It's not only pubs, post offices and churches that are fast disappearing from our landscape. Finding somewhere to eat when you're on the road, that's either not a chain or an establishment that will require the shirt off your back when paying, is becoming harder and harder. Where once our A roads were littered with transport caffs - the sort that were depicted in B movies, heist films and episodes of The Sweeney - now all that's left is a handful of truck stops, Little Chefs and Motorway Services: have you ever had builders tea or black pudding in a Little Chef, or received change from a £20 note when buying breakfast at Watford Gap? So if you know of a good one (my favourites are The Limes on the A614 and The Salt Box just off the A50), give them the business: don't pass them by.
Thanks to Artog for planting the seed.