Not The Most Welcome of Breaks

Advantages: The motorway services can be very handy in certain cases
Disadvantages: They are often hugely overpriced as far as goods and petrol is concerned and the cleanliness isn't always of the highest standard

...The sight of a motorway service station, just up ahead, can be very welcome for many motorists and their passengers. It is the chance to take a quick break from the road and driving. The opportunity just to catch a few minutes fresh and have a quick stretch of the legs before setting off again to complete the journey. They can be very handy if you urgently need the toilet and you are a long way off your final destination. The Welcome Break service station on the M3 Between London and the south, is one that I have had stopped at on a number of occassions. The prices that you will encounter at Welcome Break motorway service stations in the United Kingdom are, in all fairness, extortionate. This is no different to some of the companies that operate either. They charge way over the odds for basic goods that you could buy elsewhere...

thespurs 13.01.2005 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

A welcome break indeed

Advantages: good facilities
Disadvantages: expensive in parts

...Many motorists and their passengers regularly take a break on motorways. The services are an essential part of our road systems. Welcome break have many motorway service stations situated all over the UK, and they are all very similar. Fuel stations which are reasonably priced, seeing as though they are on a motorway! Many have a burger king,or Mcdonalds or a similar type of food outlet, the prices at these are the same as if you were buying food in the high street. The newsagents at the areas are of good standard, and supply many magazines, books, and other quick snacks such as pies and sandwiches, even gift packs or that forgotten birthday present etc. They have small ammusement arcades to fill time whilst resting from driving. The coffee bars and cafes are of a good standard but they are rather expensive. Welcome...

willsmj 05.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

Welcome break makes you broke!

Advantages: Very clean and tidy
Disadvantages: Extortionate food prices

...I recently had the misfortune to make a non-stop return trip to Newcastle from Brighton, and before I got halfway there, I found myself in need of a sleep! The M1 is definately the definition of monotony! Consequently, I found myself stopping at every other services, which seemed to be a Welcome Break ( I can see where they got the name from!), and although I only ate once on the way there and again on the way back, with some chocolate and a couple of cans of pop, I spent nearly £25 just on myself, and I didnt buy that much. Although, I must say, the food was good, but if I had wanted to dine out, I would have booked a table at my local restaurant! TIP- take some sandwiches and drinks, maybe a flask,if you are on a long trip; if you must dine at the services, try and stick with the fast food outlets, these are more reasonable...

andyjay5712 27.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

Welcome is not the word I'd use...

Advantages: Food - if you're starving
Disadvantages: Lots - see op

...Having spent many years now travelling up and down the country in my role as an IT sales woman, I have become more than familar with dozens motorway service stations on the M6, M1, M40, M4, M3 and major A roads like the A1 / A303. Welcome Break are visited by me more than any others, so I'll write this opnion on them though it could be any one of the big chains! They also have the Days Inn lodges and offer meeting rooms at the sites with lodges. These I assume (having never stayed in one) will be full of business men and travelliong sales men..) Specifically, I've regularly used the following services. Corley M6 Oxford M40 (absolutely fantastic place). Warwick M40 Newport Pagnell M1 Fleet M3 When you consider that the Government is really trying to clamp down on tired driving, and advertising what happens when you...

Lightpants 10.10.2003 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

Welcome Brea Motorway Service Areas

Advantages: The best out of the lot
Disadvantages: expensive

...As a lorry driver i use service areas quite a lot for breaks and overnight parking. Of all the brands i think Welcome Break is by far the best for cleanliness, choice and service. Now it costs anything from £15 to £25 to park a HGV on services over night (which i get back anyway)for this you get parking plus a voucher for use in the eateries for between £6-£10. Now after a 15 hour day driving on our lovely roads i look forward to parking up and getting away from the wagon for a while, Most welcome breaks have just been refurbished and most( i've not used them all yet) look very nice, you have a main seating area in the middle and then your eateries and shops around the outside, Now the reason i like Welcome Break the most is they have KFC ( i love KFC) so its a good start for me, then there's the other facilities Now as i have to...

willsby 09.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

A Welcoming Break

Advantages: A Small Friendly Community Hotel
Disadvantages: Surrounded by hills in all directions!

...the alcoholic drink if you so wish (although that was not for me at that time of the morning!). It stays open all day and has the occasional visitor from another complex. The bar is run by a lovely woman in the day and later on a man called George who is a very humerous and welcoming person who will cater for your every need - even stay open all night if you so wish. He only closes the bar when the last person decides to leave! Although it is a small complex, the bar at night can become quite busy and others from the smaller hotels come and join in the fun, whether they stay the whole night or continue their journey through the vast number of bars and clubs around. It is not the busiest by any means, but there are so many others around, whether it be stand alone bars or hotel bars, that you are spoilt for choice. Overall the complex can only...

elfbwillow 08.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Fivos Apartments, Corfu

Spontaneous Sunday Morning

Advantages: freshly cooked, tasty, nice environment,clean
Disadvantages: expensive but who cares

...the shop which i did not enter as it costs a fortune as we all know. I don't intend to recommend to everyone to get up on a sunday morning and take a trip to the motorway services but what i do recommend is if you are going on holiday and stop at a welcome break, splash out a l;ittle and treat yourself to a Big Breakfast. Delightful. xx...

blondgem 18.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

HOPWOOD PARK, A GOOD PLACE TO STOP

Advantages: LIGHT, AIRY BUILDING, AND GOOD CHOICE OF FOOD
Disadvantages: SERVICE CAN BE SLOW FOR THE FOOD

...At the bottom end of the M42, just off JUNCTION 2, is the WELCOME BREAK services of HOPWOOD PARK. I have visited these services over a dozen times in the last two years. This has been whilst going on holiday, or mainly, whilst doing the taxi run, transporting my daughter between CARDIFF university, and home in NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. This site has been visited therefore at all times of the year. The site itself is fairly new, having opened up in 1999. It is not one of the largest sites around, but is clean, spacious, light and airy. On the way in, or out, take your pick, is a petrol station with the usual selection. The car park can get full at busy times of the year. There are spaces for 500 cars, 10 caravans, 36 hgv, and 14 coach spaces. Disabled people are well catered for with 15 spaces just outside the main entrance, and there...

JABBY 17.05.2002 · Read review
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Review of Welcome Break

Take a Break

Advantages: Good all round magazine
Disadvantages: I wish the real life stories were sometimes more uplifting

...I have to apologize in advance (lol, good start!!) as my review seems to have taken on, more of a 'how to make money from take a break' review but only since reading the smaller print have I noticed how much there is to be made. I have also included the regulars you can expect from take a break. Design --------- Front cover jam packed detailing mainly the real life stories with photo's to be featured in the issue, and usually displays the tempting amount of money that could be won, and in this particular issue stands at a total of £32,470 in the form of cars, cash and holidays. THE REGULARS Take a break St. ---------------------- The first double spread page, entitled 'Take a Break St.' is laiden with snippets and small accompanying photos sent in by readers of usually cute, funny or just unusual moments in their life...

Katy777 27.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Take a Break

Break up with this!

Advantages: Better than the first book...
Disadvantages: But not by much.

...rate a book such, but Penny Smith's debut Coming Up Next was fully deserving of that rating. I only read until the end so I could review it and warn other people about it, so I'm not sure what I was thinking when I got the follow up to that book from the library, After The Break. Penny is a well-known TV personality, presenting the news and other features on breakfast TV show GMTV, and this is echoed in the book with the lead character Katie presenting her own breakfast time show. Clearly it's not an original idea and didn't need much inspiration but I was hoping that it was going to be better than the awful debut, although it wouldn't have taken much to beat that. As I said, the character of Katie was also the lead in Penny's first book, so if you haven't read that one first, well done. Honestly, you haven't missed that much if you...

mummy2harry 26.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of After the Break - Penny Smith