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Was there ever a more concise damnation of modern humanity?
Stopped at Taunton Deane services for the obligatory leak and coffee break. Mrs Rider thankfully forbade me from ordering coffee from BK on ethical grounds so grabbed a similarly overpriced auto-coffee from the machine in the micro-WH Smiths who were only too happy to attempt charging me £3.00 for a packet of biscuits.
In desperation I grabbed a US-style sugar-laden pseudo-pastry filled with synthetic monkeybunk. It tasted weirdly unsatisying so decided to have a submissive smoke in the sunshine at the tables outside of BK. Mrs Rider and I silently supped the odd black stuff whilst soaking up the rays and diesel fumes from neighbouring artics - and so began considering life, the universe and escape. Mid-reverie, she began screeching and repeatedly banged her legs into the tabletop. Thankfully it turned out that this apparent major-mal was merely a rodent-induced minor panic.
She had felt a tickle on her foot, wearing only sandals, and then a feel of weight made her look down to see a sizeable brown rat sitting quite happily mid-foot.
The rat was obviously unwell (or else wholly unconcerned) as her resultant high-pitched flailing only dislodged it to continue ambling along under the tables. No-one else seemed unduly concerned and a friendly trucker picked it up by the tail to let it free in some nearby bushes where I'm sure it expired over the course of the day in post-poison agony.
Onwards fellow travellers. Packed sandwiches and a flask were always the best idea. On the plus side, the friendly trucker advised some good cycling locations in Norfolk
Motorway Services:Was there ever a more concise damnation of modern humanity?
This was all that needed to be said.
So your complaint is that this motorway services (there are one or two exceptions that prove your rule) sold poor quality overpriced products to their captive audience, and that there was a wild animal in the grounds?
I'm struggling to get wound up your behalf. Sorry.
Your mistake was that you took your time.
They're supposed to be dealt with like a 70's supermarket trolley dash. Park, get in, have a slash, buy a beverage and get the hell out. If you must hang about do it in your car.
I always avoid the mass services and drive straight to the petrol station to use their toilets and grab a coffee from the machines there.
I've got the family trained into a well oiled machine, similar to Formula 1 level pit stops.
I discovered the exit services function on my sat nav yesterday which directed me to Morrisons 0.2 miles from the motorway. Petrol 10p a litre cheaper than the services we'd passed 5 miles before.
Travelling the other way, (should have learned from this) we have a pleasurable journey break nr Tiverton, opting instead to find a field and consume a hastily prepared picnic, later ambling into NT parkland at Knightshayes Court, grabbing a coffee from the tearoom and sneaking it out to a bench under a tree with the pooch. Mrs Rider was paranoid that the slowly cruising NT van was the 'National Teacup police', yet barring this (and a few stony stares from the elderly patrons who seemed to be thoroughly miserable about their day out) I claim this rest stop an unalloyed success.
Taunton Deane services was your first fault. Its down there with the lowest of the low of service stations.
I can't remember which services it was we stopped at one night on a mission to catch the ferry from Dover but it was somewhere south of London and the car park was literally crawling with rats. There were loads of them running along the kerbs and in the bushes. Never seen anything that bad before...
Oh and before anyone mentions it, I think whoever owns Tebay are opening a services on the M5 somewhere??? Good times ahead 😀
Aha, seems its already open: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/may/06/m5-motorway-service-station-paradise-foodies
Tebay is wonderful. How can it be the only one?
Especially on the M5, you know you're going to get caught in a jam at some point, so now I just get off the motorway and head for a reasonable town. Google Maps can locate everything you need as you go.
I love motorway services--my favourite is Knutsford but I might be having a rethink now I know Taunton has its own petting zoo 🙂
Maccy D's or one of the big supermarkets for me. They are generally within spitting distance of the motorway and offer ample parking and cheap coffee.
martinhutch - MemberTebay is wonderful. How can it be the only one?
Indeed, thoroughly enjoyed my lamb and black pudding pie there on Friday
It is a British disease. go to France, the service stations there can be wonderful, liberating experiences with high quality food, nature reserves, big play areas for the kids etc etc.
Although obviously, being in France, the smallers ones can just be a hole in the ground for the toilet.
Which is also liberating.
Services with a McDonald's are supposedly cheaper - apparently they only charge their high street prices at services, which keeps the other outlets prices down.
The Moto services app is quite good for daily deals. And if you upgrade your NUS card to their extra one you get great discounts at services and other places. When MrsMC finishes her masters this summer I may have to talk her into a doctorate.....
Hmm. You bought a coffee from the machine in WHSmiths and you are complaining?
Services aren't great, but you have to know how to use them. Avoid the in-house food court thing and just go to the Costa/Starbucks place. Inferior to the same places on the high st but at least you can sit and relax a bit. As for the cost - suck it up, you are paying for convenience.
The best services I went to abroad were in Switzerland. Lovely food, beautiful relaxing environment.. until I got back to the car, did some actual mental arithmetic and realised I'd paid over £30 for a couple of sandwiches and drinks!
I just get off the motorway and head for a reasonable town
I've done this before but it always takes FAR too long. And I've also left the motorway looking for pubs, but the problem with pubs is that you can never tell which ones are going to have decent well made food and which are going to be reheated frozen crap.
Somone needs to do a pub food app.
Oh, and avoid Waitrose service stations like the plague if you just want to grab a sarnie. We actively seek out ones with an M&S - cheaper and loads better food.
Tip for M5 travellers - we stopped here at Easter (by accident - we just needed to get off the motorway to trough on our M&S butties): http://www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk/garden-centres/blooms/Gloucester-Blooms-Garden-Centre/2Z
Its actually really good - nice cafe and things and its literally on the M5. Will be stopping here again in future.
There is a nice garden centre cafe next to Toddington services off the M1. Though not that much cheaper if you have a proper meal, slightly nicer environment. And much older demographic. 😳
That web site an cougars link has so much potential, but I'd be disappointed if I was relying on it to travel through the East midlands
Yeah, it's a great idea but looks like it was built for Geocities.
There's an "Off The Motorway" book as well, but it looks like it's out of print. I've got an older copy somewhere, it was pretty decent but like any guide book it quickly gets out of date.
Nice idea that website Cougar but it looks awful. 🙁
I've got a few regular stop-offs away from the motorway which I've found through trial and error. There are some services which I will avoid at all costs (Frankley on the M5 being the one which springs to mind) and some that are actually very good (that new-ish EuroGarages one on the M61 is nice) but other than that I opt for the F1 pitstop style usage. Park, toilet, coffee if there's a Costa or Starbucks, drive off.
The services around the border with scotland always have strange things in the shops. 'we'll stop at Gretna because I need a wee, a coffee and a little tartan drummer girl in a plastic tube.'
samuri - MemberIt is a British disease. go to France,
Considered that, but it wasn't exactly a convenient option when driving from Waltham Abbey to Glasgow
The new Gloucester Services is amazing. Best selection of real ales I've ever seen, which is great if you're not driving!
Yes Frankley Services by comparison make Taunton Deane appear as a lush oasis.
Frankly services are ace. A nice short cut off the motorway for us locals commuting home.
Pretty much every country apart from France and Italy get it wrong. Belgium gets extra points if only because they have a huge beer selection usually.
I like a proper british crap motorway service station tbh, something about them just works for me. Especially any one where they've had delusions of airportness and built massive viewing gantries so you can see the motorway, that's ace- the last thing you want to see on your break from driving, genius.
german ones sell beer in 1 litre cans
I refuse point blank to do anything other than have a piss at service stations. Awful awful places full of misery and drudgery
Awful awful places full of misery and drudgery
Shh....There's good money in sending tourists off to far flung parts of the world to see misery and drugery. A whole industry might collapse if people realise they can get the same 3rd world experience just off the M5.
I like a proper british crap motorway service station tbh, something about them just works for me. Especially any one where they've had delusions of airportness and built massive viewing gantries so you can see the motorway, that's ace- the last thing you want to see on your break from driving, genius.
😀
Totally get it.
"The new Gloucester Services is amazing. Best selection of real ales I've ever seen, which is great if you're not driving! "
Owned and run by the same people who do Tebay. As much as possible for sale in the cafe and the farm shop is from a 30 mile radius of the services.
They have started work on the south bound side now as well.
There's good money in sending tourists off to far flung parts of the world to see misery and drugery. A whole industry might collapse if people realise they can get the same 3rd world experience just off the M5.
Bridgewater? Not necessarily the services, although they fit the bill, but Bridgewater in general.
You don't nip into the arcade and spend a few quid playing Outrun then Northwind?
Maybe a bit of Chase HQ?
Let's go mr driver!
TBH if I want that sort of excitement on a motorway run, I just run a Lotus Esprit off the road.
M6T services are very nice and clean, the tolls keep the riff raff out 🙂
Unfortunately they crank up the prices even higher it seems.. if you can afford the £5.50 toll you won't sniff at £2.90 for a cortado apparently!
I can never work out why the M6T services have been busy when I've been when the idea of a Toll Road is to get there quicker.
That website that Cougar linked too seems out of date when I've searched the M61 which runs at the back of my house and misses pubs that are litterally off the motorway, pubs at both junction 4 & 6
A few times there are petrol stations just off the motorways that have coffee machines, toilets etc and petrol at normal prices M6 junction 23 and 31 are examples.
I was going to Dorset once when I stopped somewhere on the M5 that had a multi storey car park that was weird. Rivington / Bolton services before the demolition and rebuild were scary, I found a guy camped out in the toilets once.
Tebay is fine unless its busy, I've spent 15 mins at times waiting to be served in the restaurant.
take a packed lunch?
if you can afford the £5.50 toll you won't sniff at £2.90 for a cortado apparently!
I'm clearly riffraff, as I had to google 'cortado'.
Carry on. 🙂
FACT,
*Costa Coffee machines in the shop, large white Americano fits perfectly in a regular cup, as long as you let the initial hot water run for about 5 seconds.
*apprarently
simmy - MemberI can never work out why the M6T services have been busy when I've been when the idea of a Toll Road is to get there quicker.
The entire point of the M6T is the drag race
I just get off the motorway and head for a reasonable town
Bugger-all use at 1am on the way back from a gig in London.
The Reading services used to have loads of low-growing shrubs on the dividers separating the parking areas, and at that time of the morning they'd be alive with rats scurrying all over the place.
They took all the shrubs away several years ago; don't see rats any more. Used to stop for a plate of chips or something, with a coffee, but that usually meant getting in at around 2.30-ish, and about a tenner worse off, so now it's stop for a wee, grab a packet of crisps and a Snickers, scoff in the car, then bugger-off again.
[i]I refuse point blank to do anything other than have a piss at service stations. Awful awful places full of misery and drudgery[/i]
My thoughts entirely. Motorway services are useful for one thing only AFAIC, emptying one's bladder. Although the car parks are handy for eating our sarnies in. I've been ripped off a few times in my life & I refuse to be ripped off anymore!
Awful awful places full of misery and drudgery
Not for me. I love a bit of coffee and cake in a journey, and I am generally going somewhere which always makes me happy. I love to watch all the groups coming and going. They are all going somewhere too, each one a story, a little adventure 🙂
Some of the Truck stops cater for cars.......
The secret world of Truckers, cheap food, interesting shop, the one on the A5 near cannock had a staggering collection of porn and overnight accomodation that was rougher than a police cell.
Some are worth a vist and family safe 🙂 and do a 24hr breakfast, Carnforth used to be good and had car fuel pumps.
I know a few proper truckers & know for sure that Truck Stops aren't M/way services, they're miles better.
I took my lady on holiday to a motorway services.
It was TBay tho, and the hotel was just fine.
Biking from the car park and pies, so many pies when we got back.
I took my lady on holiday to a motorway services.
It was Pontefract though and the Travelodge looked like it hadn't been upgraded since it was opened in the early 90's.
Nice curry in town, shite view of Eggburgh and Drax.
I checked Cougar's link and to be honest it's pretty rubbish - none of the good off motorway stops I know about are listed. Just in case they're useful to anybody else, one I use regularly is Asda petrol at M5 J2 (also supermarket if you want that, but I don't think there's a cafe), one local to me is Worcester Woods Country Park with a [url= http://theorchardcafe.co.uk/ ]great cafe[/url] and somewhere for kids to play if you need that between J6 an J7 M5.
Worcester Woods is an awesome stop off.
Wee in a bottle? Then you never have to get out of your car until your at you're destination. All sales people do this, don't they? Or is it just me? .... Awkward crab.... 😳
I was never that fussed about motorway services, that is until Greggs started setting up shop. Now I seem to stop at every 2nd one up and down the M6.
eww @ greggs
continental motorway services are ace, with edible food