Thread by @imaginari_es, Day 100 of #petrolstationsImperial (W. Eves)R.E. Stothard, Lockton, North Yorks, 1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49721099303/A [...]

Day 100 of #petrolstations

Imperial (W. Eves)

R.E. Stothard, Lockton, North Yorks, 1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49721099303/

A photo that means a lot to me—here I am, 11th birthday, with Bob the border terrier, in Lockton village, with a '20s Bowser pump. The garage is now @Locktontearooms

And, reaching Day 100 of this incredibly niche set of tweets, I want to say: when I started this back in December, as a kind of Christmas diversion, I had no idea that 3 months later it would be become a way of keeping a kind of sanity and connection with the past amidst the fear

and uncertainty of this very strange locked-in era we're in. When I stood there smiling in that photo, could I ever have imagined one day somehow sharing that photo with thousands of people, while trapped in a house on another continent, thousands of miles away from my family?

Anyway: there will be summers again. That's maybe what I really want to say.

The other thing: clearly, I should have been threading these #petrolstations tweets, but I didn't. So, here's the first 100 https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%22%23petrolstations%22%20from%3Aimaginari_es%20since%3A2019-12-01%20until%3A2020-04-01&src=typd&lang=en and from now on, I'll thread them!

https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%22%23petrolstations%22%20from%3Aimaginari_es%20since%3A2019-12-01%20until%3A2020-04-01&src=typd&lang=en

Day 101 of #petrolstations

UK

Old Town Garage, Beaconsfield, Bucks 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16084695587/

An old high street garage; it had just stopped selling petrol at time of the photo. UK had about 860 outlets in 1999, mostly small.

Now @AJDunlopCarServ—run by the town's mayor!

Day 102 of #petrolstations

Margram

Honley Filling Station, Honley, W Yorks 1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264141605/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16076611778/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49727985336/

Very 80s 'speed lines' logo from Margram—a developer of service stations & motorway services; here using their own brand

useful info here on Margram from @mwayservices https://twitter.com/mwayservices/status/1245768102006206464

https://twitter.com/mwayservices/status/1245768102006206464

Day 103 of #petrolstations

Lion, 1989 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15641717454/ & BFL, 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230801966/

Station Road Garage, Halwill Junction, Devon

Lion Petroleum was based in Topsham, supplying mostly small rural garages. BFL was a privatised descendant of the National Coal Board

Day 104 of #petrolstations

Summit

Bond's Garage, Barkway, Herts 2005 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16244485036/

An amazing survivor—1930s Wayne pumps + 1960s Summit globes. Summit, with a "lower half of union jack as an

" logo, was a brand of Herts & Beds Petroleum, bought by Ultramar in 1968.

Day 105 of #petrolstations

Proteus

Tripp Hill Garage, Fittleworth, W Sussex, 2000 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16076663948/

Neat rural garage that doesn't look too different 20 years on (per other photos online). Proteus was 2nd petrol venture of former Aston Martin chairman Victor Gauntlett.

Day 106 of #petrolstations

Anglo

Betwyns Garage, Station Rd, Goring, Oxon 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16185242687/

Small village Rover dealer, 100m from where "Bomber" Harris retired. The garage building contained a historic barn revealed, during demolition in 2005 http://www.historicenvironment.co.uk/reports/oxon/betwyns.pdf

Day 107 of #petrolstations

Shell

Princetown Garage, Dartmoor, Devon 1989 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15647992484/

Retaining a 1960s (pre-Raymond Loewy) Shell sign well into the 1990s, this was one of few petrol stations in the centre of Dartmoor. New Green Shield stamps & Air Miles on offer.

Day 108 of #petrolstations

National

Modurdy'r Wyddfa, Llanberis, Gwynedd 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16262362441

BP phased out National, with its 'Mercury' logo, in the 80s in England & Wales, but revived it in 1999—with darker blue—for distributors to use on smaller, mostly rural sites.

Day 109 of #petrolstations

Pace

George Marriott, Buckingham, Bucks 1997 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078067679/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15641765074/

Q8 revived the Pace brand in the 1990s, for use by smaller dealers like this garage just off Buckingham's historic market square.

Day 110 of #petrolstations

Galgate Service Station, Barnard Castle, Co Durham https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16084695427/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16270562195/

A 2-part garage, either side of the street on Barnard Castle's Galgate. Note the swing arms out over the pavement for the hoses. Unbranded—former Burmah

p.s. while we're in Barnard Castle, it's worth re-upping a mystery location—does anyone recognise where this one was? https://twitter.com/imaginari_es/status/1228436573286543362

https://twitter.com/imaginari_es/status/1228436573286543362

Day 111 of #petrolstations

Burmah

Bennett's Garage, Ewhurst, Surrey, c.1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49762216913/

An extract from Burmah People magazine showing a wonderful floral display. The garage was in an unlikely place to have survived into the 1990s—Wyndrums, a 17th century house.

Day 112 of #petrolstations

BP

Ad from Garage & Motor Agent magazine,July 1973 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49766359683/

How self-service petrol was introduced to many in the UK—these very 2001-esque slimline interfaces. It seems surprising, but it was 1989 before self-service was the majority.

Day 113 of #petrolstations

Q8

Beaulieu Garage, Beaulieu, Hampshire 1997 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078080009/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16262382261/

A beautiful location, next to the Beaulieu River, with New Forest ponies grazing on the verge opposite. The 'pub sign' variant of the Q8 logo is a nice touch

Day 114 of #petrolstations

BP

Exford Service Station, Exmoor, Somerset, 1998 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069324750/

A very neat (1930s?) building constructed for an era of narrower cars, deep in @ExmoorNP. This later switched to BP's revived National brand, before closing in the early 2000s.

Day 115 of #petrolstations

Bulldog

Curtis Bros & Co, Lakenheath, Suffolk, 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069113918/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230746416/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230744916/

An old village cycle shop & garage. Bulldog—based in Halstead, Essex—was taken over by Carless (and they, in turn, by Repsol)

my old Reliant Kitten in the photo there—designed by Peter Stevens when he was at @Ogle_Models / @OgleNoor—one of the most fun and practical cars I've ever owned. I miss those days.

Day 116 of #petrolstations

Sky Petroleum ad, 1973 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49786275476/

Sky's best known for a court case during the '73/4 Oil Crisis, in which it forced VIP (owned by Armand Hammer's Oxy) to keep supplying it with fuel. The "wing & crown" logo here is a bit over-elaborate.

Day 117 of #petrolstations

RP (Roberts Petroleum)

Just Desserts, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264207205/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264207245/

An ice cream parlour in a former garage, with two 1960s Avery Hardoll pumps outside. Now Woodlands Café https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264207245/

Day 118 of #petrolstations

Pace

Walton Road Garage, East Molesey, Surrey 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15644289143/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16238267256/

I love the umbrella—hesitate to categorise it as #jugaad, but close. Also the Maserati before Surrey was full of them. In 1994, an idiosyncratic choice

Day 119 of #petrolstations

Burmah "The Curlytop" paper hat, 1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49795899567/

These simple die-cut paper hats used to be everywhere. Here it's promoting Burmah's final logo, the Burmese chinthe—as still seen outside Wakefield House in Swindon https://goo.gl/maps/N9CxTUGA8nR7BtqG9

Day 120 of #petrolstations

As oil prices collapse, here's a mini-thread of '90s petrol receipts—a lot of graphic design went into these, before ubiquitous thermal printers

Some iconic logos—Mobil (Tom Geismar), Repsol (Wolff Olins), Elf (Jean-Marc Chaillet), BP (Raymond Loewy)

The handwritten (& blank) ones mostly came from childhood holidays, road trips, happy memories of sunny days. Lots of garages were happy to give a little kid a blank receipt. Printed ones are mostly from a bin bag full of them I found next to a railway track in S. London in 2003

Some of the names we see here—Save, Butler, Lion, Anglo, Bulldog, Heron, Burmah—have disappeared, or hang on tentatively (e.g. Proteus, Flare) long after the companies behind them have gone or changed direction.

There are many more, which I'll add at some point (and put these on Flickr too), but I just wanted to draw attention to these almost completely overlooked examples of everyday design, chronicling trends and prices and priorities of a vanishing world.

Day 121 of #petrolstations

Nafta

Hillside Garage, Martley, Worcs 1992 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264177725/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16262360401/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16262360331/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16263346872/

Nafta—with 'Nafmix' 3-star—was the brand used by the USSR's Soyuznefteeksport for its small British operation

Day 122 of #petrolstations

BP

Taunton Road Service Station, Bridgwater, Somerset, 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070567089/

After BP and Mobil merged their European marketing in 1996, most examples of Eliot Noyes' distinctive 1960s Mobil canopy disappeared quickly, but BP rebranded some.

Day 123 of #petrolstations

Avia

Hayscastle Cross, Pembrokeshire 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16254930561/

This garage pumped its last sometime in the previous century. @AVIAINTL is a brand across mainland Europe—a network of independent companies—but the UK members left by the early 90s

Day 124 of #petrolstations

Thames

Melbourn Garage, Cambs 2002 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16082720300/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16244159606/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16082557728/

Thames was chaired by radiation biologist Professor Patricia Lindop, one of the organisers of the Pugwash Conferences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Lindop

Thames even used to advertise in the BMJ, offering discounts on domestic heating oil to the medical profession.

The Thames name lives on in Scotland, where a management buyout in 1997 led to a successful chain which is now part of Highland Fuels https://www.highlandfuels.co.uk/commercial/commercial-fuel/

Day 125 of #petrolstations

Thames

Cally Service Station, Annan, Dumfries & Galloway, 1996 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16082719310/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16082719680/

Another Thames, here supplied by Thames (Scotland) which had a management buyout in 1997.

Day 126/7/8 of #petrolstations

From Esso Magazine, Winter 1965/6:
Industrial Design and Esso
https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49828616312/

@esso_gb @ExxonMobil_UK @designcouncil

"Based on a presentation given at the Esso refinery on Milford Haven to The Rt Hon The Earl of Snowdon and Members of the Council of Industrial Design"

Interesting claims here for the breadth & scope of industrial design, from landscaping of refineries to service station design

It looks like Belmore Service Station was where @AldiUK is now in Sevenoaks, Kent. I'm not sure about Orchard Service Station—but @ExxonMobil_UK have tweeted a photo previously https://twitter.com/ExxonMobil_UK/status/844843674118733824 —does anyone recognise it?

https://twitter.com/ExxonMobil_UK/status/844843674118733824

Day 129/130 of #petrolstations

Let's look at some revivals—what does it look like when a defunct brand is brought back?

The National Benzole Company was set up after the First World War to use benzole—a coal tar derivative which was a product of British coalfields—in motor fuel

The "Mr Mercury" logo seen above (taken at @FlambardsTP about 1998) was introduced in the late 1920s. It returned after the war, when brands were reintroduced in 1953. In 1956, Shell-Mex & BP bought the National Benzole Company, and benzole mixture fuel was gradually phased out.

A new version of the logo (now blue and yellow) accompanied dropping the 'Benzole' part of the brand, and some very 60s advertising was introduced:

Getaway People Get Super National

The new logo and bright colours were quite a powerful sight. The illustration here of the new style of branding and garage architecture is from @KA_Morrison and John Minnis's wonderful book 'Carscapes' https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300187045/carscapes @HistoricEngland

After Shell-Mex and BP split in the 1970s, National became a secondary brand for BP. The type was updated and the corners of the logo rounded (see this 1950s Beckmeter pump in Tiverton, Devon, photographed about 1990 but still with a 1950s glass National globe).

National had its own well-known promotions with the Smurfs, e.g. but also increasingly shared BP's, for example with this 1985/6 voucher for a free Schweppes Indian Tonic Water with the purchase of a Schweppes Mixer

BP phased out the National brand by the late 1980s, but there were some holdovers. The photo here of a 1980s National sign at Wych Cross, in the Ashdown Forest in 1991 shows a site that kept the brand, perhaps for trademark reasons for BP (to maintain active use?).

In Scotland, some of BP's authorised distributors started offering National to small garages during the 1990s, and by the end of the 90s, it was a common brand again across Scotland (inc. the isles) and in northern England. This 1999 receipt is from a garage in Casterton, Cumbria

Then in the late 90s, as BP moved its company-owned stations more upmarket, and set minimum volumes and standards for dealers which many smaller rural BP garages couldn't meet, the National brand was now offered to smaller dealers in England/Wales too. The blue was now darker...

as seen here (above) at Willand, Devon (1998), and (below) in Greetham, Rutland (1999), with slight drop shadow, and new striped pump decals were introduced.

How effective is it to reintroduce brands like this? Is there enough nostalgia around that people will choose a brand...

...they remember from their youth, even for something as undifferentiated as petrol? It's probably that a simple degree of recognition is worth it, even for a distress purchase. The new National image perhaps enabled many smaller garages to survive a bit longer, especially rural.

From 150 new Nationals in 2000, the numbers soon declined as BP sold its distributor businesses. Q8 and Texaco each bought part (which we'll look at tomorrow). In Scotland, it was sold to DCC plc—the Irish company which as @CertasBusiness went on to buy all the other bits as well

Remembering National Petrol.

In the 1970's National petrol stations were everywhere, BP took the decision to drop the brand. Every child of the 70's loved this brand because you got "service with a Smurf". Any picture's related...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/49840073142/

I missed a few days in the #petrolstations thread, due to a busy few days at work. But also—as one reason for doing this thread is to get me into a habit of doing a small bit of something each day, to give a model for writing—it's shown me that small 1-tweet units are...

...less intimidating than planning the kind of multi-tweet threads I've been doing recently around National. I was planning ones on other revived brands (Regent, Power, Pace, etc) but that planning itself seemed like so much work, I kept putting it off.

OK, so, let's catch up

Day 131 of #petrolstations

Texaco

East Sheen Service Station, Upper Richmond Rd, London 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16270090205/

As described in @KA_Morrison & John Minnis's 'Carscapes', "perhaps the best surviving example of an early purpose-built filling station"—1926, Grade II listed.

Day 132 of #petrolstations

Texaco/Valiant, Smiths Coaches, Corby Glen, Lincs 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16082699060/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16269737972/

Another kind of "historic Texaco"—70s sign, with a dramatic Neoplan Skyliner. Texaco's short-lived secondary brand, Valiant, is evident on the pump.

Day 133 of #petrolstations

TF, Queen's Road Garage, Newbury, Berks, 2000 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15650167053/

A friendly face on the sign! Now replaced by an ATS, this garage down a side street in Newbury was a one-off brand (not sure what TF stood for) run by a company called Lastshare Ltd

Day 134 of #petrolstations

Chisletts, Glastonbury 1996 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070633227/

I'm not sure exactly where this was in Glastonbury—an ex-BP garage, with an intriguing canopy design. Chislett's Taxis and Coaches seem to have moved to the west of the town centre in later years.

Day 135 of #petrolstations

Esso, D&D Motors, Modbury, Devon 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069991720/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16231470866/

Wonderful array of old pumps—a '30s Avery Hardoll & 4 '60s Wayne—at this Peugeot garage on a sharp bend in a south Devon village. Garage still going; pumps have gone

Day 136 of #petrolstations

Gulf, Stevens Garage, Modbury, Devon 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15634841894/

Just along from the last tweet, this garage with its coach business has now been replaced by a @coopuk shop—at first glance it looks like it's always been there! https://goo.gl/maps/6Dr1KqFsbJ1wVFWP9

Day 137 of #petrolstations

Flare, Station Garage, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, 1998 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16071155449/

Only the Flare sign (with blue part of the logo faded away) was left, next to the British Rail @_doublearrow on the approach to the station. Site now redeveloped.

Day 138 of #petrolstations

Anglo, J.P. Sibley & Son, Town Hall Garage, Bovey Tracey, Devon, 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16370220242/

An impressive selection of big Volvos here! This used to be the A382 through Bovey Tracey, one of the main routes across Dartmoor.

Day 139 of #petrolstations

UK, Hemyock Motors, Hemyock, Devon 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16268759851/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15650667853/

Opposite the ruins of 14th-century Hemyock Castle; garage now replaced by houses.

Always thought 'emyock has one of the most 'Devon' names—pleasant but dangerous

Welcome new followers! Thanks @JosephBegley & all

Day 140 of #petrolstations

Esso, Young's Garage, Woodstock, Oxon 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16071252619/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255553041/

Nearly opposite Blenheim Palace; still with 50s & 70s signage in 2001 plus a subdued Spar fascia. Now houses.

Day 141 of #petrolstations

Lion, South Molton, Devon, 1998 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15644240373/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078021289/

A casualty of the opening of the A361 North Devon Link road bypassing the town, this is now Griffin's Yard https://www.griffinsyard.co.uk "an organic and natural foods emporium"

Day 142 of #petrolstations

Bulldog, Brook Farm Garage, Bildeston, Suffolk 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15634246694/

All that was left of the petrol forecourt was this lightbox, a kind of mini-canopy over the pump island. Bulldog's arrow logo was reversible—usually pointing 'into' the garage

Day 143 of #petrolstations

EP, Codnor, Derbyshire 1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15637507913/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255566381/

By the 90s, EP was just Murco's discount brand—but in the 60s the plucky upstart European Petroleum had won a trademark infringement case brought by BP https://academic.oup.com/rpc/article/85/3/54/1607725

European Petroleum was also known in the 60s for stunts including "bikini-clad salesgirls" https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/four-bikini-clad-salesgirls-brave-near-freezing-conditions-news-photo/3267571 (photo: Getty Images) and experiments like this mobile petrol station (photo from Graham Edge's book 'A Century of Petroleum Transport')

Day 144 of #petrolstations

Q8, Bridge Garage, Bainbridge, North Yorkshire 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264199135/

A rural garage which kept its Q8 branding for at least another 12 years after this photo—long after Kuwait Petroleum had withdrawn from Britain.

Day 145 of #petrolstations

Flare, Swarthgill Service Station, Garsdale, Cumbria 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16257291905/

The colours here—tin roof, rusted, turquoise painted shed—make this a landmark in the western Yorkshire Dales. Flare (1980) is a member org for smaller fuel distributors

Day 146 of #petrolstations

Antur, Siop Y Ffrydiau, Cenarth, Pembrokeshire 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/8334283431/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/8334283993/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/8335339406/

Antur was an Elf subsidiary in west Wales (Elf co-owned Milford Haven refinery).

Fish & chips would be incredible right now.

Day 147 of #petrolstations

CYMA, between Baldock and Royston, 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16256517945/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230613806/

A bit of a decaying landmark along the A505 with its "24 Hours" lettering fading, this was already abandoned by 2001. CYMA Petroleum is now in aviation fuel.

Day 148 of #petrolstations

Burmah, Devil's Handbasin Garage, Brome, Suffolk 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070788397/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070792527/

I feel like John Peel discovered Devil's Handbasin around 1977—somewhere between prog and punk.

Burmah's (founded 1886) final logo—a Burmese chinthe

According to the Yaxley Messenger http://yaxley.onesuffolk.net/assets/Yaxley-Messenger/Oct-2019.pdf the Devil's Hand Basin was a hollowed out mortice in the stone base of a cross at crossroads which terrified horses

Filled with vinegar, the bowl became a disinfectant dip for travellers' tolls during the Plague #topical

Day 149 of #petrolstations

Q8, Rooksbridge Garage, Somerset 1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078333097/

An early 80s Honda Accord(?) joins the XJS and Fords. Before the M5's impact hit, the A38 from Bristol to Taunton had a lot of small garages and transport cafés—almost a British Route 66.

Day 150 of #petrolstations

Avia, Agrimotors, Merton, Devon 1988/94 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15634347594/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255928412/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16254906911/

A great little garage—now also the village shop and post office https://www.facebook.com/agrimotorsofmerton/

Younger me was pretty happy here in 1988!

Day 151 of #petrolstations

MOCO, KB Tyres, Collier's End, Hertfordshire 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264148185/

MOCO I think originally stood for Machin Oil Company. The brand was in East Anglia & north-east of London, run by CRM Fuels of Loughton. Taken over by British Benzol around 1996

Day 152 of #petrolstations

Quest / BFL, Brighton Garage, Brighton Cross, Cornwall, c1993 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264198825/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078332807/

An independent garage on what was once the A39. I think this is a different Quest to a company operating in Shropshire in the 80s.

Day 153 of #petrolstations

Broadland Fuels, Diss, Norfolk 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255628602/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15636575713/

Broadland Fuels, with its windmill logo, adopted Phoenix's colour scheme (and many of its dealers) after that company was sold to Total. Later taken over by @NWFFuels

Day 154 of #petrolstations

Little David, Dennington, Suffolk, 2005 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15641717844/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15641718324/

I love the Guinness for Strength sign in the window, and the 1972 Ford Transit minibus for sale, £700 as far as I can read.

Now a house called "The Old Stores".

Day 155 of #petrolstations

Rocky, Thornwood Filling Station, Epping, Essex 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078086109/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16263374482/

An independent garage with its own home-made brand. This was one of the rare places where someone came out and shouted at me while I took the photos!

Day 156 of #petrolstations

Sotro, Kersey, Suffolk 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15647628384/

The logo was only on the back of the pump by 1995—but luckily someone took a photo in 1975 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/petrol-station-in-the-suffolk-village-of-kersey-circa-1975-news-photo/106559714

Sotro was part of Thames, chaired by Patricia Esdale of Pugwash conference fame

Day 157 of #petrolstations

BWOC / ex-Gulf, Little Torrington, Devon 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069077868/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16071097689/

A windy hilltop above the River Torridge. Gulf Oil GB was sold to Shell in 1998 and here BWOC—Bob Wayne's Oil Co of Weston-super-Mare—had become the supplier

Day 158 of #petrolstations

Little David, Hillside Garage, Bungay, Suffolk 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15644241613/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16264139085/

Lovely 1995 scene with Commer Spacevan, dandelions, and an attractive post-war building with huge windows—luckily it's survived https://hillside-garage.com

Day 159 of #petrolstations

Cleveland, G Andrew & Sons, Woolfardisworthy (Woolsery), Devon 1989 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255743142/

A 50s sign still in place in this wonderfully named village until the early 90s. Cleveland—famous for its Discol alcohol fuel—was phased out by Esso in 1973.

Day 160 of #petrolstations

Roberts Petroleum, Tudor Garage, Aston-on-Trent, Derbyshire 1986/93 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16078088519 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15641785774

First photo (1986) was sent to me by Q8 in early 90s, but the garage looked no different when I visited in 1993. Hand-cranked pumps!

sorry, Twitter posted the photos in opposite order to what I intended. The shot of the whole garage is the 86 one. While I'm doing two tweets, I should note that Q8 had long phased out the RP brand by 1993—the garage was actually supplied by 3D Petroleum, run by some ex-RP people

Day 161 of #petrolstations

BFL, Pritchard & Sons, Llandrindod Wells 1998 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255875912/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255878352/

An amazing art deco-ish 1929 garage. The Rootes Group lettering—Commer, Hillman, Humber, Sunbeam (no Singer, so perhaps pre-1956) has been preserved.

Day 162 of #petrolstations

Butler, Yarcombe Coachworks, Yarcombe, Devon, 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15634207424

Just in Devon, on the A30 east of Honiton. The garage had an lozenge-shaped British Leyland sign on a pole up right up to the 2000s, which of course I never photographed.

Day 163 of #petrolstations

Butler, Horningsham, Wiltshire 1996 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070782617/

Just a little brick kiosk with two pumps—adjacent to the Longleat Estate—on a summer day in 1996. That's a VW Polo Plaza, a dealer special edition with sunroof & pinstripes, fondly remembered

Day 164 of #petrolstations

Burmah, Haddocks Hyundai, Fox Street, Essex, 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230731926/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070500909/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070787377/

Last days of the Burmah 'barrel' logo; the fuel business was bought by Save Service Stations in 1995. Note the Hyundai Scoupé.

Day 165 of #petrolstations

Brobot, Smiths Garage, Pinwall, Leicestershire 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230749776/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069285610/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255629932/

Brobot ran a chain of large Jet-branded service stations inc the dramatic Corby Southern Gateway, but also had their own brand

Day 166 of #petrolstations

Gulf, Bridge St Garage, Ipplepen, Devon 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16256436172/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255404611/

Gulf Oil (GB) was sold to Shell in 1997, but here the brand—via local distributor Heltor—was still on show on an array of 70s pumps. Metro+CR-X look appealing

Day 167 of #petrolstations

Greenway Petroleum, Larkfield, Kent 1997 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16071085919/

A lot going on here on the A20—the c1350 Wealden Hall opposite the TVR dealer (WLA Specialist Cars) with a one-off petrol brand. At this remove, Tasmin and Sherpa seem equally appealing

Day 168 of #petrolstations

BFL, Tal-y-Bont Garage, Tal-y-Bont, Conwy 2001 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16254882491/

Now converted into quite a distinctive house.

BFL—privatised offshoot of National Coal Board.

Note how different Montego estate & Maestro van were, despite being closely related

Day 169 of #petrolstations

H Ballard & Son, Welshpool 1998 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16070842357/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16254609331/

Both 1920s garage https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/85259/details/ballards-garage-union-street-welshpool#site-details & ex-Rover, ex-Burmah site are still there. Kwik Save is now Sainsbury's.

What would a JG Ballardian service station look like?

Day 170 of #petrolstations

Swan, Forge Garage, Aston-on-Clun, Shropshire 1998 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16270413845/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/8334279891/

Still going http://www.forgegarage.biz next to Kangaroo Inn http://www.thekangarooinn.co.uk/#/home/4553745351

Swan Petroleum—now owned by @NWFFuels
Note the old Amoco logo on pump

Day 171 of #petrolstations

Proteus, Mac's Automobile Service, Windlesham, Surrey 2000 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16238275176/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15644297093/

Amidst the celebrity haunts of Windlesham is this refreshingly down-to-earth garage @MacsAutomobile

By this point Proteus was owned by Texaco.

Day 172 of #petrolstations

Southern Counties, Hillcrest Garage, St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex 2000 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16269590402/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16244486456/

Southern Counties Fuels, now part of @CertasBusiness, used this hot air balloon logo for a while in the 90s.

What's the gold car?

Day 173 of #petrolstations

Valiant sign at Murco, Richard Dear, Horncastle, Lincs 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16084697077/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16083035908/

Valiant, with an oddly sad-looking knight, was a short-lived brand that Texaco created in the early 80s for its authorised distributors to use.

Day 174 of #petrolstations

UK, Poundsgate, Dartmoor, Devon 1996 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16244634706/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16083034798/

Delightful wooden UK sign for this tiny garage in @dartmoornpa—I think it closed by the early '00s. This was once the A384—interesting history https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A384

Day 175 of #petrolstations

A Little David-branded Avery-Hardoll pump, Ford P100 + my finger on the lens at Greens Motorcycles, Beccles, Suffolk 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15641718094/

The large Esso station reflected in the window has gone, but Greens have survived https://greensmotorcycles.com/

Day 176 of #petrolstations

Anglo, Sellick's Garage, Ellacombe, Torquay, Devon 1989 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15751128983/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16370220552/

Thanks to people on Facebook, I found out this delightful garage in a residential street was an early base for animal welfare charity @AIDIPPLEPEN

Day 177 of #petrolstations

Bulldog, old A12, Stratford St Mary, Suffolk 1995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16255814822/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16256644985/

1995 was—I believe—the final year when it was legal to sell petrol in gallons in the UK; most garages had converted their pumps to litres by late 1980s

Day 178 of #petrolstations

Evoco, Longdowns Service Station, Penryn, Cornwall 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16071477467/

Evoco, based in Combe Martin, with its "Shopper" brand, was a fixture on both N & S coasts of Devon & Cornwall in the 80s/90s. I associate it with sunny days and ice cream

as a bonus, here's a sticker they sent me in 1988 when I wrote to the company as a 6-year old enclosing a drawing of an imaginary Evoco garage

Day 180 of #petrolstations

Cucumber Plants: Anglo, Bridestowe Garage, Devon 1994 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16183730770/

Bypassed the year before by a new bit of A30, this must've pretty rapidly gone from a viable business, especially in summer, to a quiet backwater. Cucumbers didn't save it.

oops, that should've been Day 179.

Day 180 of #petrolstations

British Benzol, B&M Motors, Amersham, Bucks 2000 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069143348/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16230765786/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16069304970/

I saw Geoffrey Palmer filling up here once. Not sure why late-era British Benzol dropped British from pole signs but nowhere else?

Day 181 of #petrolstations

Team Spirit, Kemp Brothers, Seaford, Sussex 2006 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16083078460/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16268642631/

Quite a powerful logo in the late afternoon Sussex summer sun, in a time that feels like a dream

Compare older green/yellow logo https://twitter.com/imaginari_es/status/1230873118350233600

Day 182 of #petrolstations

Somerfield, Spalding, Lincs 1999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/15650158183 https://www.flickr.com/photos/danlockton/16269590612

This was near the Chatterton Water Tower in the centre of Spalding—but does anyone know where exactly? There's a @sainsburyarch nearby now, but site looks a bit different

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