Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Here in the English countryside...

...in amongst the greenery...

...and wildlife...

...perhaps an overnight stay in a 14th century inn...

...boasting seductive accommodation...

...afternoon tea...

...cool drinks on a summer's day.

Or maybe you'd like something a little livelier?

TRAFFIC ROARS

Yes, in the heart of the West Midlands,

just a few minutes off the M6,

is a hotel...

Good morning. The Moat House. Chloe speaking. How can I help?

...offering sumptuous rooms,

with a bird's eye view of the UK's longest motorway...

HORN PARPS

The M6 is the heart of the whole country,

so it's a very, very busy network.

...where frantic commuters can get away from the delays and hold-ups.

Report of obstruction.

How many times do you see that on the motorway?

Weary drivers can escape the hell of a bank holiday tailback...

for a spot of dinner, a deux.

Perfect, to be honest. A lovely stay.

And truckers can refuel with some grub in the bar.

Can I have bangers and mash, please? Yeah.

In the motorway hotel, it's all this and more.

If people just came five minutes off the motorway,

they'd find gems of places like this.

Enjoy your stay.

HORN PARPS

This time...

Cooking for the owners is always, you know, a nerve-racking thing.

...it's make or break for Head Chef, James,

as he tries to create a brand new menu

for his boss's approval.

Do not wanna be doing any work on the driver's side on this motorway.

Dangerous as hell.

Recovery man, Greg, dices with death to rescue an elderly couple

from a lethal section of the M6.

Candle in the middle.

And the hotel tries to pull in the motorists

for one of its biggest nights of the year.

Couple of years ago, we had somebody propose,

and I don't think it went in the guy's favour,

so that was sort of a drama.

Based around a 14th century barn,

this unlikely jewel nestled by the side of the M6

has been owned and run by Chris Lewis and his wife Dawn

since the 1980s.

But 18 months ago, all that changed.

Technically, they're retiring me, yeah.

But I think members of the team have probably technically

been trying to retire me for the last 20 years.

Good afternoon. The Moat House. Stacy speaking. How can I help you?

So, two clays a week, I'm sat here, doing stuff, and the other clays,

I'm sort of not sort of meant to be in the business as much.

But those are the clays that I do the sort of gardening,

you know, which I love doing.

Each year, we try and clear an area, leave it for the wildlife.

We try and control where the swan nests.

Previously, we've had the swan nest right next to the cars.

If there's a nice shiny car,

and the male swan can see his reflection in it,

he thinks it's another swan.

Ancl the next thing,

we've got an interesting conversation with a customer

because nice shiny car is suddenly covered in nice little scratches

off the male swan.

PHONE RINGS

Good afternoon. How can I help you?

When is it that you're thinking of booking?

This must have seemed a risky location

for Chris and Dawn to build a hotel, but over three decades,

they've built a business worth £35 million a year.

But the double whammy of Brexit followed by COVID

hit the UK's hotel trade hard,

and like many, they're only just bouncing back.

Dawn, have you clone the notice from the meeting this morning,

maintenance meeting?

Husband and wife still keep offices on the premises,

with a glorious view of the M6.

But succession is now the name of the game.

I've got Emily, my daughter,

as number one person, really, here.

Which is absolutely fantastic.

It's... It's amazing to have, you know, a younger team

and some new blood in the operation.

DUCKS QUACK

New manageress, Emily, is only 26

but has now strapped in and hoping to give it her best shot.

So, this is the duck pond.

Ancl this is the lake.

This obviously makes up the original moat,

hence where we get our name from, The Moat House.

We're really lucky to be surrounded by lots of wildlife,

ducks and swans and things, like, always milling around.

So, they like to photo bomb wedding photos every now and then.

So, yeah, it's always quite entertaining.

This is the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.

Welcome quite a lot of boaters off the canal,

people who are either full-time on boats

or just on a boating holiday.

So, it's great that we get to see all these kind of different people.

There's a shed there. CLONK

200 years ago, this tranquil canal

would have been the key commercial artery of the hotel.

Now it's the rather noisier M6.

The motorway is very integral to the life of The Moat House.

We rely on it so much

in terms of our conference business,

our accommodation.

OK, what was the name for me?

Being on that M6 corridor,

it's the perfect kind of in-between spot.

WOMAN ON RADIO: On the roads,

there's a lane closed on the M6 at junction 15 northbound.

There's an overturned car on the outside lane.

Within earshot of the hotel is the rumble of six lanes

of high speed traffic,

where one hotel regular earns his somewhat dangerous livelihood -

recovery truck driver, Greg Burgher.

Glasgow, Portsmouth, London, Kent, Brighton, Yorkshire.

You name a place, I have been there.

Beautiful.

'But nowadays, I just tend to focus on being the number one

'for the local breakdown service.'

OK. Let's go.

The constant avalanche of breakdown calls

usually keeps Greg tied to his tow truck.

But today, he has 30 minutes to spare, and he's hungry.

just finished a job just off the motorway, junction 13,

and I just thought I'd pop down to The Moat House on my lunch break,

before we get back to it.

It's a very busy industry, it's a very busy network of the motorway.

As soon as you get a little gap,

you just got to refuel and then onto the next one.

PHONE RINGS One second.

Vehicle breakdown. How can I help?

It seems the scores of distressed motorists out there

are no respecters of a man's need for some rest and refreshment.

We can have somebody there on the hour.

Before he's dragged back into the maelstrom of the M6,

Greg has a moment to reflect on one of the first times he came here.

I came here when I was 16, and I was at my school prom,

which was nearly half a lifetime ago.

It certainly brings a few flashbacks, for sure. Yeah, 100%.

CAMERA CLICKS

But no sooner back in his driving seat,

yet another distress call.

Vehicle breakdown. How can I help?

Time to get back to it, Greg.

Looks like it's just going to be a Yorkie bar for you today.

Coming up, boss Chris's semi-retirement

is proving a challenge for him and his staff.

I mean, gardening clays are very nice for me cos I get a quiet clay.

Until about three or four, when he gets a bit bored.

With Valentine's Day looming, Joel and Marcus go into overdrive

to try and invent a completely new cocktail.

Try and make them a bit more Valentine-y, a bit more lovey dovey.

And as the big day approaches,

Head Chef, James, is under pressure to pull in the motorists.

They know what they want, and obviously, we have to deliver.

Nestling comfortably alongside a gorgeous canal

and in the folds of the Staffordshire countryside

is The Moat House hotel.

Hard to believe that just a stone's throw away...

is this.

TRAFFIC ROARS, HORNS PARP

With Dad, Chris, semi-retired,

daughter, Emily, is under pressure to grow the business.

This is Stacy.

Stacy's our Head Receptionist here at the mo. You all right, Stace?

Yes, are you? Yeah, good, thanks.

So, we're actually fully booked on the 8th of March.

Yeah, yeah.

So, this is our wedding booking team,

so we've got Chloe and Emily.

What date was it for again? 20th April.

So, in here, we've got Nicola, who is our office manager.

Ancl in here, we've got my office.

So, I used to have an office upstairs,

next to my mum and dad's, but they don't have air-con up there.

Ancl down here, I get a bit more peace and quiet,

away from them, so...

With her 110-strong workforce,

Emily needs to exceed last year's total of 50,000 customers,

1,100 conferences and events

and almost 90 weddings.

So, this is Rebecca.

She's our HR and Beverage Manager.

Hello!

So, down here, we have my mum and my dad's offices.

Technically, they're meant to be, like, semi-retired now,

so they're only meant to work two clays a week.

But somehow, they seem to be here a lot more than that.

It's very boring up here. There's not much to show.

Except the view of the M6, of course.

Dad Chris's new role as backseat driver

is proving a difficult transition for him... and some staff.

Chris does every... CH UCKLES

Chris does everything that Chris shouldn't do.

Erm... But yeah, he does, like, accounts things.

I mean, gardening clays are very nice for me cos I get a quiet clay.

Until about three or four, when he gets a bit bored.

But... yeah.

I think for my clad, it's probably been really difficult.

This has been his life for the last 35 years.

Ancl I think it's only natural that he still wants to get involved

in certain things.

Ancl trying to find that balance has probably been

a little bit challenging for him.

After a tough couple of years during COVID,

it's vital the hotel goes the extra mile

to get the money coming in.

All staff, including barman Joel and Marcus,

have been set a challenge -

to devise an original new big-selling cocktail

for Valentine's night.

I enjoy being behind the bar,

but cocktails, it's a place where you get to express yourself.

It is art, in a sense.

But creating an original but affordable new cocktail

is no mean feat.

What else is Valentine's-y? Pink?

Pink. Try and make them a bit more Valentine-y.

A bit more lovey dovey.

We've got rose that's pink.

Got plenty of grenadine.

Oh, I forgot. Oh, yeah. We have pink vodka.

We don't know what we're gonna do. We'll splash some things together.

Strong or weak? Let's go strong. Strong.

All the cocktails will be judged by Beverages Manager, Becky,

and only the best will make it onto the Valentine's menu.

No pressure then, boys (!)

In any hotel, there's no upstairs without a downstairs.

And the kitchens are the engine room of the motorway hotel.

So, this is our pot wash area in the main kitchen,

and this is Ida.

Ida's one of our longest-serving members of staff.

Hi, Ida. Hello.

You OK? Yes, thank you.

So, remind me, how long have you been here?

I started in '96, and I've been here 26 years now.

I think what makes The Moat House unique is... our family ethos.

I don't wanna sound like a cliche,

and I know that so many people say, "Oh, we're like a family,"

but the thing is here is that we genuinely are.

I try to carry on as much as I can,

as long as my health lets me, you know.

'A lot of the team members that we have, you know, I grew up with.'

They've seen me grow up from, you know, like, being a toddler

to now running the company.

And, you know, that, I think, is something very special.

Right, we'll leave you to it and let you get on,

and we'll see you later. Thanks, Ida. Bye. Bye!

WOMAN ON RADIO: On the M6, it's really busy this morning.

We've had a collision involving a van and around four cars

just north of junction 17,

with its load spilled across all four lanes.

Traffic is still moving, but tailbacks...

We need something a bit sweeter.

In just 30 minutes' time, Beverage Manager, Becky,

will be judging an all-staff cocktail-making event,

if the motorway hold-ups haven't stopped them getting in on time.

Joel and Marcus are desperate to impress,

but Becky is a tough cookie.

Hopefully, we can get them all on the Valentine's menu.

How much you reckon? 50. 50.

Oh, actually, let's add a little bit of lime juice into that.

'You literally get to get to do whatever you want with cocktails

'because if it's two different liquids,

'put them together, that's a cocktail.'

That's really nice.

It's got a nice colour to it as well.

If it tastes good...

Ooh.

And it's... I'm getting all emotional now.

It's... It's good. I love when people buy them

because... you just know that you've clone good.

People recognise them. You can...

You can be as expressive as you want.

We're pretty good, you know, I can't lie.

Yeah. Pretty good.

On the M6, diesel fumes are in the air,

but in the restaurant, love is in the air.

just put it on randomly, Amy,

you don't need to be particular with it.

Vinnie and Amy have to set dress the restaurant

for a full house tomorrow night.

Flattening all the bumps down.

And the clock is ticking.

We look after the restaurant.

We kind of work most the special occasions.

Your New Year's Eve, your Valentine's Days.

Candle in the middle.

Then let's do two bottles that side, two bottles that side.

I think it was a couple of years ago we had somebody propose,

and I don't think it went in the guy's favour.

So that was sort of a drama.

So, do the flowers behind and the heart in front.

Valentine's clay is definitely a big clay at The Moat House.

It, for us, kind of marks the start

of the end of the real kind of winter period.

BELL DINGS

Valentine's is really the moment that we know

that things are kind of starting to gain momentum again

and the busy-ness is starting to come back.

Hiya. Hello. How are you?

Good, thank you. How are you? Good. I'm just checking in.

While Vinny and Amy get a move on,

Rachel has some unique Valentine's movie suggestions.

And no, it's not Fast and Furious 5.

Gnomes.

I've never watched it.

I think it was Simon's favourite film

when he was younger, but I don't think I've ever watched it.

It is the best film of all time. I don't believe you.

You've got to watch it.

It is brilliant.

You know you're going out with Simon tomorrow,

could you watch The Goonies when you get home?

Do you think I'm gonna drive all the way, after work, to Wednesbury,

and then drive back and then watch The Goonies on Valentine's Day?

Yeah, yeah. Sounds like a great day. Yeah.

We got fresh truffle, John, or not?

Don't say we've lost the fresh truffle again.

Pineapple and...

It's perhaps remarkable

that so close to the roar of motorway traffic

is a fully booked and surprisingly quiet

award-winning restaurant.

And with Valentine's Day tomorrow, one man is under pressure.

Hey! It's a love heart onion ring.

Hi, I'm James Cracknell.

I'm the Head Chef here at The Moat House Acton Trussell.

I'm Louise Cracknell, pastry chef.

We've been married for 17 years.

We met at The Moat House in the kitchen.

We've got to know each other after a few staff parties.

A few drinks, got to know each other even better, didn't we? We did.

Ancl we went on from there and became a couple.

Valentine's is a very popular event here at The Moat House.

We've created the Valentine's menu for Tuesday.

But first, James needs to get owners Chris and Dawn to approve

the menu he's come up with,

and they're notoriously hard to please.

Hi, guys.

Hi. Obviously, we're gonna have a look

at the Valentine's menu today.

We've got a lovely tomahawk steak for two to share.

Butter-poached turbot with a crispy oyster.

A lovely duck dish with a duck leg steamed bun.

For the vegetarian/vegan lovers,

we've got a curry-roasted cauliflower steak.

So, that's the menu.

Where's the tomahawk coming from?

So, the tomahawk steak is from a local supplier

who's up in lpstones. Yeah, go for the steak.

It's a great choice. I do hope you enjoy it.

James has opted for expensive, locally-sourced tomahawk steaks

as the premier offering on the menu.

They've already been delivered.

But if Chris and Dawn are unimpressed,

he may have to send them all back.

Cooking for the owners is always, you know, a nerve-racking thing.

They know what they want.

Ancl obviously, we have to deliver.

As anyone working in hospitality can attest, it's all-consuming.

Chris and Dawn have certainly paid their dues.

In the early years, I didn't see him on Valentine's Day

cos obviously, he was running the restaurant.

I tried my best to make sure I got... Yes, you did.

You were very good in the early days.

But... we hadn't been going out for very long -

seven months, I think - and obviously, I didn't see him.

He rushed over to my house mid-service

with a huge bouquet of red roses

but unfortunately, called me by his ex-girlfriend's name

as he gave him to me.

But I did get there, like, you know, on Valentine's Day,

with the roses. Yeah.

But I still married him. And I'm still here.

The fridges are bulging with 40-odd cuts

of the sort of prime beef the local truckies would adore.

James had better have got this right.

There's the tomahawk.

OK, so we have the beef dripping chips,

pickled onion rings,

some beef dripping king oyster mushrooms,

and a bearnaise sauce.

Enjoy. Thank you.

Thirteen miles south of the bustling market town of Stafford

is junction 13 of the M6.

Traffic volumes are immense, meaning massive wear and tear,

and a new regular visitor to the motorway hotel is Lou Humphreys,

motorway repair man.

Hi, love. Can I have the bangers and mash, please? Yeah.

So, I work on motorways, Monday to Friday,

Saturday, Sunday, sometimes, doing bridge expansion joints.

Working down the M6 at Birmingham for a couple a month.

It's a shame I didn't know about this place just before Christmas

because we did a job a bit further down at junction 14 at Stafford,

and we used to meet at Stafford services.

Ancl then I used to dig it a bit further, further afield from there.

So this'd have been ideal, really, than Burger Kings every clay.

Bangers and mash. Thank you very much.

You're very welcome. Enjoy. Yeah, thank you.

'|'m from Donny,

'but I go home every now and then to wash my briefs.

'Worked last night, got in about half three, four o'clock.

'Just woke up, had a drive down

'for some nice dinner before I go back to work.'

Want some of this?

Once the bar's bangers and mash have satisfied Lou's appetite,

it's off to bed before his next shift.

Coming up, will chefjames

be forced to rethink his menu to please his bosses?

Becky's cocktail competition starts to turn sour.

No, it's absolutely horrific.

And can M6 bridge repairman, Lou, get finished by morning?

I can't believe how late it is,

look how much traffic there is on the roads.

Barmy, innit? Why don't nobody sleep?

Within sight of the mighty M6

is the soothing interior of the motorway hotel's restaurant.

It would help if you sort of stopped eating

so that we could speak as well!

Chefjames is waiting for judgement from his bosses, Chris and Dawn,

on whether he'll need to totally redesign the Valentine's Day menu.

We've got some lovely sharing platters on.

We got a lovely apple tarte tatin,

which is obviously for that sort of sharing... sharing objects.

For people to sort of interact while they're eating is quite nice.

SHE CHUCKLES

You're determined to finish that, aren't you? Yeah. Mm.

This is why he's only semi-retired -

so he can keep coming back and having meals like this.

Yeah, for the next 20 years.

SHE LAUGHS

I thinkjames and Louise have done it again.

Ancl I think Dawn's happy, I'm happy.

Every cocktail you love, I'm destined to hate

cos you love a sweet cocktail.

While tomorrow's Valentine's menu

seems to have taken the chequered flag,

beverages boss, Becky, is not happy with the cocktail offerings.

No, it is absolutely horrific.

LAUGHTER It is vile.

Next into the lion's den is Assistant Manager, Tom.

That's even worse than the first one.

LAUGHTER

Oh, my God, Tom, that's so sweet.

Erm... Thank you so much. You're welcome.

We're in rural Stafford.

You would be hard pushed to find anywhere within walking distance

where you can get much more than a pint of beer.

So it's great to be able to have these innovative cocktails.

Especially if they're drinkable.

Next up, Marcus climbs into the driving seat.

Obviously, me and Joel have had... had a bit of play around.

But you may not like it cos it's a little bit sweet.

That's fine. I can appreciate a good, balanced cocktail.

Let's do it.

No pressure, then,

as Marcus whips up his creation under Becky's watchful eye (!)

ICE RATTLES

Have you got a name for this? So, I've called it the solero.

I'm gonna go first, if no-one minds.

Straight in there.

Marcus can do no more.

judgement time.

That's going on the menu.

Woo-hoe'.!

I love it. That's amazing. APPLAUSE

Yeah. I love it.

Well clone. Thank you.

Marcus's solero was absolutely amazing.

Very fruity, which I'm actually not normally into.

So we're gonna put that on the menu.

I think it'll go down an absolute storm.

That session has definitely inspired me

to think outside the box for the new cocktail menus.

But, in all honesty, it was just sheer dumb luck.

While the cocktails flow in the hotel bar,

ten miles away, Lou and the gang are racing

to keep the endless traffic flowing

and finish before sun-up.

I can't believe how late it is,

look how much traffic there is on t'road.

Barmy, innit? Why don't nobody sleep? Get to sleep!

The M6 is 232 miles long,

making it the longest motorway in the UK...

which means it has lots of bridges.

We're on a big bridge on the M6 near Birmingham.

Going to put in, they're called expansion joints

so the bridge can flex, really, and move.

If you don't have these joints, your bridge would be rigid, you see,

and then it'd just probably start cracking up with the weight.

With the prep work completed and the clock ticking,

Lou needs to get the boiling bitumen laid.

Rush this part and he'll have to do it all again.

It's a bit like a motorway sandwich, really.

Got a layer of stone and tar, bitumen mixed in,

and I'll... I'll put the middle layer on,

which is just a layer of bitumen.

Then final layer is another layer of stone, with bitumen mixed in.

And just in time.

Bosh!

Home time.

When I'm driving somewhere,

when there's diversions and cones, I always kick off, me.

I always eff and Jeff at them people doing it.

But I'm... But I'm here tonight. I'm that person.

You know what they say, build a bridge to get over it.

I'm that man.

As traffic thankfully returns to normal on the M6,

it's Valentine's Day

and one of the biggest-earning nights of the year

at the motorway hotel.

Hello! Hello. Are you OK?

Yes. I'm good, thank you. Good.

That is your first box.

I have a couple more in the van for you. Amazing. No worries.

Two ticks. Thank you. See you later. Bye.

Like the rest of the hospitality sector,

the hotel has been through the wringer over the last few years.

Course you can. Let me just jump onto the booking system.

So, a successful Valentine's night is crucial.

Ancl could I take the surname?

And it's only a few hours away.

We've got the restaurant, that's always crazy busy.

Ancl then we always have a few proposals.

Maybe in the restaurant or out in the jetty.

DUCKS QUACK

Thank you very much. What have you had for Valentine's?

I've had two lovely pictures of the girls.

Lovely. What about you?

Nothing yet. Nothing yet?

No. Aw.

Oh, I wrecked it.

As office manager, Nicola, and colleague, Rachel,

sort out some last-minute decorations,

it's a chance to peer under the bonnet of their romantic histories.

What's the cutest Valentine's that you've ever had, then?

Ooh.

Erm... At school,

and had a Valentine's card

which said, "Roses are red, leaves of green,

"you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

I love that. How cheesy is that? Absolutely love that.

I don't think I've ever had a cute one like that.

Tonight could be the night, then.

No, I doubt it.

They're lovely, they are. Beautiful.

Ancl I hope you have a lovely stay. I'm sure we will.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

In just a few hours,

SO-plus couples will hopefully be ordering

gallons of cocktails and mountains of food,

all just a handy stone's throw

from one of the busiest roads in the UK.

But forjames and his pastry chef wife Louise,

Valentine's Day rarely has romance on their menu.

I got into bed about half 11.

I woke up and thought, "Oh, I'd better go and get a flower."

So, she's had her flowers and card, bless her.

Ancl obviously, I'll see her this afternoon when I pop home.

Ancl that'll be it. Ancl obviously, I'm back at work.

Quite excited to open the card.

However, when I opened it,

he hadn't actually wrote inside it.

For now, James has tonight on his mind.

He has a feeling the steak could prove popular,

and the danger is he's under-ordered.

Full tonight. We've got 30 tables.

It's a really important night. People are spending good money.

Obviously, they're coming out and expecting

to wine and dine their partners

and obviously have a nice evening with us.

Valentine's Day can be a bittersweet occasion for some.

78-year-old Ida lost her husband four years ago.

My late husband never, ever believed in Valentine's,

and he would never, ever buy me a Valentine's card.

Anyway, when he died, I was cleaning out the kitchen.

On top of the fitments in the kitchen, what did I find?

It was a Valentine's card, and he'd meant to give it to me.

Ancl he must have thought about it

because, you know, he was gonna die, really, you know.

I can smell burning.

With the kitchen hard at work and bar staff making final checks...

Hi!

...guests are already arriving.

'So, this is our first anniversary.'

Tried to get married on the 13th because that was...

We actually met on Friday the 13th.

But we had to postpone it for a clay,

so we actually got married on Valentine's Day.

So at least I don't forget.

There's your key and your room number.

If you follow this corridor, it'll lead you to it.

And I hope you have a lovely stay.

It's 6:30pm.

It's a full house in the motorway hotel restaurant,

with a steady flow of customers from junction 13.

All right, guys, ready to have a quick brief before service?

Like an admiral readying his forces,

James gathers his troops for a final run-through.

Cod poached in coconut milk, tempura mussels, Thai curry sauce.

We've got all that, yeah? Yeah?

Puffed wild rice, crispy Burford eggs,

orzo, truffle Brie, Jerusalem artichoke, chanterelle.

Tom, tomahawk steak. Yeah.

Beef dripping chips. Yep.

Textured beetroot, candied pistachio,

feuilles de brick cannelloni,

whipped plant cheese. Allergens tonight,

we've got one lactose intolerant,

one vegetarian and a pescatarian, one vegan.

Ancl then one person is a fish intolerance,

so I suggest they just won't have fish.

Ancl that's it. Thirty tables of two. Start at half six.

And we're ready to go, guys, yeah?

Coming up...

Another tomahawk.

...with one Valentine's dish proving highly successful,

has the kitchen ordered enough of the truckers' favourite?

So, at the moment, I've got 18 covers, and...

16 of those were on the tomahawk steak.

CAR HORN BLARING Woo-hoo!

And recovery man Greg risks life and limb

to get a breakdown out of a tight spot.

SHOUTING: You got cars at 70 mile an hour,

so you've just got to be on your guard at all times.

WOMAN: No, I'll try that cherry you've got.

Can I get some lemonade and not tell anyone?

Yeah, of course. Yeah. That's no problem at all.

It's one of the most commercially crucial nights of the year

for the motorway hotel.

They've been really popular.

I would say the most popular one tonight

would be Cherry Lips, which is this one.

Ancl... Love ls In The Air, which is this one,

which I'm gonna add the candyfloss to.

We have tried every Valentine's cocktail today,

and every one has been absolutely perfect.

And the cocktails at least are getting the cash tills ringing.

Yeah, just really happy that the ones that we've clone,

they we... they we sum. CHUCKLES

The hotel is just like its noisy neighbour the M6.

There's never a dull moment.

CAR HORN

Whoo-hoo.

CHUCKLES

Welcome to Junction 15, Stoke-on-Trent.

Recovery man Greg needs to locate an elderly couple

stranded on a dangerous part of the motorway.

We just had a job come in to collect a Vauxhall Meriva.

So we're just gonna fly out there now, pick them off the motorway,

and we are gonna get them to a place of safety.

This stretch of motorway from the hotel's junction up to Stoke

has recently been made into a Smart Motorway,

meaning there's no hard shoulder for broken-down cars.

The M6 is the heart of the whole country.

So it's a very, very busy network.

Every second counts.

Not a place you can be hanging around for long at all.

CAR HORN

If it's not this one, it's the next one.

False alarm.

Definitely the next one.

No, not this one, it's definitely the next one.

Then in a particularly difficult spot, Greg sees them.

Right, that's definitely hazard lights up there, that is the one.

There's not a fat lot of room for us.

GROANS

Right.

We are gonna get you onto Stafford Services southbound.

S0, just stay here and then we will be up and away.

The couple must stay behind the barrier for their own safety.

We'd been down to London to see a play.

And then... broke down here.

Glad to be getting away from this motorway, yeah, yeah.

What you've got to bear in mind,

you've got all these lorries coming past at 50, 60,

and you've got cars at 70mph.

So you've just got to be on your guard at all times.

Always watching your back.

We're just gonna very quickly strap the wheels,

put the towing lights on, get passengers in,

then get out of here.

With the car on board,

Greg can't safely rejoin the motorway

until Highways England close the nearest lane.

I'm a recovery driver.

We're on the M6 between Junctions 14 and 15 on the northbound.

We just need a lane-one closure to rejoin, please.

I think there is a camera behind us on the opposite carriageway.

I am giving it a little wave.

Whether you can see me, I don't know.

As soon as you can shut it, mate, I'll be ever so grateful.

Won't be too much longer!

They're gonna electronically shut down lane one.

Then we can rejoin the motorway safely.

So, once that is in place,

I'll get you inside the vehicle, OK? So just stay here for me.

Nice one. Thanks, mate.

Right, let's get out of here.

We are not far from Stafford Services now.

Softens the blow a little bit.

What happened to your car, it just cut out whilst driving?

You got an error code on your dashboard.

I was just getting no acceleration at all.

Right. So that's when I pulled in.

Ancl then once I'd stopped, it wouldn't start again.

Well, you've clone the right thing by getting yourself off that motorway.

The last thing you wanna do

is be sitting in a live lane on that carriageway.

Believe me, it happens, and that is not a nice experience for anyone.

Greg knows better than anyone the dangers of the M6.

But today, two more relieved customers.

Ancl now it's time to get back and get onto another one.

Beautiful. Magic.

Ancl for your mains today?

Tomahawk, yeah, of course.

With the M6 a distant rumble,

back in the motorway hotel, one dish is proving mighty popular.

So popular, chefjames may not have enough to meet demand.

Tom... Tom-atawk-shake. I can't say that.

Tomahawk steak.

Ancl I haven't had even a drink.

LAUGHTER

Table 30 next. Another tomahawk, rare.

At the moment, I've got 18 covers

and 16 of those are on the tomahawk steak.

Another tomahawk

I think we're going down to the wire on steaks tonight.

So, just what we call precision ordering

in the trade, to be honest.

Two more after that, yeah?

'It's been hectic, it's been a bit busy in the kitchen.'

A lot of tables came in at the same time.

With all the orders delivered,

James just made it with one steak left.

Steaks gone out great. Everyone's loved the steak.

MAN: Cheers.

But do the customers agree?

Perfect, to be honest.

Lovely. We always love coming here. Lovely steak.

Yeah. Ancl we'll keep coming back.

And there's nothing like good food, fine wines

and possibly a cocktail or two to prompt some happy memories.

Back in 2007, we had a blind date,

and it wasn't internet dating or anything like that.

It was friends got us together, really,

showing pictures of each other, and, yeah, we went from there.

I mend narrow boats for a living.

Ancl she was living on a narrow boat.

Theresa was living on a narrow boat. Yeah. Yeah.

Then he asked me out for a date.

Unusually, there wasn't a single marriage proposal this evening.

But at least the cocktails have been a hit,

strictly for those with designated drivers, of course.

The cocktails have gone really well.

I've just had a note to say that

one lady has worked her way through the menu.

She's tried every single one. So I think everyone's loved them.

When you make a cocktail yourself and you taste it,

you'll think, "That's gonna be really nice."

And then, when it does get on the menu,

hearing feedback from all the customers,

and having repeat orders,

it's... it is great. It is great.

No proposals tonight.

But the night is still young. There might still be a proposal somewhere.

Right, everybody come off.

Next time on the Motorway Hotel...

We got the troublemakers in from Preston today.

...hot off the M6,

a coach party of rowdy pensioners...

GLASS SMASHES

...tests the staff's patience.

They have already started on the wine.

Of course they have.

Chloe and Ness struggle to drum up wedding business.

How many enquiries have we got?

One. One.

And with the wedding supremo's shock departure,

will a replacement be found in time?

I'm gonna be leaving the wedding department in a couple of weeks.