"Steve Firth" wrote in message
.. .
Paul Terry wrote:

(Wasn't it John Major who thought that the answer to all transport
problems was a Cones Hotline and many more Motorway Service Stations,
doubtless with his much-loved caffs selling delicious peas?)

Dunno, but Meon services on the M27 amuses me. I wonder if anyone apart
from me knows where to look?

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Save you wondering .... but then, i live in Fareham ... ) .... or
should it be ( .....

In the case of Clacket Lane clockwise services, anyone is allowed to
access
via the local road (which not surprisigly is called Clacket Lane) so long
as
they are booked into the hotel in the service station. I don't know if
similar rules apply for the hotel at Scratchwood or any other services.

It's a similar situation at Heston services on the M4. If you're coming
from the West you have to exit onto a series of local roads (including some
******* speed humps) and then enter the services the other side, where
there's an intercom to let you in. Don't know what's stopping people from
saying they're going to book in when they arrive, but if you regularly do it
then you'd probably get done (signs mention the word 'prosecution') so not
really worth it, as J3 is only a few minutes away, and if you're heading
into town from there you're much better off on the A4 anyway at any time of
day or night.

It's a handy exit point if the queues are particularly bad heading into
London though - a while back I was heading into London late in the
afternoon, and thought I'd turn off for the services and re-join, to avoid
the bunching around the services, and just as I got to the top of the
slip-road the traffic news came on and anonunced that the A4 into town is
closed at the Sutton Court Road traffic lights (at the end of the M4). So I
cut through Heston onto the A4, and I could see it all grinding to a halt
after Gilette Corner, so I turned right there and went in on the A315, where
the main flow there is out of town (just for local traffic,
Isleworth/Brentford, some bits of Hounslow), got to Kew Bridge no probs, and
then cut through the South Circular (against the main flow that time of
day), through Mortlake, Barnes and over Putney Bridge (all against the main
flow) - did Slough to Chelsea in about 40 minutes, not bad considering the
main arterial route into town was closed!! That's why they don't want
everyone doing it - all the other routes would clog up to buggery.

Peter

When the M40 first opened through, without services, diversions at High
Wycombe to Asda, Banbury to Tesco and off the M42 to various filling
stations on the cut-off from J1 to J4 on the M5 were convenient and are
still cheaper than the service stations.

Coming south, a turn off at J2 and heading for Slough found another Tesco
store on the A4. Back to the M25 at J14, or the M4 at J5, depending on the
traffic.

Surely that'd be Junction 1? (down the A412 to the Tesco that used to be the
Co-op, no?) ?

If going clockwise round the M25 and wishing to join the M4, a diversion
up
the M3 to Bracknell, and then via the A329M to the M4 is shorter and
quicker, and passes Sainsbury's in Bracknell en route.

Not only that, but there's a new Sainsbury's local at the Shell garage,
which is consistently pretty cheap for fuel these days (I've filled up there
at 79.9p/l for diesel when a lot of other places have been 3-5p more).

Peter

"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
...

Coming south, a turn off at J2 and heading for Slough found another
Tesco
store on the A4. Back to the M25 at J14, or the M4 at J5, depending on
the
traffic.

Surely that'd be Junction 1? (down the A412 to the Tesco that used to be
the
Co-op, no?) ?

No, down the A355 from J2, then along the M4 to Tesco on the left.

If going clockwise round the M25 and wishing to join the M4, a diversion
up
the M3 to Bracknell, and then via the A329M to the M4 is shorter and
quicker, and passes Sainsbury's in Bracknell en route.

Not only that, but there's a new Sainsbury's local at the Shell garage,
which is consistently pretty cheap for fuel these days (I've filled up
there
at 79.9p/l for diesel when a lot of other places have been 3-5p more).

BTDTGTTS:-)
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

"Steve Firth" wrote in message
. ..
John Rowland wrote:

In the case of Clacket Lane clockwise services,
anyone is allowed to access via the local road
(which not surprisigly is called Clacket Lane)
so long as they are booked into the hotel in
the service station. I don't know if similar rules
apply for the hotel at Scratchwood or any other services.

Difficult at Scratchwood, because of the barrier
at the entrance. Although mostly it's broken.

It was replaced about 6 months ago.

--
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

In article , Steve Firth
writes
Andrew P Smith wrote:

Please state which motorway services this applies to.

As stated Winchester. Also Membury, Reading, Trowell and Warwick.


I used Membury last week - it's 2 miles from the office. Found totally
the opposite. Ditto Reading. Haven't used Warwick for at least 6 months
but was at Trowell 2 weeks ago for fuel and IIRC the staff in the petrol
station were English.

I've used almost every motorway services in the last year and found this
not to be true.

I doubt that statement.

Well I drive 50,000 miles a year. That's a lot of fuel stops, butty
stops etc. Mostly at motorway services.
--
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.

Surely that'd be Junction 1? (down the A412 to the Tesco that used to be
the
Co-op, no?) ?

No, down the A355 from J2, then along the M4 to Tesco on the left.

Down the A4 to Tesco you mean - the one near the Bus/Train stations? Hardly
an easy detour - going from M40 J2 you've got about twenty sets of lights
going down the Farnham Road, then a few more before you get towards the bus
station roundabout, near the Tesco - hardly qualifies for the "within 5
minutes" category. There are some decent back roads to cut off a lot of
that though, but it's a lot more straightforward (though a fair amount
longer) just getting of at J1, down the A412, and going to the Tesco where
the A412 meets the A4 (the one that used to be the co-op).

Not only that, but there's a new Sainsbury's local at the Shell garage,
which is consistently pretty cheap for fuel these days (I've filled up
there
at 79.9p/l for diesel when a lot of other places have been 3-5p more).

BTDTGTTS:-)

Eh? Translation please!

Peter

"AstraVanMan" wrote in message
news:0OZEc.199$xd6.157@newsfe3-gui...

BTDTGTTS:-)

Eh? Translation please!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...=Google+Search

--
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

"AstraVanMan" typed

BTDTGTTS:-)

Eh? Translation please!

You jest, surely?

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

In article , Steve Firth
writes
Andrew P Smith wrote:

I used Membury last week - it's 2 miles from the office. Found totally
the opposite. Ditto Reading. Haven't used Warwick for at least 6 months
but was at Trowell 2 weeks ago for fuel and IIRC the staff in the petrol
station were English.

And the burger flippers, where did they come from? I was at Trowell on
the day that the Immigration Service descended and arrested everyone at
the service station except for one member of staff. Perhaps they've
cleaned up their act since that day?


Possibly - I'm speaking from my experience.

I've used almost every motorway services in the last year and found this
not to be true.

I doubt that statement.

Well I drive 50,000 miles a year. That's a lot of fuel stops, butty
stops etc. Mostly at motorway services.

I drove 50,000 last year, From Exeter to Durham to Maidstone (and
beyond). I still didn't visit every service station in Britain or even a
reasonable fraction of the total. I think you may have underestimated
how many stations there are across the UK.

Not every service station - the motorway ones. Haven't done many in
Scotland mind.
--
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.