Greggs to trial a Shop at Lymm
Greggs is try a franchise at a MSA starting at Lymm in December 2011. If successful, it could mean more Greggs stores appearing at other Moto Sites More...
Full ReviewWatford Gap
Opened: 2 November 1959 Original owner: Blue Boar Current Owner: RoadChef Trivia: Technically, the first Motorway Services in the UK. However, when it opened, the buildings were not ready so food was sold from temporary sheds!. Opened on the same day as the M1 Motorway Very popular with pop stars in the 1960’s. Urban story has it that Jimi Hendrix thought Blue Boar was the name of a London club, becuase so many of his contemporaries mentioned it. Blue Boar were offered the opportunity to develop the site to compensate the loss of business to thier existing facilities on the A5. They were offered Newport Pagnell too, but in the end that site was developed by Forte The...
Full ReviewTrowell
Opened: 1967 Original owner: Mecca Leisure Sold to: Granada in 1977 Current Owner: Moto Then: Trivia: Originally themed as a “village”, in Robin Hood/Sherrwood forest style. Restaurant area was called Sherrifs Restaurant, and another Marion’s Pantry. There were lots of Heraldic decorations. Possibly inspired by themed bars at Butlins? Featured in an episode of auf wiedersehn pet- A comedy about a group of North Eastern Builders. Any coincidence that the services name sounds like a builders tool? (trowell = trowel) Ones named as a crime hotspot by Nottinghamshire police (link) Originally the toilets were not accessible from inside the northbound complex, it being necessary to leave the building and move along the frontage to enter the toilet area. Recent re-development...
Full ReviewWooley Edge
Opened: 1972 Original owner: Taverna (Esso) Later owned by: Granada (mid 1980’s?) Current Owner: Moto Then: Trivia: Birch Services on the M62 are designed in a similar way (both have a distinctive roof structure from the outside) Orginally had a huge bank of Vending machines including microwaves to self-serve food Has a secret exit. It is possible to switch between the northbound and southbound sites by using nearby Bramley Lane. Users of the lodge need to do this to access the building, which is on the northbound only. The exit is controlled by a automatic bollard + intercom to prevent regular access The southbound site had a lodge built in 2001 Current: I usually stop off on the southbound services (the...
Full ReviewNew Motorway Service Signs
Service areas are to be allowed to display up to six logos to indicate facilities available after a shake up of signing by the government Until now, only a generic logo like a petrol pump could be shown. And operators have in recent years taken to renaming themselves so the “operator” signage reflects some of the facilities at the site (e.g. “Starbucks KFC”) Operators now have to propose the signs they wish to display, but hooray for some common sense at...
Full Review