Lawrence Dunbar:
Hi, Ralph, never tried that one, I used to call at the one at Balderton it had all the milages on the walls & slogans about the cutlery thieves ?. or I would push on a bit to Fords at Longbennington, the one with the waitress with rather large threepenies eh can you remember her , nice lass, & nice food too. Cheers Larry.
Hi Larry Never stopped there what a pity see what l missed Regards crowbar
Lawrence Dunbar:
I wonder if Briggs on Whitehall Rd, is still going nice clean [Dunlopillo] beds and canny grub at drivers prices stopped there many a time in the winter when Standedge used to get blocked and we went via Todmorden. we had some very bad winters 50/60s. Regards Larry.
Afraid not, long gone. The motorways were the death of most of the old good cafes. Nowadays the spy in the cab can tell when you’ve stopped for a pee, long gone are the days when you got your job, set off and if the job got done correctly it was only your business when you stopped or where you stopped. It’s not road transport today as us old gimmers remember it… mores the pity. 
grumpy old man:
Afraid not, long gone. The motorways were the death of most of the old good cafes. Nowadays the spy in the cab can tell when you’ve stopped for a pee, long gone are the days when you got your job, set off and if the job got done correctly it was only your business when you stopped or where you stopped. It’s not road transport today as us old gimmers remember it… mores the pity.
And us not so old gimmers 
Unfortunately the job has changed for the worse, most of todays modern drivers follow each other like lemmings down these new fangled motorways and haven’t a clue where the alternative roads go, this will only get worse as satnav man becomes a gimmer himself. The cafes couldn’t compete, the towns and villages lost valuable business with the passing trade and the most regular vehicles on the old trunk routes are from Argos delivering crap and refuse vehicles collecting crap.
Wheel Nut:
grumpy old man:
Afraid not, long gone. The motorways were the death of most of the old good cafes. Nowadays the spy in the cab can tell when you’ve stopped for a pee, long gone are the days when you got your job, set off and if the job got done correctly it was only your business when you stopped or where you stopped. It’s not road transport today as us old gimmers remember it… mores the pity.And us not so old gimmers
I often think of places putting signs up saying bypass our village-town as soon as this happens they get signs up asking people to go in and visit their shops-pubs -etc!!
Aye how right you all are, sadly to say, I myself was on the road for 45 yrs. & I still do a little bit, taking wagons for the MOT, etc. for my mates that are still in the horrible haulage system we have now. I allways looks to me that all these new rules & regs. are trying to put people out of business, and In convinced the R sls that introduced this new C.P.C for drivers dont know anything about anything have they ever driven a wagon ? I think not, its just another money making exercise that has to come out of the hauliers pockects. before long drivers wont have time to go to work because they will be smothered in more sh ty regs. Regards Larry.
I wonder if the Four Oaks Cafe is still going ?, I stopped there a couple of times in the 60s, it was handy because we used to load at The Epicure Pickle factory just along the road. The cafe wasnt one of my favourate stops but it suited when need be.
Hi old boys does anybody remember the Wicket Gate at Silvertown when you had to grab a parrafin heater to go to bed in winter if you were lucky enough to find one. It was the last choice if Silvertown motel was full. I only stayed once and I would rather sleep in the cab than try again.
Aye a remember that S/H it was in Leonard Str. I was warned by my older mates what it was like so I gave it a miss
altury169:
Hi old boys does anybody remember the Wicket Gate at Silvertown when you had to grab a parrafin heater to go to bed in winter if you were lucky enough to find one. It was the last choice if Silvertown motel was full. I only stayed once and I would rather sleep in the cab than try again.
Yeah,stayed at the Wicket Gate quite often,did any one stay at 99 guesthouse on Seven sisters road,always a lot of Spinks Darlington in there?
altury169:
Hi old boys does anybody remember the Wicket Gate at Silvertown when you had to grab a parrafin heater to go to bed in winter if you were lucky enough to find one. It was the last choice if Silvertown motel was full. I only stayed once and I would rather sleep in the cab than try again.
I don’t remember the Wicket Gate, but I do remember staying at the Silvertown Motel once, and the word … ■■■■ hole springs to mind. 
I agree with you, I stopped there when it first opened was ok but there again every thing was new, 3. months later I stayed again but never again it was total rubbish.
I wonder what became of the The Peacock Cafe in Mansell Street Aldgate went by the name of Tonys his name was CHRISTOFAKI, there was street parking in the 60s plus Goodmans Yard for free, or National Car Parks in Royal Mint Street for 5bob I think. The grub in the cafe was spot on a lot of Jocks used to stay there & plenty of nearby pubs, The Crooked Billet was run by Mac who was a Gordie, happy days eh. Regards Larry
Another cafe on the A31 Seale Transport Cafe, Hogs Back good spot nice food clean as a whistle, I only stopped there one night, & some nasty person drained my fuel tank, I heard later it was a regular thing at that time 1966. I wonder if it is still there.
Lawrence Dunbar:
I agree with you, I stopped there when it first opened was ok but there again every thing was new, 3. months later I stayed again but never again it was total rubbish.
It was old when I stopped there I was in a room with three blokes, that didn’t bother me as you know in the old days ( before sleeper cabs ) we had to share rooms, but the room was dirty springs were sticking up through the beds, can’t remember what it cost but I think it was cheap.The old saying…you get what you pay for. 
Any one remember the Pantry Cafe at Brierley Hill, I do I booked a bed there in 1965 parked up washed & changed , the room I was in had 3 beds which was the norm in those to share with other drivers. A gang of us went to the pictures, then had a beer or two, but when I went up to the room there was 6 bloody beds all touching each other fortunatley I new all the drivers, but what a rip off, I never went back again, Regards Larry
Lawrence Dunbar:
I wonder if the Four Oaks Cafe is still going ?, I stopped there a couple of times in the 60s, it was handy because we used to load at The Epicure Pickle factory just along the road. The cafe wasnt one of my favourate stops but it suited when need be.
I used to stay at the Four Oaks,on the A13 at Rainham. A young lad used to ask what time tha were going in the morning and put you at the front if you were an early starter - like me.You had to back in off the dual carriageway,an always busy A13,but no probs to experienced drivers.The Four Oaks boozer next door sold ■■■■■ ale,like the rest of bloody East London,in fact all London come to that.
I always noticed that the back row was full of BRS motors…late starters. 
I think the worst place I ever stayed in was the West End cafe in Gloucester,sacks up to the bloody windows and mucky cubicles as well as mucky staff,no wonder drivers were cabbing it near that shi*ole. 
Aye the West End Cafe what a dump I only stopped there once on my way down to Avonmouth,as you say sacking where the the windows were missing … tea like urine. dirty scruffy staff smoking behind the counter, they had the bloody ckeek to advertise spring interior mattresses, what they didnt tell you they were dirty. They had another cafe in Gloucester called the Bridge Cafe, never tried it probabley the same, once bitten twice shy as the old saying goes… Regards Larry.
The Seale Cafe on the A31 had a Happy Eater built next to it in the late 70’s, behind the garage. The Seale later closed and the HE became an LC. More recently, the whole place was demolished and a new Esso garage built, with an On The Run cafe within. Nothing else there. It is all now on a slip road, as the dual carriageway has been extended down to the Farnham bypass. This means that Alf’s Cafe at Runfold has also been bypassed and closed.
Others on the A31 were the Jubilee and Penguin cafes at Four Marks
Any of you older drivers remember Normans a Howden BBEM 17bob what an experience , I only stopped there once with two of my mates 1970. A old wooden hut manky but warm a port in a storm one might say, there were one or two dossers lived there not that they bothered us mind. We skipped breakfast & went up to the Quernhow which was top rank in those days, but alas not anymore im told. Regards Larry
Lawrence Dunbar:
Any of you older drivers remember Normans a Howden BBEM 17bob what an experience , I only stopped there once with two of my mates 1970. A old wooden hut manky but warm a port in a storm one might say, there were one or two dossers lived there not that they bothered us mind. We skipped breakfast & went up to the Quernhow which was top rank in those days, but alas not anymore im told. Regards Larry
Do you mean Norman’s at Brotherton Lawrence?