Not sure if this is the right forum, or if there’s already a thread running (searched but not found one).
Mods please delete or move if needed.
In the 70s and early 80s
I remember a few lorry parks where you couldn’t sleep in your truck, a couple that come to mind were Ross on Wye and there was one I seem to remember somewhere near where Lesmahagow truck stop is now, perhaps it was called Blackwood or something.
You parked in the lorry park then booked into an old fashioned type B&B, evening meal, shared bedroom and some breakfast in the morning depending on what time you were leaving.
Certain there must’ve been many more but those are 2 that come to mind.
There’s a long-running thread about this somewhere on here but I can’t remember what it’s called. If you scroll back through the pages you’ll find it. Ro
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Not sure if this is the right forum, or if there’s already a thread running (searched but not found one).
Mods please delete or move if needed.
In the 70s and early 80s
I remember a few lorry parks where you couldn’t sleep in your truck, a couple that come to mind were Ross on Wye and there was one I seem to remember somewhere near where Lesmahagow truck stop is now, perhaps it was called Blackwood or something.
You parked in the lorry park then booked into an old fashioned type B&B, evening meal, shared bedroom and some breakfast in the morning depending on what time you were leaving.
Certain there must’ve been many more but those are 2 that come to mind.
Star cafe at Lesmahagow , never overnighted there but stopped for a brew late one evening and the flies were everywhere, I think they ate more than I did . I stayed at Ross many times until I was introduced to private digs nearby , very nice,by recommendation only , if it was raining she would pick you up in the car .
rigsby:
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Not sure if this is the right forum, or if there’s already a thread running (searched but not found one).
Mods please delete or move if needed.
In the 70s and early 80s
I remember a few lorry parks where you couldn’t sleep in your truck, a couple that come to mind were Ross on Wye and there was one I seem to remember somewhere near where Lesmahagow truck stop is now, perhaps it was called Blackwood or something.
You parked in the lorry park then booked into an old fashioned type B&B, evening meal, shared bedroom and some breakfast in the morning depending on what time you were leaving.
Certain there must’ve been many more but those are 2 that come to mind.Star cafe at Lesmahagow , never overnighted there but stopped for a brew late one evening and the flies were everywhere, I think they ate more than I did . I stayed at Ross many times until I was introduced to private digs nearby , very nice,by recommendation only , if it was raining she would pick you up in the car .
ffs somebody tell me the one on the 74 with the revolving doors.
m.a.n rules:
ffs somebody tell me the one on the 74 with the revolving doors.
Coatsgate or just Beatock, good grub. Les.
The Rose Cottage Kendal, Run by Mrs Carradus, Very clean & very good food, You had to book a bed early as it was allways busy, Regards Larry.
I vaguely remember Tom toms wicket gate cafe in Silvertown ? and Cliff ■■? Southampton dodgy characters but good digs as i remember quite daunting for a young lad.Bi sketchy but is was nearly 50 years ago.
The Seven Stars in Ledbury, Briggs Drighlington, Salvation Army hostels in Sheffield and Warrington, Crissanne somewhere, an absolute dive in Trafford Park, A30 on rhs heading west at Honiton, A6 on lhs south at Mountsorrel, A66 on rhs west at Brough, A45 on rhs heading south at Stretton on Dunsmore, . Near to the lorry park in Cardiff, Exeter, Derby and Morecambe and one in the Oystermouth area of Swansea right on a road junction with parking in the middle of the junction.
I can never remember all the names of digs I stayed in. Cav551 mentioned Oystermouth Road Swansea where I stayed,near football ground. Then there was Mrs Potts on Gnoll Park Road Neath,both smashing places. Mrs Martin in Turriff Aberdeenshire,Seaman’s Mission Grangemouth and some good ones in Falkirk.Star at Lesmahagow were ok I suppose,and some good ones on London Road Carlisle.Four Oaks at Rainham on A13 weren’t bad and also Chris’s in Newport Mon were good.There was an excellent place in South Shields near sea front where you parked up.
Shi*holes I recall were the West End Café in Gloucester - what a disgusting place that was,I walked in and immediately walked out again,rather sleep in Mrs Albions. Another place was in Paulton near Bath,we delivered to Purnells printing place there and I was stuck for somewhere to stay.I was told by somebody to walk up the road into village,first house ont left or summat.FFS,sacking up to windows for a start and it stank.Back to Purnells where security man said I could stay with him and his wife - should have asked him for a start.
All in all there were some good places but also some real doss houses that advertised thiersens in Headlight as “home from home”.
That’s why I fiddled home as much as possible…………as you know. 
Reading some of these posts I’m only glad that, although I had some very long days occasionally, I wasn’t tramping and was always able to get back to base. I dread to think what the response would have been if I 'phoned in and said “I can’t make it back” but those oversize tacho discs we carried for emergencies generally avoided that situation! 
Occasionally if we got held up on a job, or exceeded ten hours driving on the South Wales runs , they would send a van out and a fitter drove the truck back and we drove his van. I remember dad stopping in digs in the fifties when he did Scotland runs but his were all pre-booked by Thermalite I believe and all he had to do was get there?
Pete.
les-p:
m.a.n rules:
ffs somebody tell me the one on the 74 with the revolving doors.Coatsgate or just Beatock, good grub. Les.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
also referred to as the quarry cafe.
good grub with the proviso that you didnt get knocked down sprinting across 4 lanes of dual carriageway or break your ankle on the central grassy verge if you were southbound.
a great place to stop for a swapshop for offloading whatever you could blag from under the curtains though…
Singo55:
I vaguely remember Tom toms wicket gate cafe in Silvertown ? and Cliff ■■? Southampton dodgy characters but good digs as i remember quite daunting for a young lad.Bi sketchy but is was nearly 50 years ago.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
was that the southampton one that had a iron ex sailor that made the breakfasts?
there was a bit of a scandal when someone went into the kitchen and caught him knocking one out into the frying pan on top of the eggs? 
Suddenly remembered staying in South Molton and the lady whose husband drove for spanboard and more to the point her delicious rabbit stew, I used the search to see the name of the industrial eatate in Barnstaple and I managed to locate the previous thread. Maybe someone cleverer than me can link the two together?
dieseldog999:
Singo55:
I vaguely remember Tom toms wicket gate cafe in Silvertown ? and Cliff ■■? Southampton dodgy characters but good digs as i remember quite daunting for a young lad.Bi sketchy but is was nearly 50 years ago.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
was that the southampton one that had a iron ex sailor that made the breakfasts?
there was a bit of a scandal when someone went into the kitchen and caught him knocking one out into the frying pan on top of the eggs?
I think those Southampton digs were Cliff Ore’s - or summat like that. Juniper Berry boozer were close by……………. 
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Not sure if this is the right forum, or if there’s already a thread running (searched but not found one).
Mods please delete or move if needed.
In the 70s and early 80s
I remember a few lorry parks where you couldn’t sleep in your truck, a couple that come to mind were Ross on Wye and there was one I seem to remember somewhere near where Lesmahagow truck stop is now, perhaps it was called Blackwood or something.
You parked in the lorry park then booked into an old fashioned type B&B, evening meal, shared bedroom and some breakfast in the morning depending on what time you were leaving.
Certain there must’ve been many more but those are 2 that come to mind.
Here’s the link to one of the digs threads:
There’s another, longer one somewhere…
Chris Webb:
dieseldog999:
Singo55:
I vaguely remember Tom toms wicket gate cafe in Silvertown ? and Cliff ■■? Southampton dodgy characters but good digs as i remember quite daunting for a young lad.Bi sketchy but is was nearly 50 years ago.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
was that the southampton one that had a iron ex sailor that made the breakfasts?
there was a bit of a scandal when someone went into the kitchen and caught him knocking one out into the frying pan on top of the eggs?I think those Southampton digs were Cliff Ore’s - or summat like that. Juniper Berry boozer were close by…………….
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i never stayed there as ive always been a cab rat from day 1 with no sleeper cab option,but i would imagine you wouldnt need to be putting any extra salt on your fryup if you ever stayed there.
i just remember the story doing the rounds at the time as some were a bit iffy with him being an iron,and the fact he was always trying to watch when they were eating their breakfasts and smiling,hence someone went in to see what was happening when he was cooking them to catch him pointing percy at the pan and rubbing one out over the eggs.
Yes Chris you’re right on both counts better memory than me.
I do remember being told he batted for the other side but never bothered me and I was young and good looking then oh and modest.
Cant remember anyone tossing on the eggs.
dieseldog999:
les-p:
m.a.n rules:
ffs somebody tell me the one on the 74 with the revolving doors.Coatsgate or just Beatock, good grub. Les.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
also referred to as the quarry cafe.good grub with the proviso that you didnt get knocked down sprinting across 4 lanes of dual carriageway or break your ankle on the central grassy verge if you were southbound.
a great place to stop for a swapshop for offloading whatever you could blag from under the curtains though…
that’s the one… thanks
m.a.n rules:
dieseldog999:
les-p:
m.a.n rules:
ffs somebody tell me the one on the 74 with the revolving doors.Coatsgate or just Beatock, good grub. Les.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
also referred to as the quarry cafe.good grub with the proviso that you didnt get knocked down sprinting across 4 lanes of dual carriageway or break your ankle on the central grassy verge if you were southbound.
a great place to stop for a swapshop for offloading whatever you could blag from under the curtains though…that’s the one… thanks
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i used to work when just passed my test for a company doing dayshift all day,then lifting a skelly and a box,and running to liverpool docks and back during the night ( box off/box on) then back up in time to start dayshift again,( great money but a tad tiring).
this guys logic was…““im fedup buying lenses for the skellys,so just go down to coatsgate,and nick some off of a drivers trailer if he works for malcolms,purple russel or similar as they are big companies and their drivers will always have spare ones.””
every single night there was a 10 min debate for not leaving until he would start throwing the lenses he didnt have out of the cupboard at me.
this was after haggling for another 10 mins previously as he would give me 2 red rears,without the amber indicators…a real class act.
on the plus side,i was working cash in hand,playing in a 142 at the time when most others were driving british crap…so it wasnt all bad. 