Big Leggy,
You mention a possible connection between the fuel & cancer, dad said this was mentioned to him by the Doctors when he was 1st diagnosed with the big C, they go through your life & work history looking for clues apparently (hope I never have that conversation!). I on Cryogenic Gas Tankers now, but have done time on Flitwick Oil & Watson Petroleum, when you think of the fumes you take in, particularly when top loading, it makes you wonder!
adr
When I started on Shell at Buncefield I had qualified for an HGV1 licence from my previous employment (this was obviously the time when HGV licences were being re-introduced to GB), so I used to go out 2nd man with drivers prior to them taking their test for a “1” licence… A lot of these were ex Fulham or Wandsworth drivers (transferred to Buncefield) & had only driven rigid vehicles within London.
I remember vividly one old driver telling me he used to collect “benzine” or “benzole” from a coal/gas works & the fumes used to burn his throat (mind you the 30 ■■■■ a day we used to smoke probably didn’t help) ! After I had left Shell (following a serious accident) I heard that that driver had died of throat cancer – I then gave up smoking !!
Big Leggy,
Probably a good move that! Dad was born & raised in Poplar, East London & started smoking when he left school at 15 & started on P&X Carriers, West India Dock Rd, Poplar as a van boy, so as you say that could have had something to do with it too!
There was another cafe you will probably remember between Aylesbury & Tring, was it called “The Cosy Corner”? (Could never figure that out cos the road was straight!) There was another between Bicester & Oxford on the A43 (when it was single carriageway) called “The Lay Bye Cafe”.
What was the name of the cafe on the A361(i think near) nr Shepton Mallett ?
Reason i ask is because one of my earliest memories of travelling in the old mans Thames Trader, was stopping off there and there was a Myna bird in a cage nr the counter - would have been late 60s?
Could it have been called the “Silver Birch” ?
adr
I seem to remember the cafe between Aylesbury & Tring but cannot recall much about it !
On the A43 (■■) – there is a cafe on A43 that is now “Little Chef” I seem to remember a transport cafe in that locale many moons ago !!
On the A34 at Milton Trading Estate (before it was all modernised) there was a fair cafe & you used to be able to park on the right (on waste ground) just as you drove in… I delivered to Panalpina a few years back (not many) and it was all I could do to get past the gatehouse let alone park !!
It’s not a “transport cafe” as such but the one in Maylands Avenue in Hemel used to be pretty good !!
Not so much old cafes but rememember when you could park in or nr pubs?
Some that spring to mind - Spinaker(spelling) Colchester quay
Peel monument - Radcliffe mcr and there was a good one on River rd Barking opposite the timber yard?
.
charlie one:
Sorry lads. It was definately the Hilltop. cos I used to stop there in the 50s and I’m older than you and I know best. So there
As you came off the Roundabout heading towards Bawtry there was a cafe on the right hand side (was that the Hilltop) and nearly straight
opposit was another one (wooden cabin ? was it once called Tom’s Cabin ? ) I was passed recently and it is now a brick built single story cafe.
The one on the right (which I thought was the Hilltop) was owned by a guy called Tom circa 1960’s ? There was always a lot of Geordie boys
in there, I remember one of the regulars drove for Ronson lighters, did a night trunk to London from Newcastle. regards Big Al
josh:
Must agree that the Salt Box and the OK at Kelvedon were two of the very best.
One of the biggest was the Mayfield on the A6 near Garstang huge digs as well it was
like Little Glasgow in there. Another cafe just across the road from it a wooden building
good grub but can!t remember its name
Was it Dirty ■■■■’s ? The Mayfield is now a large Hotel called the Crofters, I used to stay there
in the 60’s did’nt like the dormitory sleeping though, seemed like most of Little Glasgow
started work between 3am & 5am. If you did’nt lift your bed and pop your boots in the legs
you sometimes awoke to find a change of footwear 
A little further south down
the A6 was The Brock transport cafe, much beloved of John Smillie drivers from Govan.If
you follow the link to my website there is a page on The Brock with pictures of lorries that
stayed there in the 80’s
regards Big Al
Deesider:
Anyone remember the Checkley Cafe at Tean, between Stoke and Uttoxeter on the old A50 ?
There was a Co.op creamery about a mile away in the Stoke direction.
The chef, in his thirties at the time, had left his previous job, (at one of the posh hotels in Park Lane, London) to work there “to serve real food to real people.” (I’ll never forget that bit - it made me kind of proud to be a lorrydriver when I overheard him say that to another customer sitting at the next table.)
Needless to say, the food and presentation were superb. I often ordered a Sunday Roast with all the trimmings and his home made jam suet pudding and custard afterwards.The proprietor (I can’t remember his name) and his son kept a couple of restored 8 wheelers in the sheds at the back of the parking area.
They had about 15 beds upstairs for overnight stays, - this would be the early seventies, so sleeper cabs were only just beginning to appear - there was room for about 20 wagons in the parking area.
Had many a good night out there, a late drink or two as well. One of Norseman’s trailers actually snapped in half on that road, only the steel plate it was carrying held it all together. A major job with a crane to recover all that mess.
Big Leggy,
Sorry my mistake (l am a crap typist) l meant the A34 not A43, it was up by the old Baynards Green roundabout, the long laybye is still there its just a Shell Garage now. The one on Milton Park was a good one yes, Cannons used to park there coal wagons up on the big park on the right cos there no way they could fit in our old yard in Milton village with everything else. Another good Cafe was probably not known by many out there, that was in the old BRS yard up Sandy Lane, Oxford.
.
stravaiger:
Big Al:
charlie one:
Sorry lads. It was definately the Hilltop. cos I used to stop there in the 50s and I’m older than you and I know best. So thereAs you came off the Roundabout heading towards Bawtry there was a cafe on the right hand side (was that the Hilltop) and nearly straight
opposit was another one (wooden cabin ? was it once called Tom’s Cabin ? )Wasn’t this one the Blyth cafe?..jim
Are you not thinking of janes cafe.
suedehead
There is still the Red Lion nr Northampton which is a pub/lorry park. One at Rugby [cannot think of the name] was not only an overnight stop but you could call in just for a breakfast. There is another pub/lorry park on the A1 southbound near to Wittering [again cannot recall the name] !!
Big Al:
charlie one:
Sorry lads. It was definately the Hilltop. cos I used to stop there in the 50s and I’m older than you and I know best. So thereAs you came off the Roundabout heading towards Bawtry there was a cafe on the right hand side (was that the Hilltop) and nearly straight
opposit was another one (wooden cabin ? was it once called Tom’s Cabin ? ) I was passed recently and it is now a brick built single story cafe.
The one on the right (which I thought was the Hilltop) was owned by a guy called Tom circa 1960’s ? There was always a lot of Geordie boys
in there, I remember one of the regulars drove for Ronson lighters, did a night trunk to London from Newcastle. regards Big Al
The Hilltop was the cafe on the left side of the AI just before Blyth roundabout north bound. You could get into the car park via a lane off the AI just before roundabout the concrete ramp was still there up to when the road was altered in the last two years. or you coud enter by turning left at the rondabout. It must have been one of the first pupose built transport cafes with single beded rooms this was a bit of a thing at the time. It was built in the early 60s. Can you rember the stickers they used to give away ‘Hilltop or Bust’
Old Cafe’s The Windrush on A40
In Saturday February 21st “Daily Mail” there was a small piece explaining that the Windrush Cafe closed in 1990… The site was cleared in 2001 & it was to be developed as the Windrush Heights Hotel… In 2005 the builder/developer stopped work & disappeared – the part developed site now stands as can be seen !
The site with planning consent for a hotel - conference centre - restaurant - filling station - convenience store is to be auctioned in London next week with a guide price of £700,000 to £800,000 !!
Bet your life when it’s rebuilt truck drivers will not be welcomed back !!
dafdave:
stravaiger:
Big Al:
charlie one:
Sorry lads. It was definately the Hilltop. cos I used to stop there in the 50s and I’m older than you and I know best. So thereAs you came off the Roundabout heading towards Bawtry there was a cafe on the right hand side (was that the Hilltop) and nearly straight
opposit was another one (wooden cabin ? was it once called Tom’s Cabin ? )Wasn’t this one the Blyth cafe?..jim
Are you not thinking of janes cafe.
It is called Jane’s now and is a purpose built brick building but about 45 years ago I seem to remember their being
a wooden cabin at the front and a wooden bungalow (for sleepers) at the back. Or maybe it is a case of too many
birthdays regards Big Al
There used to be a cracking cafe at Torksey near Gainsborough called Ron’s Cafe.
There was a Shell fuel depot just along the road heading into Gainsborough, they
were running the twin steer 6x2 units at the time. regards Alan
Hi Big Al, I linked onto your site and on the preston trunk you have a picture of me driving my ERF BSC790B. On the saturday we done a run in dumfries and galloway. On the sunday a short run out of dumfries and back and then the dumfries truck show. Isold it two years ago.
Senior moment there Al.I already told you I sold it R J Rich.