CARS & STARS
Inside the UK’s ‘most famous’ service station loved by celebs – with VR room & legendary Roadchef
It was a frequent stopover for perhaps the most famous band of all time when they toured the country
THIS is the UK's "most famous" service station that's loved by celebs, including a VR room and legendary Roadchef.
The site, which sits along on of the nation's busiest motorways, was even mistaken for a nightclub by one musical icon.
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Watford Gap Services, found on a section of the M1 running through Northamptonshire, is renowned for its unique history, particularly as a meeting point for rock bands in the '60s.
The complex was designed by Harry Weedon, the architect responsible for Odeon's famously easy-on-the-eye cinema buildings, and opened its doors in 1959.
Today, the structures themselves remain largely the same but the interior is much more up-to-date.
Facilities include VR headsets which let users step inside a casino or Michelin-starred restaurant or even stand trackside at the Grand National.
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Back in the real world, there's now a bank of EV chargers and a range of shops and dining options, including a legendary Roadchef branch which has been around since the early days of the services.
Indeed, a waitress at the outlet was famously paid £1,000 for the autographs she had collected from soon-to-be music legends while working the late shifts there.
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And what a lineup it was, with bands like Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and the Jimi Hendrix Experience all stopping by while making their way around the nation.
As the story goes, Hendrix has heard so much about Blue Boar (the company that originally managed the site) on the rock scene that he thought it was the name of a popular London nightclub.
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In reality, though, it was a convenient rest stop for the tour bus when coming back from a late-night gig.
Roy Harper, a songwriter who later became a vocal critic of the condition of the services, recalled: "Everybody would meet at Watford Gap because it was the one place after a show where you were guaranteed a bit of a sit-down at 2am."
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This even included perhaps the most famous band ever, The Beatles, who enjoyed a welcome break at Watford Gap when travelling back to Liverpool from shows down south in the days before their superstardom.
Amanda Mason, head of marketing for Roadchef, said: "Watford Gap services is the jewel in Roadchef’s crown.
"Customers have a strong emotional attachment to it and there are still people living nearby who, as teenagers, would drop in to see which stars were returning from gigs late at night.
"But as the gateway to the north and south, both sites need to evolve.
"People’s reasons for wanting to visit – to rest, to eat and to refuel or recharge – will remain the same but we need to secure the business for the future and make sure Watford Gap is sustainable."
It comes after a major car brand's vast 370-acre UK factory was demolished - and plans have already been drawn up for a replacement.
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