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This subject has appeared in various threads over the years, but now the NEP have done a feature of photos of Little Chef restaurants around Nottinghamshire. I can honestly say I never went in any of them, but I've never been a high-mileage driver.

 

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/what-happened-little-chef-restaurants-3714309

 

 

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Practically lived in Little Chefs for more than 20 years 70s and 80s right across the country,, loved em,,good food always knew what you were getting,, 

Hit the road early,,drive for about an hour,,then LC breakfast with good coffee,, ash tray please,,then fit for whatever the day would bring,,

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Had a couple of interesting encounters in Little Chefs..............one with Nicholas Parsons in the Norwich one........and one with a former well known 'Gangster' (who paid for me Breaky) in one at Redhill..........wish i was still on the road and using them........ahhh...... 

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I first went into that amazing one at Markham Moor in 1965 whilst working on the A1 upgrade. I remember  the boss telling me how special it was. As an 18 year old I didn't give a s**t about it - I'm now very pleased to say it's a listed building.

The one at Redhill was a regular stop when getting back to Nottingham from "up North".

In their latter days we stopped using them, poor service, poor value.

 

Anyone remember Myra's Major café at Carlton on Trent ?  My favourite truckers café,

 

Very interesting post, thanks.

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1 hour ago, Cliff Ton said:

Little Chef restaurants around Nottinghamshire.

Often used the ones at Blyth or Markham Moor for breakfast after an early start heading north.

For the life of me I can't remember a Little Chef at the Ollerton roundabout on the A614, must have been after we left the UK.

Remember the Limes café near the Bilsthorpe turn off and a café near the White Post Inn that a lot of rockers used to use when racing up and down the "ramper".

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Also did a lot of interviewing up and down the country in Little Chefs..........even disciplinary meetings.......once sacked 4 Somalians in the one on the A45  in Northampton........they were not happy to say the least......

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56 minutes ago, Oztalgian said:

Often used the ones at Blyth or Markham Moor for breakfast after an early start heading north.

For the life of me I can't remember a Little Chef at the Ollerton roundabout on the A614, must have been after we left the UK.

Remember the Limes café near the Bilsthorpe turn off and a café near the White Post Inn that a lot of rockers used to use when racing up and down the "ramper".

Hi Oz., just for info, the Limes cafe is still there and doing well if you please. However, can't  say the same for the other. It's  now a Chinese and also what looks like a motor parts shop. Have been in both in my time being on the road. Happy days eh? Beekay. 

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22 minutes ago, loppylugs said:

I'm glad they weren't waiting for you outside, Ben.

 

Something similar Loppy..............lol

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My dad once told me him and my mum were in a queue and he heard a voice behind him that seemed familiar. When he looked round it was Henry Cooper and his wife. Dad was tickled pink to meet him, he always watched him when his matches were on telly.

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  • 3 months later...

The Little Chefs were owned by the Hotel chain "Trust House/Forty" the only reson I know this is because the master worked as a sevice engineer for the fruit machines,. The hotel group also owned master's  firm that he worked for. Which was based at Leed's. It was said the the owners were part of the Italian Mafia note the name "FORTY" but please don't quote me on this as I can't say if its true or not.  All I know from what i have been told one of the master's bosses was out with another man's wife and next day his car had been left on bricks with out it's wheels, plus a note (not sure what it said) but it was a warning, I did hear though that next time it would not be his car.

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1 hour ago, mary1947 said:

The Little Chefs were owned by the Hotel chain "Trust House/Forty" the only reson I know this is because the master worked as a sevice engineer for the fruit machines,. The hotel group also owned master's  firm that he worked for. Which was based at Leed's. It was said the the owners were part of the Italian Mafia note the name "FORTY" but please don't quote me on this as I can't say if its true or not.  All I know from what i have been told one of the master's bosses was out with another man's wife and next day his car had been left on bricks with out it's wheels, plus a note (not sure what it said) but it was a warning, I did hear though that next time it would not be his car.

Mary I showed your post to my husband who had a little chuckle about the car wheels. He knew Carlo Forte ( not forty) and knows the story of how the chain began during and after the war. It was fascinating.

The story about the wheels could be true but it's a common thing to prop cars up with bricks to get the wheels. They say in Naples if you stop,walking in the street they'll pinch your shoes ( and other variations).

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Nonna,. you can drive through Lewes at sixty miles an hour and they can still remove your wheels and wing mirrors :rolleyes:

Hope you and yours are keeping well. How's the cacti doing?

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BK cactus is fine we've given it a haircut and given away loads. They'd got too many..

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