kickstart:
I’m surprised no-one has mentioned Mac’s at Woolhampton nr Newbury and the Towers just up the road from it towards Newbury. Mac’s was always my first port of call for breakfast on the way home after having a night out in London, that is if you could get in the parking area, it was nearly always full of sugar wagons or tippers.
Mac’s, now the Max Cafe, is still going, and worth coming off the M4 to call in.
lemonmouth:
Apparently this ‘Young Lady’ used to work in a Cafe near the Blackwall Tunnel in the 1950’s, can’t you just smell the Fried Bread gently simmering in about 2 inches of Lard
And what are they on the shelf? Woodbines or Seniors?
Think I’d sooner have my fried bread in here than in that awful place that used to be in Stratford Lift! They only condemned that in 1999!
Mind you is Statford Lift still there? God awful place, spent many a Friday night there! Get there for 08:00 and still there 12 hours later, by then you’ve lost the will to live!
Happy Days!
Crazytrucker
jj72:
Chris Webb:
There was a decent cafe at the side of a Shell garage on the A1 northbound just below RAF Wittering but can’t remember it’s name.It was a favourite parking ground for Morris Brothers from Bircotes,near Doncaster and they used to fiddle home from there…
And methen take the backwacks to Corby coking plant next day for a load of Benzene for Staveley.
Another bit of tax-free in the old skyrocket.
that’ll be the woodview I think? still there AFAIK
[/quote
In the 90s the little fella who had macks[before it became little chef]
just as you turned north off the old a45[a14] onto the a1 used to have it,then sold it to a couple who had no idea,it ran down and finally closed about 2000 although you could still park there.ret. not bin down since.Mack then ran a chuck van in a lay by n/bound on a1 about 2 miles from worksop r/bout.
Yes I think you’re right Dafdave - the Woodview.There was a wood opposite side of the A1 to the cafe that belonged to Cambridge University (I think) for horticultural experiments.The layby that side was like the surface of the moon!
I remember Macs,shame all old places like that have gone.
Wasn’t Mac’s the place that had a bunkhouse behind the café?
I seem to remember parking up there long before the days of sleeper cabs.
All this talk of Cafes brings back memories a few from my neck of the woods when I lived down suff
A 4 Slough west end of the Trading Est revolving doors (The Huntercombe ? ) 
A4 Slough Jun A345 And A4 (Tony’s cafe) 
A4 Slough Jun A412 (Greyhound café) 
A4 Colnbrook (Jocks)
A40 Hayes (The target) 
A24 south of Dorking (The hole in the wall)
And a few that are still going I believe
Chris’s Café Stokenchurch,
Maple cross Cafe
The Ace North Circular road
The Riverside A4 Colnbrook b/pass.
To name a few
Was Jocks at Colnbrook a white building with revolving doors?
If so it was my favourite around that neck of the woods in the mid 70s.
Yes indeed.Jock’s did have revolving doors.Not very much parking if my memory serves me right
is that cafe still open down by tate & lyles in silvertown,it used to have a few parking spaces at the side of it,and a pub a couple of doors up ?.if i
remember the bloke who served you wore glasses and wore a
white overall jacket.nice place
curnock:
is that cafe still open down by tate & lyles in silvertown,it used to have a few parking spaces at the side of it,and a pub a couple of doors up ?.if i
remember the bloke who served you wore glasses and wore a
white overall jacket.nice place
Georges dinner just before london city airport roundabout
Funny thing the bloke behind the counters name was Bob
Realy nice bloke allways had a smile on his face even at 06.00 am
Think his wife used to butter the bread and bring the food out if i remember
The cafe was still on the go a couple of years ago not sure about now.
thats the one old skool.clean place and nice meals
The Pylon Cafe on the old A3 at Horndean North of Portsmouth. I thought the young thing behind the counter had the hots for me but I found out years later she had the hots for everyone. 
dafdave:
After you went past lincoln farm cafe and headed towards warwick you would fork right before leamington follow road to the r/bout bear left and there used to be a cafe on the right with a dead end parking area.Last time i passed a few yrs ago it was an italian restaurant anyone remember the name of it?
Hi DAF Dave I think you mean “Fiveways” I think it was Sam that ran it, having a rigid meant most time I could park on the little park at the front A great breakfast in a nice clean cafe I seem to remember.
Anyone remember “Sunways” was it on the A34 north of Newbury a great big Nissan hut you drove round?
Regards Pat
Dead correct Pat, it was the “Fiveways Cafe”. One of the cleanest cafes in the country.Used to be a regular stop for me years ago but as someone said it’s now an Italian restaurant or eas the last time I passed it.
The Sunways at Beedon. Blimey Pat I didn’t think you would be old enough to remember that one ! Thats when you had the three bridges at Whichurch and old road all the way to the Oxford by-pass. I had a couple of dodgy nights out there when I first started driving. Was also a favourite with the trunk motors.
Pitters,Meachers, Jameson,Reeves etc… There was another at the start of Newtown flats just before Newbury but I cant remember the name. Was it called the “Kennelworth Cafe” or something ? Had great big long tables and bench seats. Come on Charlie you should know this one.
Hi Pat.Yes it was the Sunway at Beedon on the old A34.I put a posting a while ago because someone tried to say it was called the Blue Cafe. Wrong.If you remember that cafe you must be older than you look nipper
Spardo was asking if Mac’s had bunkhouses behind the cafe, yes they did, there were several old railway carriagesconverted to sleeping accomodation. I never stayed there, but they always seeemed to be full most mornings when I pulled in there for what was one of the best value breakfasts around. Well worth the diversion off the M4.
I don’t know if anyone has posted about this one! The pit cafe on the A33 going north I believe it burnt down and was replaced by a portacabin a while later only had limited parking though but there was a fairly long layby on the other side of the road to it.
It always reminded me of a similarly situated little cafe on the A34 towards Stratford I think.
Another one spings to mind before the hogs back going to Guildford on the left by a stonemasons I think.
Regards Pat
The cafe before the Hogs Back , Guildford. That was “Alfs’s Cafe” at Runfold.
It was also a bakery going back a few years and was a regular top for Hills of Botley on thier way to Tate and Lyle, London.
Also used a lot by Silcock & Collings drivers delivering new Fords on Tradeplates. I can remamber when the ford Popular came out in 1958 and they all had the badges covered up with tape. No Pat I ain’t that bloody old I was a drivers mate back then!!
Would I ever say that to you Nobby? But I am writing this slowly so you can read it!
Remember the little cafe in Northam? there was one in Radcliffe road I think and then the owners went to run the one in the lorry park by the baths!
Also another along Millbank somewhere?
Also a little cafe at the top of Otterbourne hill?
Another nice one on the Romsey Whiteparish road? Now a small estate of houses!
Another near Longham bridge near the garage with all the Aston Martins not far from Ken Flowers place?
And the Penny Farthing(was it?) on the way down into Ringwood?
That will get you thinking!!!
Pat
Hi Pat.The cafe before the Hogs Back was called Alfs at Runfold.Used to make some cracking donuts.I did a bit of dealing with him around Portland Stone.Always good for the pound notes.
