The Orchard Cafe at Kidlington could now be the Audi dealership, on the corner where the Banbury/Oxford Road start and ends with the High Street opposite?
Lawrence Dunbar:
I wonder if The Checkley Cafe at Tean is still going, the bloke that owned used to have an ex Newcastle CWS Octopus LTN 265, recentley sold to Paynes Transport. I was a good pull in years ago , clean, & good grub niceley cooked no lace curtains round the fried eggs, Happy days . Regards Larry
Unfortunately Checkley closed down in the early 90’s.
Barry Brash ran it & as you say had that lovely old Octopus & 1or 2 others iirc.
Was a cracking cafe & parking place. sadly when they by-passed it with the new dualled A50 his trade dropped off, older drivers couldn’t be bothered to detour (something I always do & can’t understand why so many can’t spare the extra 2 or 3 minutes it takes to run the old roads) & newer drivers didn’t know he was there. He campaigned to erect signs alongside the new A50 but wasn’t allowed as he was told they’d be a distraction to motorists,even though Alton Towers has numerous signs when approaching from either direction. He lost the fight & eventually had to sell up, the site is a housing development now 
Another cafe I remember staying at Brays Aldgate High Street London, One night was plenty, noisey & not very warm as I recall, it was 1966, A lot of drivers were on Tower Hill waiting for return loads back to Newcastle, I used the Cabhotel the next night ,a lot of drivers did in those days, some making a tent on the back with a drip sheet, the good old days eh. Regards Larry
One of the worst Transport Cafes i was in, was The Tempsford Cafe just up from Sandy on the A1, stopped there one Winters Night in the 60s,dark dingy hole terrible grub and damp Beds I think it was a Polish Guy that owned it,once was enough,went to the Pub down the Road from it for a drink came back just after closing time and he had locked us out, had to shout to get in,anybody remember it.
Ben.
Muckaway:
The Orchard Cafe at Kidlington could now be the Audi dealership, on the corner where the Banbury/Oxford Road start and ends with the High Street opposite?
You right I noticed that a few years ago when I diverted through Kidlington for old times sake. I think Bobs was a Little Chef
transporter man:
Muckaway:
The Orchard Cafe at Kidlington could now be the Audi dealership, on the corner where the Banbury/Oxford Road start and ends with the High Street opposite?You right I noticed that a few years ago when I diverted through Kidlington for old times sake. I think Bobs was a Little Chef
Was that further up toward Oxford? If so it could be where the car wash centre is now?
ben walker:
One of the worst Transport Cafes i was in, was The Tempsford Cafe just up from Sandy on the A1, stopped there one Winters Night in the 60s,dark dingy hole terrible grub and damp Beds I think it was a Polish Guy that owned it,once was enough,went to the Pub down the Road from it for a drink came back just after closing time and he had locked us out, had to shout to get in,anybody remember it.Ben.
I stopped here a couple of times in the mid 60’s there was an oldish couple had just taken it on it wasn’t very good. Am I right in saying it was also a Shell filling station?
Muckaway:
transporter man:
Muckaway:
The Orchard Cafe at Kidlington could now be the Audi dealership, on the corner where the Banbury/Oxford Road start and ends with the High Street opposite?You right I noticed that a few years ago when I diverted through Kidlington for old times sake. I think Bobs was a Little Chef
Was that further up toward Oxford? If so it could be where the car wash centre is now?
No it was on the road North towards Banbury on the left side after that pub that is on the right next to canal.
transporter man:
Muckaway:
transporter man:
Muckaway:
The Orchard Cafe at Kidlington could now be the Audi dealership, on the corner where the Banbury/Oxford Road start and ends with the High Street opposite?You right I noticed that a few years ago when I diverted through Kidlington for old times sake. I think Bobs was a Little Chef
Was that further up toward Oxford? If so it could be where the car wash centre is now?
No it was on the road North towards Banbury on the left side after that pub that is on the right next to canal.
Ah, where Bonhams auctioneers are now. used to be a filling station there aswell until recently. “Dirty Annies” cafe was near there I think; have heard some ex Blue Circle drivers mention it…
This is the site of the old Windrush Cafe on the A40 now, anyone got pictures of it in its heyday?
Muckaway:
transporter man:
Muckaway:
transporter man:
Muckaway:
The Orchard Cafe at Kidlington could now be the Audi dealership, on the corner where the Banbury/Oxford Road start and ends with the High Street opposite?You right I noticed that a few years ago when I diverted through Kidlington for old times sake. I think Bobs was a Little Chef
Was that further up toward Oxford? If so it could be where the car wash centre is now?
No it was on the road North towards Banbury on the left side after that pub that is on the right next to canal.
Ah, where Bonhams auctioneers are now. used to be a filling station there aswell until recently. “Dirty Annies” cafe was near there I think; have heard some ex Blue Circle drivers mention it…
We used to know it as paraffin Annies ! 
Me.Paul.101:
This is the site of the old Windrush Cafe on the A40 now, anyone got pictures of it in its heyday?
Not a picture,but a print of Alan Spilletts of the Windrush Transport Cafe.
[quote=", I used the Cabhotel the next night ,a lot of drivers did in those days, some making a tent on the back with a drip sheet, the good old days eh. Regards Larry[/quote]
OOerr 
Looking back over many years, that in fact have flown by, I have stopped at many Transport Digs all over the Country, and met some great drivers, & stopped at in some dumps, & some loveley digs, even the Salvation Armys in Liverpool, Glasgow., they were cheap & cheerfull, & very clean, basic food but edible.The one on London Road Glasgow was a tram ride from the depot in Rutherglen, the pubs closed 9.30pm. in those days, So you were in bed earley, any of you old timmers shared my experiences, Im sure there must still be some of you old drivers from the 50s still knocking about. Regards Larry
Was there one on the A420 near Buckland where the petrol station/Little Chef now stands? Then there’s the infamous Swindon truckstop
Lawrence Dunbar:
Looking back over many years, that in fact have flown by, I have stopped at many Transport Digs all over the Country, and met some great drivers, & stopped at in some dumps, & some loveley digs, even the Salvation Armys in Liverpool, Glasgow., they were cheap & cheerfull, & very clean, basic food but edible.The one on London Road Glasgow was a tram ride from the depot in Rutherglen, the pubs closed 9.30pm. in those days, So you were in bed earley, any of you old timmers shared my experiences, Im sure there must still be some of you old drivers from the 50s still knocking about. Regards Larry
Agreed!! There were some good digs but some really awful ones. That’s why I thought that the advent of the sleeper cab was so great.
Never stopped at those two Sally Army Hostels that you mentioned but did use the one in Sheffield on occasions plus the one in Grimsby.
rgds Ron
rondavies:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Looking back over many years, that in fact have flown by, I have stopped at many Transport Digs all over the Country, and met some great drivers, & stopped at in some dumps, & some loveley digs, even the Salvation Armys in Liverpool, Glasgow., they were cheap & cheerfull, & very clean, basic food but edible.The one on London Road Glasgow was a tram ride from the depot in Rutherglen, the pubs closed 9.30pm. in those days, So you were in bed earley, any of you old timmers shared my experiences, Im sure there must still be some of you old drivers from the 50s still knocking about. Regards LarryAgreed!! There were some good digs but some really awful ones. That’s why I thought that the advent of the sleeper cab was so great.
Never stopped at those two Sally Army Hostels that you mentioned but did use the one in Sheffield on occasions plus the one in Grimsby.
rgds Ron
Used the Salvation Army Digs a lot the one in Liverpool Scotland Rd and Grimsby if i remember right Grimbsy when you went in the Front Door the bottom of the stairs leading to the Drivers Rooms was covered in Bars with a Door in it that was kept locked to keep out the other Customers,not bad Digs though.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Looking back over many years, that in fact have flown by, I have stopped at many Transport Digs all over the Country, and met some great drivers, & stopped at in some dumps, & some loveley digs, even the Salvation Armys in Liverpool, Glasgow., they were cheap & cheerfull, & very clean, basic food but edible.The one on London Road Glasgow was a tram ride from the depot in Rutherglen, the pubs closed 9.30pm. in those days, So you were in bed earley, any of you old timmers shared my experiences, Im sure there must still be some of you old drivers from the 50s still knocking about. Regards Larry
Larry, I remember Parky and Bob G. talking about the cabin they used as “digs” in the P&G depot at Rutherglen. When I started going there in the early 70s it was no longer there. I bet that hut could tell some tales of Parky’s “horizontal athletics”. regards kevmac47
ben walker:
rondavies:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Looking back over many years, that in fact have flown by, I have stopped at many Transport Digs all over the Country, and met some great drivers, & stopped at in some dumps, & some loveley digs, even the Salvation Armys in Liverpool, Glasgow., they were cheap & cheerfull, & very clean, basic food but edible.The one on London Road Glasgow was a tram ride from the depot in Rutherglen, the pubs closed 9.30pm. in those days, So you were in bed earley, any of you old timmers shared my experiences, Im sure there must still be some of you old drivers from the 50s still knocking about. Regards LarryAgreed!! There were some good digs but some really awful ones. That’s why I thought that the advent of the sleeper cab was so great.
Never stopped at those two Sally Army Hostels that you mentioned but did use the one in Sheffield on occasions plus the one in Grimsby.
rgds RonUsed the Salvation Army Digs a lot the one in Liverpool Scotland Rd and Grimsby if i remember right Grimbsy when you went in the Front Door the bottom of the stairs leading to the Drivers Rooms was covered in Bars with a Door in it that was kept locked to keep out the other Customers,not bad Digs though.
Yeah,i used the S/Army in Liverpool and Glasgow,they where ok,but i always liked the Sailors Mission at Tilbury, any one remember the private house n/bound at douglas Water ran by two old sisters that was always first class, IIRC it was close to where Happendon Service area is now.vic.
The Seaman’s Mission at Grangemouth was a good place and there were some good digs on the way into Falkirk,past where the pink 
Russell Transport yard was,John Russell was it? They were on the r/h side and I always used to park the unit near the football ground,the tank being left at BP.