer though, 3pm shutdown, still we still have Nell’s for an evening meal and parkup for the night though.

Yes I had a look on Google earth the 2006 image is clearer but the sun is shining on that side of the roof, if you click on the 2003 image you can see something is written on the roof but its not readable, if i remember correctly they have an aerial photo in the cafe, will have to call in on a day off and have a look see if I can snap it.

haddy · 19 February 2012 21:33

If you manage to see this breakfast off you get your £15.00 back, or so I’m told, at Jesters on Gapton Ind.Estate, Gt.Yarmouth. I would prefer a Diet Coke instead of the normal one, got to think of the old waistline. Cheers everyone Haddy.

lawrence_dunbar · 27 February 2012 20:46

Any of you drivers heard anything about the Derry since it re-opend, Regards Larry.

chris_webb · 27 February 2012 20:56

Lawrence Dunbar:
0Any of you drivers heard anything about the Derry since it re-opend, Regards Larry.

Good reports about the Derry off a mate of mine who goes in regularly,Larry.

lawrence_dunbar · 28 February 2012 13:45

Thank you Im pleased to hear that, I will have to have a run out sometime & try it, Regards Larry.

mean_machine · 28 February 2012 21:50

haddy:
If you manage to see this breakfast off you get your £15.00 back, or so I’m told, at Jesters on Gapton Ind.Estate, Gt.Yarmouth. I would prefer a Diet Coke instead of the normal one, got to think of the old waistline. Cheers everyone Haddy.

If you can eat all that you need taking to the Vet to be wormed

jmather · 8 May 2012 14:47

The Jungle on the A6 at Shap is the one

harry · 8 May 2012 17:52

haddy:
If you manage to see this breakfast off you get your £15.00 back, or so I’m told, at Jesters on Gapton Ind.Estate, Gt.Yarmouth. I would prefer a Diet Coke instead of the normal one, got to think of the old waistline. Cheers everyone Haddy.

Call an ambulance!!!

jackslad · 8 May 2012 21:01

Its mebe been discused on here but is the gate cafe on the A2 still going,havent been for 30 years,111 scania days ,23 year old boy .the big time…

kw · 12 July 2005 08:46

Running down the A12 the other week and I was reminded of ‘May’s Cafe’ just at the end of the Brentwood by-pass.
It’s still standing there,though it closed down many year’s ago,but I always remember ‘Len’ and his missus who ran it,and their miserable git of a son who just seemed to hate driver’s!
But Len had a habit of licking his thumb when he was picking up the sliced bread,you know,like some people lick their thumb when turning over pages of a newspaper.
Tended to put me off a bit that did.

Another favourite watering hole was the OK Cafe at Kelvedon (Now a Happy Eater or something) and us container bods would always stop there on the way back to Felixstowe.It was a good place for a ‘Dodgy’ night-out too.
That’s another thing,you don’t see any driver’s thumbing a lift home on a ‘Dodgy’ anymore!

Speaking of disgusting habits,I was in the queue one morning in Kate’s Cabin,on the A1 near Peterborough,and one of the old girls behind the counter was pouring out tea’s while the other one took the order’s for breakfast.
Well,I was watching the one pouring tea out for the bloke in front of me whilst he was giving his order to the other one.Only he didn’t see the big drop of snot that dripped from her nose straight into his teacup!
I did.I had a can of pop.

And the ‘Truckers Paradise’ at Godmanchester,which then was on the A604 (Now the A14) I’d called in there one morning for a quick cuppa,and picked out a scone from the cabinet on the counter.
The woman behind the counter then say’s to me “Ooh! I wouldn’t have one of them,they’ve been in their for two weeks”!
Just a tea then please.

Aah! Happy Day’s!