This is Not a Destination
The Highways Act states compulsory purchase orders must be used to purchase land that is to be used in conjuction with the road network. This was interpreted to mean service areas could not provide facilities that motorists did not need, and may cause unnescessary traffic on the network.
In other words, service areas cannot become a destination in their own right - a phrase that has been emphasised in regulation since 1980s.
The British motoring public have always held service stations close to their hearts; every driver has their favourite services. Back in the early 60s when service stations first came about, families would even travel to them for an exciting day out, sending postcards of Newport Pagnell and Watford Gap on the M1 to their friends for ultimate bragging rights.. These days, service stations are merely seen to facilitate the loo break, and a chance to get a burger. They are the definition of underappreciated functional infrastructure, and yet they house the most vibrant cross section of life in the country. "This Is A Destination" aims to romanticise the service station and reignite the excitement the public had for them in their early days.
Let’s celebrate their mundanity and appreciate them for what they are - the most interesting aspect of travelling around England.
‘This is Not a Destination’ was exhibited at both my degree shows graduating from UWE Bristol in 2024, along with its photobook:
The Arnolfini, Bristol, June 7-12th
Copeland Gallery, London, June 13-15th