Recession Road: Markham Moor (south)

Phil Coomes | 13:32 UK time, Tuesday, 15 September 2009

This post is from our Recession Road series, part of our special report on the global downturn.

Little Chef on the southbound A1 at Markham Moor

Please don't think this is just a tour of all the Little Chefs on the A1. It's just that we absolutely had to come to this one at Markham Moor - despite the fact it's on the southbound carriageway - because it's an architectural wonder with its (apparently) hyperbolic paraboloid roof designed by Sam Scorer.

Over tea, Phil says I have to mention that fact that The Year of the Cat by Al Stewart is playing on the restaurant's sound system. He says in Al's heyday this Little Chef would have been packed out and the roof wouldn't have been rusty and leaky inside, as it is now.

Helen Oakes In the car park we met Helen Oakes, who's 45 and from Redcar in Teesside. She says that at first they didn't think they were going to be affected by the recession, but since November last year, the prospect of her husband losing his job at steel company Corus has become all too real.

"We're still on the same money, still doing the things we had planned like holidays, but then thinking 'oh god, should we be doing this?' I have changed things, like the way I do my food shopping."

"It's like the recession has affected my head but not my pocket. If my husband loses his job, half our income will go, and then we won't be moving forwards any more. Our daughter has just started her A-levels, what if she wants to go to university?"

They feel like they are "treading water" at the moment. "We've worked for 30 years and we're going to get the rug pulled from under us basically. We'd manage but it's a different type of managing to the way we are now."

Phil's posted more photos on Flickr. Have a look here, and don't forget you can join our group and post your own A1 pictures.

You can read an explanation of our Recession Road series here. Words: Paula Dear; Images: Phil Coomes.

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Comments

1. At 2:10pm on 15 Sep 2009, thehardrocker wrote:
The Markham Moor Little Chef used to be a petrol station. This was as far back as the early 70's if not earlier. It must have been quite a feat of architecture to base an enclosed building underneath that distinctive roof. Maybe it's a listed structure ?

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2. At 5:01pm on 15 Sep 2009, ivanpope wrote:
If it's a listed structure then they should get out and mend the thing. It's a crying shame to see this iconic building falling apart.

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3. At 6:44pm on 15 Sep 2009, nigeyy wrote:
The Markham Moor Little Chef was a petrol station as late as the early 1980's -and it is certainly a distinctive structure. I remember cycling by the roof structure as they built up underneath it (and one hopes it wouldn't have been packed when Al Stewart was in the charts or else irate drivers would have mown down hopeful diners!).

Is Phil the partner of Helen who is pictured? Who is the "Phil" that is referred to? And is Helen living in the area, or just passing through? What has she to do with the location? Can we have a bit of context please?

What about Markham Moor and how it has changed considerably even in this period of recession? What about interviewing a local? (assuming Helen isn't one). I appreciate you are on a tight deadline, and who knows what editing was done, but I'd like to read more and get a feel for how this journey is intertwining with the recession (and you thought the Comet plane thing was bad....)

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4. At 09:01am on 16 Sep 2009, beenthere62 wrote:
The reason that Markham Moor has suffered, has less to do with the recession and more to do with the fact that so many A1 roundabouts, that roadside A1 businesses like these were located by (because they offered obvious journey breaks) have slowly been removed over the last 4 years or so.
Spot a section of shiny new tarmac on the A1 and you will invariably see the remains of a roundabout and a couple of cafes and service stations nearby.

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5. At 10:11am on 16 Sep 2009, Richard_Faith wrote:
Well, I heard about the "Angel of the North", but hadn't realised that it was a reaction to a previous "artwork" on the southbound road - the "Devil of the South".

I'd be more worried about being eaten, than eating, in this glowering building!

These days, I imagine we take our icons where we can find them, although at least it makes the "Year of the Cat" reference more fitting - because perhaps its a cat thinking "just a little closer, diners ..." all the while those haunches getting ready for the leap.

Okay, must fly ...

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6. At 7:38pm on 17 Sep 2009, dannyh526 wrote:
If you like the work of Sam Scorer, the church that I attend in Lincoln was also designed by him see http://www.stjohnthebaptistparishchurch.org.uk/ for a look.

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7. At 10:34pm on 01 Oct 2009, Alan1982 wrote:
Choosing Little Chef is actually quite apt. In 1998 there were 38 Little Chefs on the A1 between Edinburgh and London and today there are a mere 15. Then before that some of the Little Chefs were Happy Eaters too, including Markham Moor which was a Happy Eater up until 1995/6 when owners of the time, Forte then Granada, decided to slowly re-brand them all as Little Chef.

Poor old Markham Moor though. It does look in need of a bit of TLC! Again its like Wansford. A real cracking piece of roadside architecture with a story to tell that should be preserved!

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