The Humer Unbeam Interesting Filling Stations Thread
Discussion
DickyC said:
I worked there for 12 miserable months after I finished Sixth Form! Two minutes down the road in Marshfield there are a couple of interesting old working filling stations - I posted them in this thread a while back. Drums said:
I worked there for 12 miserable months after I finished Sixth Form! Two minutes down the road in Marshfield there are a couple of interesting old working filling stations - I posted them in this thread a while back.
Yes, there's quite a rich seam of stations round there, Drums. McAndy has suggested Box, a bit to the south east of there, as an area to investigate. Petrol pump attendant, hmm. I did several stints both after leaving school and as a young married man. It's not the most rewarding of professions.
DickyC said:
Petrol pump attendant, hmm. I did several stints both after leaving school and as a young married man. It's not the most rewarding of professions.
Me too in my teens on and off for years. Good memories of filling Zippos with two star, a bloke on a pushbike demanding a fill up, and knowing who gave tips! Learned how to get to know a total stranger in 3 mins.Great times
The memories that stand out for me weren't good at the time but made good anecdotes. One spell of being a pump hand was during the oil crisis. There was panic buying and personal stockpiles of fuel; all sorts of dodgy things going on. When we had fuel we had a queue of a cars we tried to get through as quickly as possible. A car pulled away, another pulled up and the lady driver said, "Fill it up, please." I put the gun in, pulled the trigger and got covered from head to foot in petrol. I said, "It's full. How far have you come?" "From the previous filling station. I saw the queue and thought I'd top up."
Thanks. Thanks a lot.
Thanks. Thanks a lot.
My first day (Saturday) as a pump attendant coincided with an announcement about a petrol shortage the evening before. I opened the garage and there was a queue, I couldn't see the end of in either direction all day. My Dad came down to fill his car and stayed to help - he filled the cars and I took the money as he didn't know how to use the till. One customer asked Dad to check his oil and water - the response was pretty sharp "I'm a customer here myself, check your own oil!". That customer did keep coming back every week.
Quite a baptism for a 16 year old!
Quite a baptism for a 16 year old!
Learn2MergeInTurn said:
Haydons in Andover,
Used to be a repairs garage and a filling station!
Apologies for the terrible photos I was kicked off the hand within seconds of taking these pictures, bloody curtain twitchers
If your ever in Andover I recommend a look round the outside, very interesting.
Edit; I did upload more photos but can't seem to get it to work
In reply to the garage in Goldhanger, see this location below. I'm certain it is the same place.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7460701,0.757597...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7460701,0.757597...
cml24 said:
In reply to the garage in Goldhanger, see this location below. I'm certain it is the same place.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7460701,0.757597...
Looks like the neighbouring house alright - well spotted!https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7460701,0.757597...
The garage above at Flimwell was - for many years - a coach operator, but may well have grown from a forecourt business.
In another thread Westerham was mentioned, and I went looking for the old Wolfe Garage (which started in the stables of the Inn), and here it is in 1959 (link to community Flickr album);
https://www.flickr.com/photos/westerhamtown/125598...
- apparently later a Barclays Bank and now a hospice shop (5 Market Square);
https://www.flickr.com/photos/westerhamtown/125598...
- apparently later a Barclays Bank and now a hospice shop (5 Market Square);
Just my luck to have a satnav with a sense of humour. It insists on guiding me along ludicrously narrow roads when, had I bothered to look at a map, I could have travelled in comfort along regular roads and taken five minutes longer. On Thursday, however, I forgave it because I was introduced to Finkley, a hamlet a couple of miles North East of Andover that I wouldn't otherwise ever have visited.
A return visit in better weather with a decent car to photograph in the foreground is on the list.
A return visit in better weather with a decent car to photograph in the foreground is on the list.
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