Lawrence Dunbar:
Harry ive got your gear that you left at th do, Regards Larry.
hiya,
Larry thanks for that I wondered where I’d left it don’t suppose my bus pass is amongst it is it, I’ll make arrangements to get it back.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Harry ive got your gear that you left at th do, Regards Larry.hiya,
Larry thanks for that I wondered where I’d left it don’t suppose my bus pass is amongst it is it, I’ll make arrangements to get it back.
thanks harry long retired.
YOU, GILL,ARE NOT FIT TO BE LET OUT,UN- SUPERVISED,WITHIN THE COMMUNITY!!! No wonder you ended up at the 'Derry the following morning and weren’t sure how you’d got there ! Anon 1.
Harry leave it with me, there was just the bag with Bumpers stuff in it I didnt see a bus pass. I will arrange to get it back to you dont worry Harry its safe with me, Regards Larry of The Glen-----Morangie, PS, Im having a one this very minute.
I remember a sign on the wall in the Redhouse cafe at Doncaster which said- ‘Our knives,forks and spoons are not medicine to be taken after meals’
Very true, mind you they had a mixed selection of cutlery, British Rail, Pit Canteen you name it they had it in those good old days. Regards Larry.
I used to park up on Birch services at least 3 night a week and get a lift the last 10 miles home when I was on contract to BP Saltend running to Lancashire.
I finished up with a full set of stainless knives forks and spoons 6 of each marked “Granada”. One of our chaps even managed the teapot as well.
I really did think that what they charged for the char and wad that I had bought the cutlery as well.
Tankerman:
I used to park up on Birch services at least 3 night a week and get a lift the last 10 miles home when I was on contract to BP Saltend running to Lancashire.
I finished up with a full set of stainless knives forks and spoons 6 of each marked “Granada”. One of our chaps even managed the teapot as well.
I really did think that what they charged for the char and wad that I had bought the cutlery as well.
Quite right too, I allways thought they were a rip off, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Tankerman:
I used to park up on Birch services at least 3 night a week and get a lift the last 10 miles home when I was on contract to BP Saltend running to Lancashire.
I finished up with a full set of stainless knives forks and spoons 6 of each marked “Granada”. One of our chaps even managed the teapot as well.
I really did think that what they charged for the char and wad that I had bought the cutlery as well.Quite right too, I allways thought they were a rip off, Regards Larry.
The old memory starts stirring!! We had a driver once ( RIP) who would always insist,when ordering his breakfast on the services,that they fry his egg until the yoke was hard ! Then when he got to the till he only paid for two slices of toast and a tea !! He’d come and sit down and then take his egg out of his boiler suit pocket,brush off the fluff and crap,then slap it in between the toast!! he did it regularand never got caught!! Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
Never got a PSV/badge licence but did acquire my dads along the way and managed to dine for nowt at the motorway services on many occasions as did one or two other HGV drivers with ill-gotten PSV badges, i just about had to write the letters/numbers on it on a regular basis I do believe it was as old as I was at the time, you did have to remove your boiler suit and slip a half decent jacket on to carry the free brekkie/meal badge.
thanks harry long retired
I still have PSV badge number CC79640 which expired in 1967. I had done a season with WC Standerwick driving the Gay Hostess’s and other coaches on the Blackpool or Burnley to London run and then a season with Batty Holt tours. I admit to using the badge for free grub a few times when In was out in the car. You had to be sure there was another coach party going in at the same time. It would look a bit dodgy if you showed your badge and the cafe was empty.
I did a bit of part timing for National Express and Wallace Arnold, I dined out quite well on BB66286 (still got the badge but the licence expired long long ago.)
There used to be a cracking cafe near (I think) Long Sutton, we used it coming up from Yarmouth on Saturday afternoons. It’s a long time ago so I’ve forgotten the name but not the food, it was good.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Very true, mind you they had a mixed selection of cutlery, British Rail, Pit Canteen you name it they had it in those good old days. Regards Larry.
Does anyone remember a transport cafe that made you pay a deposit for the cutlery and then refund it when you returned it. I was only about 8 at the time so its nearly sixty years ago, but I seem to thnk it was near the old birtley Bi-pass before the motorway was built.
grumpy old man:
I did a bit of part timing for National Express and Wallace Arnold, I dined out quite well on BB66286 (still got the badge but the licence expired long long ago.)
There used to be a cracking cafe near (I think) Long Sutton, we used it coming up from Yarmouth on Saturday afternoons. It’s a long time ago so I’ve forgotten the name but not the food, it was good.
Would that be The Farm House cafe? I retired in 1998 but it was going strong then, I parked up once or twice overnight there and remember they had a bar and car and coach passengers came in as well.
Carl Williams:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Very true, mind you they had a mixed selection of cutlery, British Rail, Pit Canteen you name it they had it in those good old days. Regards Larry.Does anyone remember a transport cafe that made you pay a deposit for the cutlery and then refund it when you returned it. I was only about 8 at the time so its nearly sixty years ago, but I seem to thnk it was near the old birtley Bi-pass before the motorway was built.
There was a cafe on the right going north just before Chester le Street but I don’t remember them charging for the tools.
I once booked a bed there and they put me in a caravan out the back with three other drivers. It was minus a lot outside and just as cold inside. They gave us a bucket of coal for the fire and it lasted until about 10PM after that we just suffered all night.
I remember one chap made a suggestion that we did two to a bed to keep warm but I am not that kind of boy.
Tankerman:
grumpy old man:
I did a bit of part timing for National Express and Wallace Arnold, I dined out quite well on BB66286 (still got the badge but the licence expired long long ago.)
There used to be a cracking cafe near (I think) Long Sutton, we used it coming up from Yarmouth on Saturday afternoons. It’s a long time ago so I’ve forgotten the name but not the food, it was good.Would that be The Farm House cafe? I retired in 1998 but it was going strong then, I parked up once or twice overnight there and remember they had a bar and car and coach passengers came in as well.
Yes that would be the only one in that area big enough to take coaches,i used it myself on occasions,the last time was around the time you ret.The best part was it was only £1.00 to park up.
regards dave.
Heres the story I promised Son of Bacon Neck about his dad Les. A crowd of us were staying at “Dons” on Trafford Road, it was a dump but we were finished early as the Machester Liners boat was late. A few of us were getting washed and shaved using the large mirror on the wall opposite as Les used the toilet. there wern’t any locks on the doors so you kept your foot on a long string to keep the door closed. Anyway Les finished what he was doing and reached for Bog roll taking his foot off the string !! There was Les in all his glory with his black pit hoggas round his ankles totally oblivious that the door was open and his arse was winking at the world 
and five drivers trying to stem the blood from their slashed throats and choking with laughter. As i’ve said before he was a true character our Bacon neck. regards Kevmac47
Tankerman:
Carl Williams:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Very true, mind you they had a mixed selection of cutlery, British Rail, Pit Canteen you name it they had it in those good old days. Regards Larry.Does anyone remember a transport cafe that made you pay a deposit for the cutlery and then refund it when you returned it. I was only about 8 at the time so its nearly sixty years ago, but I seem to thnk it was near the old birtley Bi-pass before the motorway was built.
There was a cafe on the right going north just before Chester le Street but I don’t remember them charging for the tools.
I once booked a bed there and they put me in a caravan out the back with three other drivers. It was minus a lot outside and just as cold inside. They gave us a bucket of coal for the fire and it lasted until about 10PM after that we just suffered all night.
I remember one chap made a suggestion that we did two to a bed to keep warm but I am not that kind of boy.
I think it was at Chester Moor dont know if that was the name
The Chester Moor Cafe that was its name, never kipt there, too near home for me, Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Did any of you old timmers ever stay at the Tooley Hotel 147 Tooley Street London S E 1. , Named the 147, I never stayed there, but I new a few drivers that did , but only once they never ever went back, the said it was a doss house, not fit for anything,I remember giving a bloke a lift back up to Newcastle, he was a jobber looked for work wherever he could earn a few bob etc, He was destitute, I felt sorry for the bloke, I was piggy backing a wagon back to N/c. & he slept in the cab of the one on the back,as the driver was in the cab with me.I saw the same bloke some years after & when I mentioned it he did to, he had done well for himself Im glad to say, since that time. Regards Larry
I’m sorry to say that I stayed in the Tooley ‘hotel’ when I was an 18 year old drivers mate in the late sixties. We had been to one of the London docks and could not use the heavy lift crane as the electrical power for the crane was needed to power the pumps for the dry dock next door. By the time the power was back on we were too late to get unloaded (well too late because we wouldn’t ‘bribe’ the Dockers by giving them two of our ‘chain pull tighteners’!! So trailer dropped and after consulting our copy of ‘Headlight’ arrived at the Tooley Hotel. What a smelly doss hole, the worst place I ever stayed. Our room had four beds, my chosen one had the bottom sheet curled round and folded over like a top sheet, so I swapped mattress sheets etc with another bed. Tied my bootlaces to the bed slept in my clothes with wallet down me pants. Some drunk came in and somehow got in the bed I’d swapped and went out like a light without noticing!
Bewick:
Lawrence Dunbar:
Tankerman:
I used to park up on Birch services at least 3 night a week and get a lift the last 10 miles home when I was on contract to BP Saltend running to Lancashire.
I finished up with a full set of stainless knives forks and spoons 6 of each marked “Granada”. One of our chaps even managed the teapot as well.
I really did think that what they charged for the char and wad that I had bought the cutlery as well.Quite right too, I allways thought they were a rip off, Regards Larry.
The old memory starts stirring!! We had a driver once ( RIP) who would always insist,when ordering his breakfast on the services,that they fry his egg until the yoke was hard ! Then when he got to the till he only paid for two slices of toast and a tea !! He’d come and sit down and then take his egg out of his boiler suit pocket,brush off the fluff and crap,then slap it in between the toast!! he did it regularand never got caught!! Cheers Dennis.
You have just got my memory stirring now Dennis 
. I used to work with an old lad who we called Jed Clampit, I don’t think that was his real name but Gerry Mac might remember him. I walked in to Watford Gap southbound with him one day when he was wearing his old army greatcoat. I bought the teas and he ordered just a plate of chips and insisted that he sat with his back towards the counter. From his inside pocket he then produced two slices of buttered bread garnished with fluff and made himself a chip butty saying I know the best way to eat cheap when I am on the road. I have a feeling that there wasn’t only Jed who did this.
Now without having to go back through all the pages on this thread can anybody remember the name of a cafe that was on the A2 southbound in the 60’s/70’s and 80’s. It was somewhere around the Gravesend turn off, a few miles before the start of the M2 and you went up a slip road next to the A2. You had a good view of the place before you arrived so you could tell if it was busy or not. I seem to remember parking up on there and looking across the A2 and seeing Oast houses in the fields in the distance.
Regards Steve.