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	ICafe Confessional: 2468 Motorway - It's the Square Deal Cafe

The Square Deal Cafe was on the A4 at Knowl Hill, west of Maidenhead. Before the advent of the M4, it was a bikers' juke box cafe in the typical style, which, as the rider of a diminutive BSA Bantam, I found rather intimidating. The opening of the first section of M4 from London to Maidenhead must have given trade a boost, as it would have been the last watering hole before "doing the ton" into London. The strange car in the photo is a 1959 Buckler Racing Prototype, which I was driving on the road at that time (the person is a fellow Buckler owner). Also, in the Reading area in the early 1960's was a cafe called the Cafe Ole. I think this was situated in the London Road at Reading, fairly close to the town centre. It was rough and ready but a very popular meeting up place before heading out to pub or party. Seemed to take a mix of moped, scooter and bike riders, without causing any trouble, remembering that this was in the days of the Mods and Rockers gang fights. The photo was taken in about 1980 when the cafe seemed to be in its death throes. I don't know the current status, but with the return of motorcycling as a recreation, it may have found new lease of life...   Malcolm

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