ainacs:
Anyone remember Sam’s at Fiveways can’t remeber exactly where but on the way north before Warwick just on the left before a roundabout. Had parking at the rear but I could nearly always park near the front as I had a AEC Mercury 4 wheeler. It was always busy and had a breakfast to die for!
Sorry to be so vague but it was over 30 years ago.
Hiya …don,t be vague we all used that place. it had a italian theme with vines painted on the wall,s and terrcota pots scattered around
am i on theright track ainacs.
i used a spot on cafe running towards Kings Lynn ,it was known as Rons cafe Gedney. that bloody Happy eater paid good money for the cafe
and that was it. the happy eater did,nt even revamp the place just put some stupid plastic animals out side and banned us drivers.
I,am going back a few years but that cafe has always stayed in my head.then their was my local cafe the robin hood on the Leek macclesfield rd.
a pipeing hot plate of melted cheese and chopped toms with 2 toast and a pint of tea. i need some Plackets drivers to back me up it was the best.
John
Trev_H:
I used to stop at a little cafe just off the A34 on the Wantage rd. at East Hendred, Going north from the M4 you came off and went past Harwell research centre then turned left on the A 417? wantage rd. was only a small place but it was clean and the food was the best you’d get anywhere.
Yeah was very good, but has been closed for years now.
The Robin Hood just below the Dog and Partridge on Woodhead was good and the one at the bottom of Langsett hill on the A616 before Stocksbridge was great,can’t recall the name,run by two women,real home from home snap.
Another good stop was on the A34 at Chievely just north of the M4.Its hard to realise this road was a main trunk route ( anyone not about to go out to grass as you travel south at Beedon look over to your right that narrow lane was the main road). God help you if you got stuck behind a not so “Mighty Antar” with a tank onboard. I remember that cafe being cleared double quick if anyone came in and said the “daft and barmy” were on the move cos apart from being bloody slow they were always breaking down. Its a good job the Ruskies weren’t on the warpath. regards kevmac47
I think that cafe at Beedon was Dons Cafe.
Until the weight restriction was put on that old stretch of road you could still use it and wonder how
all the traffic used to fit through - it was so narrow.
Bit off topic, but that reminded me of traveling down to Southampton on the old road years ago in my little van. I caught up with a four wheeler and noticed his off side rear wheels were having a quiet wobble every now and then, which didn’t look good! I followed him for quite some time and kept pulling out a bit and flashing my headlights to attract his attention, but to no avail. As you say the old road was narrow and there was little or no chance of overtaking, so in the end I just gave up. Just before you got to Newbury there was a hump bridge which was a bit on the narrow side and vehicles would have to give way. On this day was no exception and there was a line of some 8 to 10 cars stopped, heading north and the lorry just bowled through, not slowing much. That was until he topped the bridge and his rear wheels took off, veering right and kinda toppling/rolling towards the line of cars. I was stationery on the bridge now and it seemed to be in slowmo as i watched them pass cars and wondered which one they would hit, but it was quite quick really, as it hit a Bedford Dormobile halfway down the line. They smacked into the front corner and the Bedford just folded in the middle, with the floor sitting on the road, which was strange really as there didn’t seem too much visible damage to the impact area (mind you it was pre MOT days!!) The lorry was on his arse, but steered to the side of the road and there was just enough room for me to pass on my way. I felt a bit guilty really but also helpless but I couldn’t help thinking of the people sitting in the cars wondering where the wheels would hit and the chap in the Bedford thinking “why me!”
Ma and Pa Johnson’s top of Standedge (before the M62 was invented). They were an old couple who lived down in Uppermill and they didn’t have transport. Every morning about 5:30 some fella would stop for them and give them a ride up to the cafe, always a free breakfast for him. Good grub, long gone now mores the pity
BP and Shell canteens were unbeatable
grumpy old man:
BP and Shell canteens were unbeatable
I’ll go along with that Brian. I’ve used canteens at Shell Stanlow and Carrington and BP at Saltend,Grangemouth and Baglan Bay and they were spot on
Hiya Chris…you alright mate… canteens!!! did any of you go to pilkington restraunt nr to death valley. That had a wow factor.
John
Two other places that served a good breakfast near the Stoke area that I remember was Bob Manaleys at Talke and I think it was called The Woodley on the A34 near Bassett’s Haulage yard.
grumpy old man:
BP and Shell canteens were unbeatable
I’ll go along with that Brian. I’ve used canteens at Shell Stanlow and Carrington and BP at Saltend,Grangemouth and Baglan Bay and they were spot on
Hiya Chris…you alright mate… canteens!!! did any of you go to pilkington restraunt nr to death valley. That had a wow factor.
John
Eyup John,yes fine thanks…err,where’s Death Valley,St. Helens?
Odsal Cafe (Mick Briggs’ place) opposite side of the A641 from the stadium used to be excellent, but parking was a real nause for artics especially when more double yellows were put on Huddersfield Road in the early 1990s
Therefore it was mainly full of builders and fat Weekend footballers, the fried eggs were done in a pan about 3 inch deep with fat, and floated there like white and yellow jellyfish
There was a decent cafe just off the A10/Norf Circlar on the A111 Southgate Road,a Greek feller ran it and it was good snap in there,nice breakfast and a clean place.I used it regularly in the 70s rather than South Mimms or those rubbish MSAs further on.Bet it’s all double yellows now plus a weight limit etc etc.
jacko22:
Can we add a continental flavour too! The Ham n eggs with fresh bread at Jayat… I know the place was not everyones cup of tea
Not half Jacko, I couldn’t stand the bloody place i so wish I could remember where the wooden chalet was on the left side on the way down from the Blanc - ham eggs bread and coffee on a Saturday morning after punching from Prato or Poggibonsi through the night were wonderful
It cannot be on the left side coming down Blanc in France as there was only one premises on that side & it was/is a souvenir shop !
I think you mean just around les Houches before you get to the steep run down towards the “steel works” – under a bridge and pull in to your right. Wooden chalet restaurant + a filling station that has been AS24 and Shell. Pull through and back on to road down. Limited overnight parking + good toilets & hot water !!
The “wooden chalet” was known as the log cabin wasnt it ?
On the final climb was a Douanes checkpoint.
Can remember fueling up at the AS24 on my way to Italy and pulled in there a couple of days later ,to fill up on the way back but it had become a Shell
Coasted to Cluses on a wing and a prayer .
hiya,
There used to be an Italian cafe on York Way at the Holloway Prison end you could park there in the 60s Maria’s it was called, i always tried to get in there midday for "in her words " when shouting your order through the serving hatch, porka d chop mash a dpeas, mouthwatering fare and always the chance of a bit of stuff who’d just been released from the nick and wanting a lift up north.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
hiya,
There used to be an Italian cafe on York Way at the Holloway Prison end you could park there in the 60s Maria’s it was called, i always tried to get in there midday for "in her words " when shouting your order through the serving hatch, porka d chop mash a dpeas, mouthwatering fare and always the chance of a bit of stuff who’d just been released from the nick and wanting a lift up north.
thanks harry long retired.
Hey Cappo, a porka d chop masha dpeas an da bowl of dporrige for Harry .
axletramp:
I think that cafe at Beedon was Dons Cafe.
Until the weight restriction was put on that old stretch of road you could still use it and wonder how
all the traffic used to fit through - it was so narrow.
.