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ave you lot been driving all day? It looks like you've just got up." Singer Lesley Curtis is doing her best to whip up enthusiasm among her audience of drivers in a packed bar at BP's Alconbury truckstop for the regular Thursday night entertainment slot.
She mixes soft rock, ballads, blues and country & western in a spirited two-hour set which includes Tina Turner's hit Simply the Best, a stately reading of The Beatles Help, and a dramatic version of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. The encores takes in Sinatra's showtune New York, New York.
BLONDE SINGER
There is banter between numbers as the blonde singer recognises members of the audience from her previous bi-monthly engagements at Alconbury-. "Good evening Alf, give me a wave," or relays messages from the bar. "Anyone called Paul in here waiting for a shower?"
Early attempts to get the drivers to sing along fail, although a few beers nearer to closing time her hard work begins to pay off. Curtis leaves the stage—carpeted area next to a jukebox—to warm applause.
While her manager, Lindsay Barn, tidies away the backing tapes, Curtis explains how to entertain truckers. "The drivers have had a hard day—you need to chide them to get them to join in. Many are quite shy or just family men who want to unwind."
Curtis says that she has no problems playing at Alconbury. Drivers buy her cassette, chat to her and even write for details of future bookings.
She avoids doing too many romantic songs; the drivers are not with their girlfriends or wives so it would be inappropriate. She reckons the good behaviour of the drivers is influenced by the pleasant environment and professional bar staff at Alconbury. At rougher truckstops Curtis has experienced unpleasant heckling.
The singer, from Market Deeping, Cambs, has been offered a radio recording deal in the lucrative USA country & western market, but the coming weekend is business as usual: "Tomorrow I'm in a working man's club in Nottingham; Saturday, an RAF base; Sunday, another pub."
But what do the drivers themselves want from a truckstop? Do they want
entertainment and, if so, what kind? In the lull before the cabaret CM put these questions to drivers over a pint.
SHOWER FACILITIES "When you've seen one stripper, you've seen them all," says Mark Gilson, of Doncasterbased Roy Gilson Haulage, rejecting the stereotype truckstop image. "A singer and a comedian is ideal; the entertainment breaks the night up." Gilson praises BP for having the "best shower facilities in the country", and it quickly became apparent that the drivers see decent washing facilities as their number one priority in a truckstop.
Gilson 's colleague, Ken McClean, also driving for Gilson Haulage, nods in agreement "Some of the smaller truckstops are filthy" McClean also values Alconbury for its plentiful parking spaces and no potholes.
"I prefer a good comedian to a singer, unless the singer's very good," says Rick Rothwell, carrying pharmaceuticals for Seton Health Care. "After a hard day hike a good laugh; Lenny Henry or Cannon & Ball would be ideal."
Rothwell puts a "nice shower and good food" at the top of his list, and by good food he means chicken or steak, "something really filling". But he makes a plea for healthier NO
vegetables—potatoes instead of chips, for example.Like most drivers we met, Rothwell was spending the night in his well-equipped sleeper cab: "I've got everything I need, including a TV, and I can make a brew."
"I hate country & western but I would enjoy a small middle-of-the-road rock group. I don't like people playing with backing tapes," says Andy Layne, driving for York. based Rhodes Haulage. But he prefers bigscreen sport to live entertainment; a view shared by several other drivers. Layne thinks BP's "decent variety" of food is a 'bit pricey", although he admits that discount vouchers help. Layne was one of many who applauded BP's clean, hot showers. "There's nowt worse than cold showers," he says.
"Entertainment doesn't bother me, I like a couple of quiet pints and a read," says Clive Coburn, sitting in a corner nursing a beer and a paperback. Coburn, who drives for Rotalac Plastics of Cheshire, also enjoys TV sport, especially boxing, snooker and athletics_ He was one of the few drivers who mentioned salad as a favourite evening meal.
"I try to plan my day to get to a truckstop I want to stay in," says Tony Smith, hauling white goods for Hadfields Transport of Ashton-under-Lyne. He lists good food, good company, washing facilities and plenty of room to park as vital truckstop ingredients. As for entertainment: "Singers don't really appeal to drivers; you're not with your wife or girlfriend_ You want someone to make you laugh—I'd prefer a comic or a funny stripper!"
"I eat anything with chips. I won't eat salads, they don't fill you up," says a surprisingly slim Martin St (rah, also driving for Hadfields. He repeats the warning that some smaller stops have terrible showers: "The curtains hang off and they smell."
MERCHANT SEAMAN
Ex -merchant seaman Patrick O'Neill is now in dry dock after a second marriage, and drives for Essex operator, Wt..strope Brothers. "I like singers," he says. "Strippers, no. I've got a good wife at home; what do I want to see someone else prancing around for?" He lists good food, decent parking and good service as important. "My only gripe with UK truckstops is the cost of parking on the Continent they look on it as a privilege when we stop and spend our money in their truckstops."
O'Neill believes that truckstop operators should consider installing sports facilties: "In the summer I would enjoy a good swim." This idea was popular with several other drivers who favoured the idea of a pool over a multi-gym if the choice was available.
Alconbury's genial host is Jon Lewis who says his aim is to "provide a home from home for these guys at a relatively inexpensive price". The truckstop used to provide live acts three nights a week but found bar sales rose when it cut back to one night. Even so Lewis finds that some drivers come specifically for the entertainment. "I lowever, it's a myth that drivers want to hear country & western—they have no preference to C&W from any other type of music."
Alconbury charges £10.95 for single rooms with showers; overnight parking is £5 which includes free use of showers. It has a TV room and a big screen for major sporting events. Drivers can begin the day with a full breakfast for £2.75, or if they're in a hurry to get away toast and tea is good value at '75p. 0 by Patric Cunnane