On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 at 09:26:38, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In message , Annabel Smyth
writes

like the Aire du Baie de la Somme
near Abbeville
I used this recently for the first time. It is - as you say -
wonderful, not least because of its setting.

We have been known to do a detour specifically to go there!
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 at 10:41:07, Sam Holloway
wrote:


Service stations were usually traditionally named for the closest
settlement. Recently, there has been a move to relabel them for much
larger towns. So Hilton Park - Birmingham North, Forton (M6) became
Lancaster South and Bowburn (A1(M)) became Durham.

Some people protested and so a few service areas have reverted to
their original names.

Sam

The one at Stansted's always been Birchanger, I think, although Stansted
is the more recognisable place-name.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 at 06:47:09, Robin Cox
wrote:


There is a picnic area at Heston (M4) Eastbound.

There is also a current planning application to build 120 units of
affordable housing on it - which makes me think that not many
people
picnic there.

Yes, but there are picnic areas at a good many other service areas -
that's not special. The point is, why not have just picnic/rest
areas?
Why do we need, every single time, a petrol
station/restaurant/expensive
shop? Obviously we do need those, but *every* rest area?

Given that, from what I've seen, the UK services aren't very
frequent/close together, having alternate service provision could be
somewhat annoying.
eg M40 has, as I recall, 2 sets of services, Junction 8 and another up
near warwick... not exactly that close, and enough to make a
difference that if you didn't know the later services had been
converted to remove its petrol station you could end up running out
before reaching the next on the M6/M5/ birmingham.
Also, as previously mentioned, the M25 is somewhat lacking with only 3
sets of services.

Or are you propsing these picnic areas in addition to existing
services rather than removing petrol/other facilities from every other
service area.

In message , Annabel Smyth
writes
There is also a current planning application to build 120 units of
affordable housing on it
I presume that means affordable to Londoners on London allowance, but
our of reach to the rest of the country.
--
Clive

"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...

Yes, but there are picnic areas at a good many
other service areas - that's not special. The point
is, why not have just picnic/rest areas? Why do
we need, every single time, a petrol
station/restaurant/expensive shop? Obviously we
do need those, but *every* rest area?

Why would anyone want to picnic next to a motorway [1]? Wouldn't pulling off
at a junction and finding a quiet spot be more to most people's taste?

[1] Except the M45, where you could safely and happily enjoy a picnic on the
fast lane.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"Henry" wrote:

"Ian Jelf" wrote

[1] You're right to say that it was once called "Farthing Corner".

[2] I'm not sure when, though. Does anyone know?


The name Farthing Corner was in use when it was under construction about
1962.

Don't know how long the name lasted, but that is what I still think of it
as.

It was still in use as late as the late 80s or early 90s.

--
James Farrar |
London, SE13 |

In message , John Rowland
writes
"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...

Yes, but there are picnic areas at a good many
other service areas - that's not special. The point
is, why not have just picnic/rest areas? Why do
we need, every single time, a petrol
station/restaurant/expensive shop? Obviously we
do need those, but *every* rest area?

Why would anyone want to picnic next to a motorway [1]? Wouldn't pulling off
at a junction and finding a quiet spot be more to most people's taste?
But "finding a quiet spot" where it's allowed is remarkably difficult,
even in much of rural Britain.......

[1] Except the M45, where you could safely and happily enjoy a picnic on the
fast lane.
You'd noticed....... :-)

--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

In article , Matt
Wheeler writes

eg M40 has, as I recall, 2 sets of services, Junction 8 and another up
near warwick...

Oxford (J8)
Cherwell Valley (just south of Banbury)
Warwick.
--
Andrew
Electronic communications can be altered and therefore the integrity of this
communication can not be guaranteed.
Views expressed in this communication are those of the author and not
associations or companies I am involved with.

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 06:53:47 GMT, "Robin Cox"
wrote:

And if so, why did they change the name?

Probably a marketing thing. They renamed Forton to Lancaster, and
Burton-in-Kendal to plain "Kendal", and it caused so much confusion
that they had to change them back - or at least label the former
"Lancaster (Forton)" and do something similar with the other one.

Given that people leave the motorway at junctions, and don't tend to
do so at services (unless they know of the sneaky back way out, and I
realise there are a few) it makes no sense to rename them, as people
tend to know the names already and just get confused when they change.
It doesn't matter if you know where Forton is or not, for example -
that's just the name for the service area.

On a slight aside, Tebay (say it out loud and think about what you
might get from the cafe there) always struck me as a brilliant name
for a service station - and, being an independent station, is one of
the best I've been to. I'll get my coat...

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
To e-mail use neil at the above domain

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 09:26:38 +0100, Ian Jelf
wrote:

In fact, in France at least, the proportion of these to "full blown"
service areas is much greater, maybe four or five to one. Indeed,
large scale service areas are actually few and far between in France; I
know as I frequently used to have to find the blasted places to keep
groups of 49 people on British coaches happy!

MX is that the French "proper" services generally aren't up to the
same standard as most of the British ones are these days, either. A
few aires de repos would be nice if you just need a quick trip to the
toilet, but I think overall I'd rather have more full-blown services.

I doubt, given the typical British abuse of such facilities, that an
unmanned aire de repos like the French ones would avoid vandalism,
particularly of the toilets. Could even end up being a gypsy camp if
not patrolled properly.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
To e-mail use neil at the above domain