Experience: I’ve visited every motorway service station in Britain

Some people don’t understand my lifelong enthusiasm for roadside stop-offs – now visiting and cataloguing them is what I do for a living

When I was 10 years old, the highlight of my summer holidays was going to work with my dad, who is a lorry driver. For a couple of years in the mid-2000s, I’d excitedly climb into the cab next to him and we’d set off on a 10-hour trip. My job was to follow the AA Road Atlas, and I’d joyfully track the services marked on the map as we thundered along.

My dad thought stopping was a waste of time, but his designated rest stops were my favourite part of the trip. Depending on the journey, we might stop for two or three meals. I always hoped at least one would be at a Little Chef. I loved their Olympic Breakfast, a massive full English, and every meal was rounded off with a lollipop – what more could a 10-year-old want?

As I got older, motorway services retained their air of magic. In 2012, when I was 14, I found the website motorwayservices.uk, which reviewed lots of major service stations. Any time my family visited one, I’d take pictures and contribute to the site.

I learned to drive as soon as I turned 17 and bought myself a two-door Smart car, which I still drive today. After I passed my test, I’d drive out to services near my home in Bristol.

After leaving school, I got a job as a bus driver, but I soon realised that, while I loved the driving, there wasn’t enough time for stopping. I carried on visiting as many services as I could on my days off, just as a hobby, but soon I decided to try to make this my job.

I left the bus company and started posting more reviews to the site and my own social media channels under the name The Services King. Now it’s my full-time job. Alongside reviews, I write articles for industry publications and do sponsored posts on social media.

I love the history connected to service stations, how they chart the growth of Britain’s road network and our changing tastes in food. In my view, the services are the destination, not just part of the journey. There’s an underlying sense of occasion connected to them.

I hit the milestone of visiting every one of the UK’s 97 motorway service stations in 2019. I revisit them all periodically to review and post updates on their facilities, as well as visiting smaller rest stops on A roads. I work away from home four days a week and can visit up to five service stations a day, although I don’t always stop for something to eat and drink. I see what’s new since my last visit and photograph the facilities so drivers can plan their stops.

I like to include a bit of history or trivia about each service station. My most popular posts are usually new site openings, and my followers come from all walks of life, but lots are industry professionals.

My dad struggles to understand my obsession. Sometimes people don’t believe me when I tell them what I do for a living, but it’s always a conversation starter. Everyone has something to say about services. I think of them as one of life’s great levellers; no matter who you are, or where you’re from, everybody has the shared experience of visiting one.

There are a few key factors that make an exemplary service station; bonus points if it has a notable landmark and looks unusual – for instance, the Pennine Tower at Lancaster services on the M6, or a bridge where you can sit and have a coffee watching the cars go by underneath you. Some stations now have lovely outdoor features; Rugby services has gardens and a fountain. Most people prefer it if they’re easy to get to – straight off the motorway is better than having to come off at a junction and navigate roundabouts.

I’m always asked what my favourite station is. I don’t have one, but I do favour those that have a proper sit-down area to eat a meal and relax. As so many of them are full of chains these days, independently owned Tebay, on the M6, and Gloucester, on the M5, which have farm shops and a proper restaurant, are high on my list.

I really enjoy my job, but it’s a lot of travel. I can easily cover 25,000 miles in a year. When I take time off, I like to holiday in the UK, so wherever I go, I can’t escape the services. Not that I’d want to. To me, they will always be the best part of any holiday.

• As told to Heather Main

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