Blogfromthebarn

A taste of the 50s ..


There can be few experiences as downright unpleasant as stopping to eat or drink at a motorway or trunk road service area (Heston Blumenthal's A303 Little Chef experiment is, I'm assured, an exception). Whilst making my regular cross-country treks taking ChaCha from paternal to maternal custody I've been tempted, (but never succumbed) by the retro attractions of Nelsons, an American style diner at Kingsclere on the A339 twixt Basingstoke and Newbury. Recently ChaCha and I, both peckish and with time to kill decided to check it out.

There's something deeply attractive for me, (a huge fan of American Graffiti and Happy Days) in the deep red of the leatherette booths, the pastel blues and pinks, the jukebox soundtrack and the idea of pulling up in a white T'bird and ordering a $5 shake.

The experience at Nelsons didn't really stack up to my dreams, (how could it?) but it was kitsch retro fun, good food, well and visibly cooked, smiles with the service and a really pleasant alternative to the drab conglomerate ubiquitous corporate pitstop.

It must be tough to make a living out of somewhere like Nelson's Diner, it's been through 4 incarnations since I first noticed it and I suspect that reflects ownership. If you get the chance to break a journey there I'd recommend it.

Labels: Stuffy Oakwood Nelson's Diner

posted by Stuffy @ 8:00 pm