All Pitstop articles – Page 8
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Somerfield/Texaco, Ringwood, Hampshire
Following the announcement that Somerfield is up for sale, I wanted to see what any potential buyer might get for its money, so I selected a recently-opened Somerfield forecourt store on the A31 immediately west of Ringwood, on the Hampshire/Dorset border.GENERAL APPEARANCE: Just past an exit slip road on the ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month – Crowland Service Station, nr Peterborough, Cambs
A previous issue of Forecourt Trader featured a story about Jim and Wendy Bamford, who decided to run their own business. Securing a six-figure loan from the Bank of Scotland, they purchased a garage with a refitted c-store at Crowland near Peterborough - Jim was going to run the garage ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Rusdene Services - Birdham, Chichester, West Sussex
GENERAL APPEARANCE: The small village of Birdham is the location of one of the Forecourt Trader Top 50 Indies 2007 sites, Rusdene Services. It is a Total forecourt with a Smile-branded shop.FORECOURT: The site identified by a Total pole is large and there is easy access to the pumps. Given ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Pump Hill Service Station, Clacton on Sea, Essex
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Pump Hill Service Station is on the B1027 which runs between Clacton and Colchester. It is clearly marked by two poles and shares an area with a car sales business.FORECOURT: I was concerned when I noticed the advertised pole price for diesel was 111ppl and I needed to ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Esso On the Run, Banbury, Oxfordshire
GENERAL APPEARANCE: As it’s over a year since I visited an Esso On the Run site, I decided to ’stealthcheck’ the next one I saw. Just on the southern edge of Banbury, on the A4260 Oxford Road, I saw the distinctive pole of an Esso On the Run and pulled ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month – Hazelgrove Services Sparkford, Somerset
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Situated on the busy A303, Hazelgrove Services is part of the Chartman Group. From the roundabout the Esso service station with its Spar shop is clearly visible and it shares the plot with a McDonald’s.FORECOURT: Under a large canopy there is plenty of space to access the ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month – Griffiths Garage, Leintwardine
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Almost hidden away in the countryside is the small Shropshire village of Leintwardine and it contains a real gem. Griffiths Garage has three main offers: a maintenance, repair and MOT service; a forecourt; and a convenience store. All are themed in light blue and yellow featuring a striking ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Three Counties Garage, Crewkerne, Somerset
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Leaving Crewkerne town centre, south on the A356 I saw a Texaco pole ahead and as I needed some lunch decided to make a ’stealthcheck’ on the site. I parked in a side street as the entrance to the forecourt was blocked, and walked.FORECOURT: The forecourt is long ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Merringtons Stores, (Premier/Power Fuels) Droxford, Hants
Driving north on the A32 from Fareham towards Alton, I passed through the small village of Droxford. I was wondering how the Murco garage and its unaffiliated shop made a satisfactory living, when about a mile further on I saw a Power fuel pole and then its Premier store.How can ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Westmorland Services, Tebay, M6
Big chains dominate the motorway service station sector but Westmorland Services, just north of junction 38 on the M6 in the Lake District, is different. And that’s because it is an independent, family-run site and it boasts a farm shop.Appearance: The large site was previously a remote farm. Services offered ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Welcome Break Service Area, Junction 4 M54, Telford
I try not to refuel at motorway service stations - I only use them as rest stops. But I needed fuel so stopped at the motorway service area at junction 4 on the M54.Appearance: The Welcome Break site in Telford offers a host of services for drivers and their passengers ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Westbridge Motors Filling Station
Following Westbridge Motors of Northampton winning the Forecourt Trader of the Year 2006 award, I visited its website to find out more about the business. It’s an informative website and gives focused details of a many-faceted business. Each part of the business - taxis; recovery; repair and maintenance; forecourt and ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Chicklade Filling Station
During my visit to IFFE 2007 at the Birmingham NEC last month, I spent some time at the impressive - and busy - Pace stand. Pace is keen to sign up more dealers, and claims a ’marketing support package that you might only expect to get from an oil major’. ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month - Nuns Bridges Filling Station
General Appearance: Just outside Thetford on the busy A134 from Bury St Edmunds, is the Nuns Bridges Filling Station. Ideally situated for passing traffic, the site is surrounded by two quite dense areas of housingI could see the Jet-branded pole ahead but the price space against each type of fuel ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month
General Appearance: Driving from the Manor House area along the very busy A503 Seven Sisters Road towards Finsbury Park, I made a ’stealthcheck’ on what I thought would be a cutting-edge, gold mine of a Jet Service Station and shop. Wow, what a surprise - this is in fact a ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month
General Appearance: The Simon Smith Group has a number of stores in Gloucestershire and my target was the prize-winning 24-hour site in Barnwood Road. This includes a Budgens store and Total forecourt.Forecourt: Clearly signed by an illuminated and informative Total pole, the oblong site is quite narrow, but great use ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month
General Appearance: On my way from Watford I urgently needed fuel and found myself on the Dome roundabout (junction of the A41 and A412) and spoiled for choice. A service station is available at three of the roundabouts exits so would it be the Sainsbury supermarket, the Asda hypermarket or ...
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NewsIn the surgery this month
It’s more than two years since I ’stealthchecked’ an Esso ’On the Run’ and I thought it time to have another look. This time I wen to Baynards Green Service Station - a short distance east off the M40, on the busy A43.General Appearance: The forecourt, with its distinctive Esso ...
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NewsShop Doctor: SNAX24/BP, Willbridge, Bristol
For some time I’d wanted to visit a Snax 24 and while driving from Bath to Bristol on the A431 recently, I was able to make a ’stealthcheck’ at a site in Willsbridge.General Appearance: The Snax 24/BP branded site is large and has a clearly-signed entrance and exit.To one side ...
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NewsSHOP DOCTOR: Eurospar, Newtownclough, Newry, Co. Down
On the B113 and heading towards Newry is a new EuroSpar store and Spar-branded forecourt. EuroSpar claims to be a ’large supermarket format aimed at fulfilling weekly shopping needs’. The advertising strapline is ’Expect a little more’. I did!General Appearance: The site is large and there are plenty of parking ...