Forton services

The plan had been that we'd get up, have some Buck's Fizz to celebrate Milly's birthday, stroll over to the bakery for a leisurely breakfast, and then I'd head south for a meeting. In the end, though, it seems our plans for getting out of bed were a little ambitious, and we had to forsake the fizz and quick march to the bakery for what was still a very pleasant breakfast.

After that, I set off for Forton services, which is where the meeting was being held in the otherwise pleasant but unfortunately drafty Costa. I seem to do a lot more of this, these days, meeting up at some location for a meeting rather than either party travelling all the way to the other's office. And, actually, I think it works rather well, as long as you find somewhere nice to meet; everyone is away from their desks and daily distractions.

The good thing about Forton, is that you can get from one side to the other in your car using the service roads, so that you can set off home without having to travel on for another junction. This is the footbridge between the two sets of buildings; I was heading over to the northbound side. I like the way this bridge embraces the motorway, like it's a viewing terrace. 

The older service stations seem to have been built on the premise that you'd enjoy watching the traffic as you took your break, whereas the new ones get you right away from the motorway. Most days, I prefer the old style.