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?
--
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 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 at 19:01:05, Matt Wheeler
wrote:

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


In addition to. On the Continent, you can stop every 20 km if the mood
takes you.....
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

"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

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

On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 at 19:05:57, John Rowland
wrote:

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.

But you can't guarantee that there will *be* somewhere nice to picnic
and spend a penny, and if you are travelling 500 miles or so in one day,
you don't really want to waste the time, if you can help it. These
places are shielded from the road by a fairly thick belt of trees, which
baffles the noise.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

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