1971: Queen Elizabeth II Officiates at the Opening of a Motorway Service Area

 October 14, 1971

In northwestern England’s ceremonial county of Lancashire, a motorway service area (MSA) in the civil parish of Anderton was opened to the public. This MSA is specifically located between the junctions 6 and 8 for the motorway M61.

MSAs are facilities in the United Kingdom and Ireland where drivers and their passengers can exit from a motorway for reasons such as refueling their motor vehicles; getting something to eat and drink; making restroom visits; and simply taking a break from traveling.

The MSA at Anderton – formally named Anderton Services – was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), who unveiled a plaque specially created for the occasion. Hundreds of people turned out for this event.

Anderson Services has undergone a couple of name changes over the years. This facility was renamed Rivington Services and then Bolton West Motorway Services. Eventually, however, that name for the MSA was changed back to Rivington Services. (The accompanying photo of this MSA was taken in 2008.) Rivington Services is operated by the company EG On the Move.

Photo Credit: Alexander  P Kapp / Bolton West Motorway Services / CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en)

For more information on motorway service areas in the United Kingdom, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motorway_service_areas_in_the_United_Kingdom