The 7th edition of A Truck Driver's Guide to Cafes & Truckstops 2004/05  has currently SOLD OUT. 

'NEW' Cafes - that have opened since the guidebook finished. 

Eardley Services- DG11 3JD at Ecclefechan, (M74) 20m north of Carlisle. On B7076 (old A74) 200 yrds north of Junction 19. Not signed from motorway.                                            

Lockerbie Truckstop near to the AW Jenkinson Forest Products factory & power station at Johnstonebridge Road, Lockerbie. On old A74 now B7076, midway between Junctions 17 &16 (Lockerbie & Annandale Services).

Doncaster Lorry Park, Carr Hill, Doncaster - leave M18 J3 and park signposted at 1st roundabout, 1/2 mile from M18. New lorry park - as usual no signs on M18 or nearby A1M.

Chatteris - PE16 6UA Cambs A142/A141 junction :                                                    Ely A142 (west) (Note: low bridge to east of Ely - easy to bypass),                also a Lorry Park signed off A141 at March.                

A Parking Area with Cafe has opened on the Industrial Estate at Goole, J36 M62. From the same junction heading (for Rawcliffe) in the opposite direction the excellent Woodside Cafe on Goole - Rawcliffe Road. 

New 'Burton Services' open at Toyota junction of A38 & A50 - For services at a junction of two busy freight roads, the lorry parking is disappointingly poor - approx 10 bays, on the blind side and the central bays have a restricted 30ft space in front of them. Signing from A38 is low key.                                                 Excellent Saltbox Cafe only a few miles west at Hatton on A511 (old A50).

The large former BP, Alconbury truckstop seems to have re-opened in a fashion.   

CLOSURES

Brackmills Truckstop has closed since the last guide was published &               Luton Truckstop will be closing at the end of October 05                              Punch Bowl Inn at North Stainmore (A66) has closed. It was on the market (mid 2008) for £250,000 with planning permission for conversion to flats. I also believe Thurrock truckstop closed as well - so if you're in the SE, you're tired & need a break or a decent place for a peaceful nights sleep you're stuffed.   

The widening of the A1 in North Yorks has commenced. The Little Bistro has gone, as has the Shell garage on the southbound side. There are now no facilities southbound between Londonderry & Wetherby. Obviously all the many laybys have now gone. Previous widening south of Dishforth has left only two small laybys on the parallel A168 (old A1). 

Survivor -  The Quernhow Cafe has survived but is now on the parallel access road - screened from the A1M by the highest motorway screening embankment in the UK. The Londonderry Lodge Cafe currently has direct access to & from southbound A1 (Apr '11) although it will become an isolated island (to east of A1M)accessed via the local access road (running to west A1M) & an overbridge - will trade survive? probably not. Even Leeming Services appears to have fallen foul of the dogmatic rules, too far from new junction, to be classed as a motorway service area. Rainton services has closed - passing drivers & potential customers can now watch as the buildings fall derelict over the next few   years.                                            

Daf F2100

Ramage Transport c1984. previously based under the railway arches at Byker, a trip to the J R Adams Wallsend depot to take photographs revealed that Adams had moved out & Ramage had moved in. DAF pictured outside depot. Daf F2100 150 bhp not the coolest motor on the road, but a surprisingly pleasant truck to drive, especially when compared to the UK built offerings such as 16 ton Ford Cargo or Bedford TL.

2 Sites of interest for petrol & diesel heads :

www.abd.org.uk

www.sabre-roads.org.uk