Pocket Good Guide to Motorway Breaks, edited by Alisdair Aird and Fiona Stapley

To be fair, the authors aren't really recommending that you take your annual fortnight in the sun under one of the flyovers on the A4 or the central reservation of the M66, thank goodness. No, they're about finding us all smaller, more human scale, nicer and cheaper alternatives to the motorway services.

True, you may have to make a little detour in order to find these pubs, museums and hotels, but, if you're in no hurry then they ought to be worth the effort (and what on earth would you be doing on a congested British motorway if you are in a rush?)

The best way to judge this guide is to check its descriptions of some establishment that you yourself are familiar with. In my case I found surprisingly few, and that is to my shame. For example, I was unaware of the existence of the Batemans Brewery at Winfleet, only 0.7 miles off the A52 south west of Skegness (a favourite resort of mine). Next time I'm in the vicinity I'll drop by and try to "ring the bull" as the authors of the Good Guide to Motorway Breaks recommend. I promise I'll let you know what it's like, if I survive my injuries.