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Both cafeteria buffets were designed to serve up to ten customers a minute. American toasters were installed as they provided toast in 25 seconds, not the typical 50 seconds. Swedish cash registers were installed as these counted the customer's change as well. Infrared display units were installed to
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There were 180 staff, and parking for 380 cars and 130 trucks or coaches. Each side had 24 petrol pumps. The first manager was W. L. Denman. It was the first Top Rank service area to open, followed by
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keep food hot on the counters. The choice of cake, tea and coffee came from a year of research, with hundreds of cakes and pastries being tested; local water had been taken to
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Picnic Area, on the south side, with four acres of natural woodland, and tables and chairs built by a
Whitstable company, modelled on furniture at
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300,000 tonnes of earth were moved, to put the service area 20 feet above the motorway. The construction of a tunnel under the
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200-seat self-service cafeteria Thanet Buffet, on the north side - coloured sherry, tan and beige, open from 7am to 10.30pm
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on
Wednesday 29 May 1963, on the day that the first 13 miles of the M2 (Medway Towns Motor Road) opened.
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The services are available from both directions, connected by an overbridge over the motorway itself.
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had been mooted; this had attracted the Rank
Organisation to the site. The site cost around £250,000.
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There is a
Travelodge hotel at the services which is also accessible from local roads.
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and mustard, on the south side, with the
Kentish Kiosk, which was open 24 hours
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were given the contract on 6 August 1962. Wimpey built 11 miles of the M2.
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rooms in London, to find the best blend of tea for the local water in
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This United
Kingdom road or road transport-related article is a
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347:was chosen. Fruit pies were imported from Canada -
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273:120-seat Medway Restaurant, on the north side -
540:Motorway service stations in the United Kingdom
32:The services viewed from the westbound car park
219:, which is the name of the nearby settlement.
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302:170-seat cafeteria Channel Buffet coloured
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1374:Moto motorway service stations
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473:Tuesday August 7 1962, page 16
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1369:M2 motorway service stations
485:Tuesday 28 May 1963, page 8
287:Scottish (Angus) rump steak
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238:later in the year then by
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315:Sun Terrace and Promenade
242:in 1965; both are on the
215:and was previously named
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311:Ohio State National Park
227:The site was opened by
1255:location article is a
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369:Gardiner & Gulland
1095:Leicester Forest East
646:Blackburn with Darwen
449:, 31 May 1963, page 4
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387:To the north-east is
377:Smith & Wellstood
207:, near Junction 4 in
1384:Kent geography stubs
407:Looking east at the
375:in London, owned by
329:egg, bacon and chips
147:Previous operator(s)
63:Location within Kent
277:-coloured seating,
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411:over the motorway.
345:Costa Rican coffee
236:Knutsford Services
150:Top Rank / Granada
121:51.3406°N 0.6073°E
1379:Transport in Kent
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588:Heart of Scotland
459:East Kent Gazette
409:bridge-restaurant
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182:/medway-westbound
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501:Official website
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393:Borough of Swale
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141:Moto Hospitality
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158:Farthing Corner
126:51.3406; 0.6073
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325:truck drivers
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319:There was no
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291:French nougat
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283:smoked salmon
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1143:Vale of York
1127:(northbound)
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1085:Hopwood Park
1070:Gretna Green
1045:Cardiff Gate
969:(southbound)
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961:(southbound)
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944:Pont Abraham
939:Norton Canes
904:Clacket Lane
869:Woolley Edge
818:(northbound)
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711:Cardiff West
671:Peterborough
641:Beaconsfield
483:Thanet Times
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373:Hither Green
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250:Construction
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197:service area
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1165:Westmorland
1133:South Mimms
1060:Derby South
990:Watford Gap
934:Northampton
806:Severn View
756:Hilton Park
736:Ferrybridge
353:boysenberry
337:tea tasting
201:M2 motorway
166:29 May 1963
163:Date opened
124: /
98:Coordinates
72:Information
1353:Categories
1174:Gloucester
1125:Sedgemoor
1040:Burtonwood
1010:Folkestone
959:Sedgemoor
864:Winchester
844:Toddington
811:Southwaite
701:Bridgwater
661:Cullompton
579:BP Express
554:Applegreen
422:References
361:Apple pies
109:51°20′26″N
1120:Sarn Park
975:Strensham
967:Stafford
924:Maidstone
816:Stafford
766:Knutsford
721:Chieveley
651:Cambridge
616:Ross Spur
611:Rivington
391:, in the
383:Geography
349:blueberry
275:greengage
203:south of
180:/services
112:0°36′26″E
1212:Category
1145:(future)
1030:Abington
985:Tibshelf
954:Sandbach
949:Rownhams
914:Hamilton
894:Bothwell
880:RoadChef
859:Wetherby
849:Todhills
839:Thurrock
834:Tamworth
824:Stirling
741:Frankley
607:Monmouth
599:EG Group
304:blue fig
176:moto-way
137:Operator
1154:Woodall
1149:Warwick
1138:Telford
1105:Membury
1075:Gordano
1001:Stop 24
899:Chester
854:Trowell
829:Swansea
791:Reading
761:Kinross
636:Baldock
563:Lisburn
389:Hartlip
223:History
199:on the
171:Website
1115:Oxford
1055:Corley
909:Durham
781:Medway
751:Heston
731:Exeter
656:Cobham
399:Layout
205:Medway
193:Medway
77:County
1251:This
1179:Tebay
1090:Keele
1065:Fleet
929:Magor
796:Rugby
696:Blyth
691:Birch
666:Leeds
627:Extra
471:Times
357:pecan
195:is a
1310:stub
1257:stub
1253:Kent
1226:List
682:Moto
355:and
341:Kent
323:for
293:and
279:teak
268:Food
213:Moto
209:Kent
178:.com
87:Road
81:Kent
395:.
371:of
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244:M6
91:M2
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