Safe Speed Forums

Started this as a thread of the one about motorway services .
Lets have ideas about the best and worst motorway services in the uk.
Perhaps Paul might like to pass on our findings.( for a free plug/sponsorship of course)

My nomination for the best is Corley - not far from home , but because when i'm in a works van wearing my works clothes they only confirm that i'm driving the van matching my fleece ( simple really). Also the atmosphere is great - a customer is one they want back
For the worst - Watford Gap - whilst Corley can get folk in and out in a few minutes, Watford gap always has a Queue and take ages to serve you.Watford - you try and my patience as well.

Comme on then - add some coments

Motorway services

At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.

My nomination for worst has to be Happendon.

First it's not even on the motorway. It's on (what is now) the B7078, which was part of the A74 before it was upgraded to motorway status. This is the worst maintained bit of dual carriageway I have ever seen. Exiting these services a couple of years ago onto the dual carriageway there was a complete lack of either road markings or signs. The D/C seemed to be an extension of the carpark. I'm sure the local hareing up at what seemed like a ton saw the funny side as this tourist sidled across his path.

And the building it's self was in a similar state of disrepair, some of the doors apparently not working. I didn't dare sample the food. I only entered the building as it is an offence to relieve ones self in a public place.

I vowed never to return and unless someone can show me evidence that vast improvements have been made I am not going to go find out for myself.

FLEET SERVICES ON THE M3 - Last Time I went It was Filthy,Too Expensive .So Next time I stopped off at a Retail park near Basingstoke where they had shops etc

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RoADA Member -GOLD 2008
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

agreed! i have complained about them several times. the truck park is always full of cars, caravans and whatever else decides to wander in there.
the exit is ridiculous. the way they have given priority to cars means that we cant see if there is anything coming so it is left down to chance which is extremely dangerous. it wouldnt cost much to rectify this problem either. a bit of paint

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Richie

SSAFA supporter
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126025031585

Pardon me for displaying some local bias, but we have the full range of quality services depending on your needs.

The services at Burton in Kendal M6 35-36 n/b are about as friendly as they get. They regularly win awards for it.

Killington Lake services M6 s/b 37-36 is in a beautiful setting with the lake and the Howgills providing the dramatic backdrop.

Westmorland Services M6 north of Jn38 at Tebay are independently owned and have a reputation for good food. The local farmfood shops are renowned nationally.

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Fixed ideas are like cramp, for instance in the foot, yet the best remedy is to step on them.

Ian

I rarely stop on motorway services and never by fuel there. Just what the is justification for the 5-10 pence premium on fuel. Can't be logistics, all fuel has to go past these tplace before being delivered so stop taking the you know what.

Ever had descent food at services? Me neither.

Perhaps the premium is there to stop the smaller, non-motorway petrol stations from going out of business.

Cheers
Peter

the higher price is not only fuel. everything is more expensive at an MSA. you are paying for the convenience of being able to make purchases at the side of the motorway rather than looking for a petrol station close to a junction. that plus the fact that there is no alternative on long stretches between junctions. they have a captive supply of customers. if you are on a long journey and you need to stop, you will pull in at a services rather than go hunting near the motorway.

unless you are me and are compiling a database of every BP station in the uk

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Richie

SSAFA supporter
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126025031585

Scanny - don't know if you know the M1 services round about j15a - a BP station, the exit for cars/vans is like that(going south) - you come out at about 45deg to the through road, just before it enters the slip for the m1 - bad enough in a van going to the m1 without a trusty passenger - suicidal to get on to the a43 with out one.

Ian H - both very nice, always like them going north -

Aren't motorway services built on land leased from the DoT? If they are, I'd guess that, in the normal way of anything where government gets involved in "business", the rents are pretty steep. Add to that their need to be open and staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year and you can see a little of where their costs might need some justification.

Then, of course, they can charge a premium simply because they can...

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

Another vote for Killington Lake here. Always clean and tidy with somewhere to sit and enjoy the scenery outside

Must agree, Westmorland services would win my vote followed by Killington Lake. I used to stop at Westmorland at least twice a week, but have not been passed there for nearly a year now

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Coz I magically dissappear when it's time to decorate! (Gone sailing !)

For me the only one I use reasonably regularly is Heston on the M4 into London. It's just the right place for a loo/coffee stop when I go into London, so on that basis the loos are pretty clean and the coffee's fine too.



POIPlace has a TomTom overlay file of BP stations (amongst others).. If you don't have TomTom you can use POIConverter to convert to any useful format..

Tesco's are staffed 24/7 and their petrol is always the cheapest, being on the side of the road doesn't justify fobbing us off with dog food at Savoy Grill prices though

For me the best services have got to be Annandale Water on the A74(M), very clean, bright and with great scenery from the cafe which borders the small lake.

If you want services with a kinda time-warp feel then I recommend trying Bolton West on the M61! Never seems to be very busy, even at lunch times.

As for services being expensive, well yes I suppose they are but then isn't everything that has a captive audience? I'm thinking cinemas and concerts etc etc. Plus they have got to provide free parking and free toilet facilities and all that. Usually fuels about 5p a litre more isn't it? For a car driver filling say 50 litres it only works out at an extra £2.50. Unless I know there is a petrol station yards from the slip-road I will pay the extra simply for the convience and the fact I'm a lazy bugger.

The only critisism with services I find is that I wouldn't mind some more good-quality home cooked food, the stuff they dish up never looks all that appitising - I'd rather get something from Bob's Belly Busters in the lay-by.

We need to accept that since MSAs have to pay high rents to the government, have to provide some services 24/7, and are restricted on the amount of commercial floor space, they are entitled to charge some kind of price premium.

If you don't want to pay that, you are fully entitled to leave the motorway in search of an alternative.

But I would challenge anyone to find, within easy reach of a motorway, a town or village that provided all of the following, particularly after 6pm:

• ample, free parking
• toilets that are open, free to use and in reasonable condition
• a petrol station
• a convenience store selling newspapers, sweets, sandwiches, soft drinks, cigarettes etc.
• a pub or restaurant that is open for the service of meals and admits families

Yes, there are a growing number of supermarkets near to motorways that provide some of these facilities.

But to make a simplistic complaint that MSAs represent a rip-off demonstrates ignorance of the conditions under which they operate and the dynamics of the market.

In terms of architecture, my favourite MSA must be Donington Park by M1 Junction 23A. But I also have a soft spot for the original ones like Keele and Knutsford on the M6 with facilities on a bridge over the motorway.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Most supermarkets are now 24hrs and provide all but the last item. But then most motorway services fail on that one as well.

I don't mind the prices, the thing which gets me is their dilapidated state and the poor quality of their offerings. It's pretty poor when you bring in Burger King and they are serving up better food than your restraunt.

I dont know when you visited Homer, but I have been in Happendon several times, and found it clean, and the food was excellent value.
The shop sells a variety of tourist souvenirs at prices far below what was asked for the in Edinburgh!
On one visit however there WAS a problem with the doors, AND the toilets which are situated to one side. This was because some stupid a**e has decided to ram raid the place, and had failed to take into account that since it was not a high risk target, the doors lacked any substance.
Consequently he had gone in through the doors, and destroyed much of the concourse inside!!!
As for the D/C outside, that is not really the fault of the site operators, and not being on the motorway makes for a quieter breakfast!
Coffee, orange juice, a sausage & beans on toast and a round of toast was £4.75 - not too bad I thought, given the surroundings at the time!
I think the operators are called Cairn Lodge. Dont know of any other sites - maybe somebody else does?

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Pics please?