AFTER 38 years serving up a range of belly busting greasy food, an iconic Cirencester truck-stop cafe has closed its doors for good.

Greasy Joe's, which is located on the Lorry Park off Cricklade road, shut earlier this month after its lease with Cotswold District Council (CDC) expired.

It was mutually agreed by the Council and owners, brothers Lloyd and Mark Nail, that a new lease would not be taken up as the council planned to get rid of the Lorry Park in the near future.

“I have always had a great respect for the council. They have been good to me over the years. We just came to a mutual agreement,” said Lloyd.

“I knew it was going to happen for a while. I thought it was going to happen seven years ago. It is a new period in life for me. I can now get all my jobs done. I have a bit of time now.

“I have done it for 38 years and I have had some fantastic times. It is sad but life goes on. At least I know where I am going and what my future is now.

“The other morning I got up and was going to get the bread and milk and supplies and then I remembered that it was shut.

“I have so many stories to tell over my time here. If I wrote a book people would call it 50 Shades of Grease,” Lloyd laughed.

Lloyd started the business in 1978, when he bought a food van from money he got from selling ten gold sovereign rings given to him from his Dad to his mother .

He based his van just off the A419 roundabout near Middle Mead and it soon became popular with hungry customers.

In 1986, the council offered to build a brick building for the increasingly popular business on the nearby Lorry Park - and the business has stayed there and filled the gurgling stomachs of droves of visitors ever since.

Over the years, Greasy Joe's was a hugely popular eating joint with people from all walks of life , such as the SAS, the police and fire service as well as child killer Fred West, who used to pop in for a snack when he worked as a builder in the 1980s.

A spokesman for CDC said: “At it’s meeting held on October 18 2011, CDC determined the disposal of the Lorry Park, Cirencester.

“The Council will shortly commence the marketing of the site for disposal.”

 

What are your favourite memories of Greasy Joe's? Email them to the Standard at bmc@wiltsglosstandard.co.uk