| People who prefer this MSA |
| People happy to visit |
| People who avoid this MSA |
|
Donington
Leicester Forest Newport Pagnell
Northampton
Scratchwood
Tibshelf Toddington
Trowell
Watford Gap
Woodall
Wooley Edge
Home
|
Originally owned and built by Ross - The same company that produces Fresh
and Frozen Fish. The Ross Logo used to be on the top of the distinctive
water tower.
Originally built with Restaurant on the bridge (at most services a bridge
is just a bridge). The restaurant is still located on the Bridge today.
It was the last service area built like this. Whilst originally they were
viewed as giving a wonderful view, later thinking considered that they
gave little relief from the motorway!
When it opened, it was the furthest MSA north.
Opened with a Terrance Conran designed restaurant called the Captains
Table, served by waitresses dressed as sailors!
The loos currently have a 5 Star Loo of
the year Award 2003 along with 33 others in the road transport category.
(find best loos overall)
Leicester Forest in the 1981. You can see the promende which we think
at one time was open to visitors. Closed early 70's though.
Bruce Crawford remembers when Leicester Forest East services
was owned by Motoross. "Me and my pals used to go there for sausage
egg & chips every Friday night after the pub! We would drive down
the motorway (the driver sober, of course!) from Loughborough for a midnight
feast - far better than kebabs, ha ha."
"It was affectionately known to us at that time as "Rosses"
and in fact we all still refer to it by that name, although it has of
course changed almost beyond recognition now (sadly)."
Richard Lowleth recalls:
"I worked here during the time of the Grunwick Picket
in the late 1970s. Twenty to thirty coach loads of Yorkshire Miners arriving
in the "small hours" midway down to London. It was like bedlam!
I worked the 10.00pm to 8.00am shift as it paid a higher hourly rate...I
think £1.62...and you got two half hour breaks instead of just the
one on the day shifts!
There were actually FOUR restaurants at LFE. Two at either end and two
on the bridge. Those on the bridge were "The Captain's Table"
and also, for its day, very advanced one where you sat on a stool and
eat from a long bar...like a American Diner.
Although when I actually worked there one, or maybe both (I can't now
remember) of these two, on the bridge had been converted into a coffee
lounge with low round tables and black leather armchairs.
After 10.00pm and until 8.00pm only one restaurant would be open. Usually
that on the Northbound Side. "
The west side of Leicester forest, with a terrace open. Don't know the
date, but guessing its 60's . You can still decend the steps in this
picture, virtually unchanged, and very worn! - A wonderful retro feel.
The top of the water tower now bears a KFC logo, and not Welcome Break.
These services are quite clean and have recently been modernised, but
tends to be quite busy. Most food outlets are on the Bridge, so visitors
from n/b and s/b share the same space.
From Mike Gayler: "There is 'talk' that if the M1 is widened to 4
lanes north of J21a, and that J21 is redevelloped (possibly including
a flyover from M1 to M69) then the Leicester Forest East Service area
will need to close (it's currently a hazardous exit southbound as it stands).
The suggestion is that it will be replaced with the 'ghost' area at Lutterworth
(near J20), which is currently a Leicestershire County Council site. There
is an off-route service area at J22 as well. " - (As a foot note
to this, the government has announced this widening will not take place
until at least 2017!!! So Leicester Forest is safe for years yet!)
A recent revamp has put hanging lights over the tables edging the windows
on the bridge. This is very much like the original lights when the services
opened (although they were copper shades, not glass).
Several people ask "where was Leicester Forest West- is that an unbuilt
services?" - No. The name is taken from the local area, like most MSA's.
The M1 does not pass near the area known as Leicester forest West, which
is a hamlet/parish with a population of 30
Thanks
Ross Bowman for the modern picture
Bruce Crawford for the 80's picture & story
Mike Gayler
Richard Lowleth
| People who prefer this MSA |
| People happy to visit |
| People who avoid this MSA |
| Selection of comments received |
This area was also Forte owned and at one time took over from Newport Pagnall as the operating HQ 25/06/2005 09:04:15 it is great for long days drive 17/11/2005 14:55:38 This may be an urban myth but allegedly the bridge structure really was meant to be a bridge... 30/11/2005 20:00:53 I used to work here, when a student, in the late 1970s, at the time of the Grunwick Picket! We all can recall the regular arrival during the early hours of the morning of up to twenty to thirty coach loads of Yorkshire Miners. It was like bedlam! 24/05/2006 21:20:23 This is one of the more difficult service areas to cope with if you have problems with stairs. 24/06/2006 14:24:18 This has always been my favourite MSA since I was a kid in the sixties. The restuarant over the road idea is great. 29/06/2006 18:55:00 My favorite since I was a child in the 60 s so sophistocated the dawning of modernism 20/11/2006 12:18:22 Unfortunately, its a bit too small and cramped for me - I prefer more spacious MSAs like Donington Park at Juction 23a (just a few miles north!) 06/12/2006 19:12:34 I love this service area having worked here from 1988 until 2007. The cameraderie amongst the colleagues is great, one big happy family! There will always be a place in my heart for LFE. 06/02/2007 19:56:36 My favourite services, exactly half way between London & Leeds so ideal place to stop if youre travelling the full length, love the restaurant over the mway. 23/08/2007 22:25:43 Long wait for fast food but will keep returning. 16/09/2007 09:06:46 Fond memories of LFE msa,only because when we lived at Braunstone we could see the msa from our house. 19/09/2007 03:49:41 coffee is b awful and food limited 18/10/2007 17:57:05 This services is very special to me, right from the early Rosses days, will be vhaining myself to it when the bulldozers finally arrive 16/04/2008 22:51:31 27/04/2008 18:57:03 |
|
|