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Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,2026,Daresbury,Cheshire,luxury,camping,glamping,festival,accommodation,traffic,sign,direction sign,M56,junction,11,12,event,management,transport,temporary,signage,Warrington,Runcorn,August,Bank,Holiday,music,dance,electronic,tipi,tent,tents,PepsiMax,Tipis,Crew Huts,dedicated,entrance
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3FC3TAJ - . A temporary yellow Creamfields and Dreamfields direction sign beside a Cheshire lane separates festival traffic, pointing Creamfields one way while telling other event vehicles to use the M56 at junctions 11 or 12. Dreamfields is the premium campsite, with tipis, crew huts, Airstream-style units and luxury bell tents plus hot showers, conventional toilets, a pamper area, 24-hour reception and security, a dedicated entrance and parking. The sign therefore represents both traffic management and the growth of 'glamping' as part of modern British festival culture. Creamfields moved to Daresbury in 2006 and celebrates 20 years at the Cheshire site in 2026. Its origins lie in Liverpool's Cream club night at Nation from 1992 and the first Creamfields festival at Winchester in 1998. The event now creates a temporary city of stages, campsites, bars, welfare facilities, roads and service compounds, with up to 80,000 fans expected across the August Bank Holiday weekend. The 2026 line-up ranges from Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, Armin van Buuren and Tiësto to Carl Cox, Underworld, Fatboy Slim, Becky Hill, Amelie Lens, Fisher and Martin Garrix. Official travel guidance tells motorists to follow event signage rather than sat-nav routes, an important point on narrow rural roads around Daresbury, and local restrictions are used to reduce congestion and protect residents. Police security work is equally visible behind the scenes: Cheshire Constabulary reported finding drugs including ecstasy, MDMA, ketamine and about 204 nitrous-oxide canisters buried on the site before the 2026 gates opened. This photograph can illustrate luxury camping, festival accommodation, motorway access, temporary wayfinding, glamping, tourism logistics, event traffic, rural infrastructure and the increasingly sophisticated hospitality economy surrounding large-scale live music. The image also records how temporary motorway routing is used to protect minor Cheshire lanes.
Daresbury, Cheshire, England, UK
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,HotpixUK,charging,infrastructure,chargers,Chester,services,M56,Junction 14,EV,Gridserve,Low,driver,concerns,added,costs,public,tax,taxation,per,mile,bay,motorway services,charging bay,charging point,area,20% VAT,home,cost,of,transition,driveway divide,charging affordability,charging inequality,charging speeds,charging reliability,charging availability,EV infrastructure,electric vehicle charging
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 3EG4C03 - GRIDSERVE Low Medium electric vehicle chargers at Roadchef Chester services on the M56, photographed beside marked EV bays, green GRIDSERVE Electric Highway signage and white charging units. The painted bay wording, showing LOW and MEDIUM, makes the image useful for stories about the uneven experience of public charging, where drivers may find different charging speeds, prices and availability. It is a strong editorial image for EV concerns around expensive motorway charging, VAT added costs, range anxiety, journey planning and whether the UK charging network is keeping pace.
Chester services sits at Junction 14 of the M56, serving drivers travelling between Cheshire, North Wales, Merseyside, Warrington and Greater Manchester. Roadside charging hubs are vital for people who cannot rely only on home charging, but public charging can feel costly compared with domestic electricity. UK campaigns have highlighted the difference between VAT on home electricity and VAT applied to public EV charging, often described as unfair for drivers without driveways, private parking or access to a home charger. That issue links this image to debates about the driveway divide, charging affordability, public infrastructure and equal access to cleaner transport.
The photograph also works as a practical illustration of range anxiety. Even where chargers are visible, drivers still worry about queueing, reliability, speed, payment systems and the true cost of a motorway stop. The clean green branding, blue sky and tidy bays suggest modern low-carbon motoring, while the LOW MEDIUM bay marking reminds viewers that not all chargers deliver the same convenience as high-power rapid hubs. This makes the image commercially useful for articles on GRIDSERVE, Roadchef, EV charging policy, motorway services, public charging VAT, electric cars, net zero transport, charging network coverage, consumer confidence and the realities of switching from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles.
Public EV charging bays at Chester services show low and medium speed options on the GRIDSERVE netwo
Description
Keywords: GoTonySmith,@HotpixUK,M6,North West England,UK,traffic delay,traffic delays,congestion,accident,Motorway accident,road congestion,M1,M3,M4,M5,M72,M9,M90,M56,M40,M42,M62,M60,M53,England,Scotland,delays,long delays,cars,trucks,transport,lorry,lorries,stopped,motorway roadworks,traffic congestion,northbound,southbound
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy PE1J54 - . This location-led image documents the setting around M6, Stoke-on-Trent, UK, in a 2018 record. The source caption identifies Motorway traffic at a standstill M6, evening traffic delays, North West England, UK. The photograph carries associations with surface transport, strategic road network, roadside environment, road connectivity, road transport, transport planning, road safety, vehicle access, local transport, motor traffic, urban mobility, and highway infrastructure. The wider contemporary story of regional identity now includes business turnover alongside altered public space, while policy and investment increasingly consider before-and-after study. Small period details preserved at M6, Stoke-on-Trent, UK may become historically important as commercial occupants, public services, infrastructure and the built environment change, making the image useful for retrospective editorial coverage. The resulting scene connects with junction design, vehicle movement, motorway travel, traffic management, highway services, roadside commerce. Associated details include traffic jam, stationary, traffic jams, Motorway accidents, Motorway delays, long delay. Other relevant facets include road engineering, and transport corridor. Seen from a 2025-onward perspective, social history also connects with business turnover, altered public space and efforts aimed at a clearer record of local change. The combination preserved here provides evidence of planning and redevelopment, social change, historic fabric, everyday services, and movement through the area in a form that can be compared with later photographs. As the location changes, the frame remains a reference for transport patterns, neighbourhood identity, architecture and streetscape, public access, and ownership or occupation as an authentic period reference. That gives this view of M6, Stoke-on-Trent, UK continuing value for local history, retrospective reporting and visual comparison.
M6, Stoke-on-Trent, UK
Description
Keywords: electric,car,cars,charger,chargers,area,motorway,service,area,in,the,UK,GB,Europe,eco,battery,powered,quick,station,electric,super,supercharge,tesla,transport,transportation,united,us,USA,vehicle,M1,M2,M3,M4,M5,Electric car,United Kingdom,Great Britain,charging station,gotonysmith,sued,fight,rollout,highway,rest,stops,Moto,welcome,break,British,English,Scottish,Hybrid,Ecotricity,Group,providers,Antitrust,claim,Anti-trust,anti,trust,Tech,Vehicles,Palo Alto,California,Energy,white,ready,to,be,installed,part,part-installed,logo,tarmac,M74,M9,M60,M61,M62,M42,M11,M18,M20,M23,M26,M27,M32,M40,M48,M49,M50,M53,M54,M55,M56,M58,M69,M73,M80,M90,M602,M606,A1M,GoTonySmith,buy pictures of,roll out,roll-out,Tesla Motors Inc,Highway Rest Stops,Welcome Break,U.K.,Electric-car,clean energy,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy EYPFFA - Tesla, following the settlement of a long-running legal case, is finally going to bring some Superchargers to the UK's motorways. Seven new Supercharging stations, all located at motorway service stations, are now in the process of being built, with more coming soon.
Heretofore, Tesla's somewhat anaemic Supercharger roll-out in the UK had mostly been located in cities
not exactly the ideal place to charge up your car for a long-distance drive. Some Superchargers were located near a motorway or main road, but not in motorway service stations.
As reported by Engadget, the dearth of motorway Superchargers was apparently due to a legal dispute between Tesla and Ecotricity, a UK-based company that already had a large number of electric vehicle charging points across the country, including exclusivity deals at motorway service stations.
According to a few newspaper and website reports, Tesla approached Ecotricity prior to the launch of right-hand-drive Model S in the UK, to try and strike some kind of deal to get Supercharging stations into motorway service stations. Seemingly, at some point that deal turned sour, with Ecotricity's founder saying back in May 2014 that this is nothing more than an attempted smash and grab raid. Soon after, both companies hunkered down in litigation land, suing and countersuing each other. This week they finally reached an out-of-court settlement.
Yesterday, somewhat suspiciously and/or coincidentally, both Tesla and Ecotricity published very similar blog posts. Neither post referenced the other company, instead focusing on their commitment to grow their UK electric vehicle charging networks. While the details of the settlement are confidential, given that Tesla is now allowed to build Superchargers at motorway service stations, it would appear to have got its way.
Abingdon,M74, Scotland
Description
Keywords: electric,car,cars,charger,chargers,area,motorway,service,area,in,the,UK,GB,Europe,eco,battery,powered,quick,station,electric,super,supercharging,tesla,transport,transportation,united,us,USA,vehicle,M1,M2,M3,M4,M5,Electric car,United Kingdom,Great Britain,charging station,gotonysmith,sued,fight,rollout,highway,rest,stops,Moto,welcome,break,British,English,Scottish,Hybrid,Ecotricity,Group,providers,Antitrust,claim,Anti-trust,anti,trust,Tech,Vehicles,Palo Alto,California,Energy,white,ready,to,be,installed,part,part-installed,logo,tarmac,M74,M9,M60,M61,M62,M42,M11,M18,M20,M23,M26,M27,M32,M40,M48,M49,M50,M53,M54,M55,M56,M58,M69,M73,M80,M90,M602,M606,A1M,GoTonySmith,buy pictures of,roll out,roll-out,Tesla Motors Inc,Highway Rest Stops,Welcome Break,U.K.,Electric-car,clean energy,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy EYPFFC - Tesla, following the settlement of a long-running legal case, is finally going to bring some Superchargers to the UK's motorways. Seven new Supercharging stations, all located at motorway service stations, are now in the process of being built, with more coming soon.
Heretofore, Tesla's somewhat anaemic Supercharger roll-out in the UK had mostly been located in cities
not exactly the ideal place to charge up your car for a long-distance drive. Some Superchargers were located near a motorway or main road, but not in motorway service stations.
As reported by Engadget, the dearth of motorway Superchargers was apparently due to a legal dispute between Tesla and Ecotricity, a UK-based company that already had a large number of electric vehicle charging points across the country, including exclusivity deals at motorway service stations.
According to a few newspaper and website reports, Tesla approached Ecotricity prior to the launch of right-hand-drive Model S in the UK, to try and strike some kind of deal to get Supercharging stations into motorway service stations. Seemingly, at some point that deal turned sour, with Ecotricity's founder saying back in May 2014 that this is nothing more than an attempted smash and grab raid. Soon after, both companies hunkered down in litigation land, suing and countersuing each other. This week they finally reached an out-of-court settlement.
Yesterday, somewhat suspiciously and/or coincidentally, both Tesla and Ecotricity published very similar blog posts. Neither post referenced the other company, instead focusing on their commitment to grow their UK electric vehicle charging networks. While the details of the settlement are confidential, given that Tesla is now allowed to build Superchargers at motorway service stations, it would appear to have got its way.
Abingdon,M74, Scotland
Description
Keywords: Gatso,speed,camera,A49,Stockton,Heath,Warrington,Appleton,Stretton,Night,nightshot,shot,dusk,UK,Cheshire,M56,J10,junction10,tripod,tripod shot,long,exposure,long exposure,working,cameras,speedcamera,england,gb,britain,tonysmith,tony,smith,interesting,place,places,noche,nuit,hotpix!
Description: Tony Smith image Flickr 3810481117 - 'A Subaru caught by a Gatso, A49 in the 40mph stretch, near golf club.
Gatso speed cameras use radar technology to measure speed, a photo of the back of the vehicle is taken.
Gatso is the brand that Gatsometer BV use on their traffic enforcement cameras, most notably their speed cameras and red light cameras. The most commonly encountered Gatso speed cameras emit radar beams to measure the speed of the vehicle. If it is travelling above the preset trigger speed, one or two photographs are taken (depending on the device's setting, which generally depends on the requirements of the local jurisdiction).
These use a powerful flash, to show the rear of the vehicle, its registration plate, and calibration lines on the road (in many jurisdictions). Newer installations used digital cameras which have limited exposure latitude compared to wet film, these installations use an auxiliary flash placed close to the position where a speeding vehicle would exit the radar beam and the first photograph would be taken
Warrington's most famous attraction here www.flickr.com/photos/hotpixuk/4084316490/
(c) Hotpix / HotpixUK Tony Smith - Hotpix.freeserve.co.uk WDCC
',
Description
Keywords: @HotpixUK,HotpixUK,GoTonySmith,@HotpixUk,M56,M62 delays J11-J12 Delays,England,UK,signs,sign,Lymm,Thorn,North West,evening,M62,cars,travel,transport,trucks,logistics,delay,delays,slow,Motorway,congestion,jams,jam,east,eastbound,exit,junction,junctions,night,dusk,roads,road
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2AFFFHE - . This period scene at M56, Arley Rd, Appleton Thorn, Warrington,Cheshire,England,UK, WA4 4RW in 2019 provides a visual reference to the named subject and the wider commercial, social, cultural or physical environment around it. The view centres on M56,M62 delays J11-J12 Delays,North West Motorways,England,UK. The image connects the immediate subject with visual regulation, local transport, historical comparison, operational signage, public-facing notice, rule enforcement, visitor instruction, community identity, period detail, roadside environment, public information notice, venue rules, contemporary social history, and safety messaging. In the mid-2020s, active travel and road safety keep the subject current, particularly through how road layouts influence local access and development. The subject remains useful for current coverage of venue policy and liability, not least because of how public spaces communicate rules quickly and visibly. For later comparison, the image retains the relationship between the subject and its surroundings as seen at M56, Arley Rd, Appleton Thorn, Warrington,Cheshire,England,UK, WA4 4RW. A second layer of the scene includes customer guidance, documentary photography, access-control notice, urban mobility, historic context, transport corridor, changing land use, and highway infrastructure. References to delays, J11-J12, and Motorways help fix the photograph to its own subject and period rather than reducing it to a generic view. For M56, Arley Rd, Appleton Thorn, Warrington,Cheshire,England,UK, WA4 4RW, the photograph contributes to a cumulative visual history in which changes in use, signs, access and appearance can be traced over time. The image also provides a reference for active travel and balancing vehicle movement with safer streets within the specific setting of M56, Arley Rd, Appleton Thorn, Warrington,Cheshire,England,UK, WA4 4RW.
M56, Arley Rd, Appleton Thorn, Warrington,Cheshire,England,UK, WA4 4RW
Description
Keywords: electric,car,cars,charger,chargers,area,motorway,service,area,in,the,UK,GB,Europe,eco,powered,quick,station,electric,super,supercharge,supercharging,tesla,transport,transportation,united,us,USA,vehicle,M1,M2,M3,M4,M5,Electric car,United Kingdom,Great Britain,charging station,gotonysmith,sued,fight,rollout,highway,rest,stops,Moto,welcome,break,British,English,Scottish,Hybrid,Ecotricity,Group,providers,Antitrust,claim,Anti-trust,anti,trust,Tech,Vehicles,Palo Alto,California,Energy,white,ready,to,be,installed,part,part-installed,logo,tarmac,M74,M9,M60,M61,M62,M42,M11,M18,M20,M23,M26,M27,M32,M40,M48,M49,M50,M53,M54,M55,M56,M58,M69,M73,M80,M90,M602,M606,A1M,orange,build,builders,barriers,GoTonySmith,buy pictures of,roll out,roll-out,Tesla Motors Inc,Highway Rest Stops,Welcome Break,U.K.,Electric-car,clean energy,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy EYPFF9 - Tesla, following the settlement of a long-running legal case, is finally going to bring some Superchargers to the UK's motorways. Seven new Supercharging stations, all located at motorway service stations, are now in the process of being built, with more coming soon.
Heretofore, Tesla's somewhat anaemic Supercharger roll-out in the UK had mostly been located in cities
not exactly the ideal place to charge up your car for a long-distance drive. Some Superchargers were located near a motorway or main road, but not in motorway service stations.
As reported by Engadget, the dearth of motorway Superchargers was apparently due to a legal dispute between Tesla and Ecotricity, a UK-based company that already had a large number of electric vehicle charging points across the country, including exclusivity deals at motorway service stations.
According to a few newspaper and website reports, Tesla approached Ecotricity prior to the launch of right-hand-drive Model S in the UK, to try and strike some kind of deal to get Supercharging stations into motorway service stations. Seemingly, at some point that deal turned sour, with Ecotricity's founder saying back in May 2014 that this is nothing more than an attempted smash and grab raid. Soon after, both companies hunkered down in litigation land, suing and countersuing each other. This week they finally reached an out-of-court settlement.
Yesterday, somewhat suspiciously and/or coincidentally, both Tesla and Ecotricity published very similar blog posts. Neither post referenced the other company, instead focusing on their commitment to grow their UK electric vehicle charging networks. While the details of the settlement are confidential, given that Tesla is now allowed to build Superchargers at motorway service stations, it would appear to have got its way.
Abingdon,M74, Scotland
