My shite new books - "SUPER - old, odd, interesting, obscure and abandoned filling stations". - NOW WITH FREE STUFF

[loserone]

Oof. 

[motorpunk]

I missed this sign when I was there in the summer. In winter you can just about make it out.

[motorpunk]

Once from the Scottish edition of the book. I took this in Thornhill, it was once a Saab dealership and now is a service centre for chainsaws. The chap there was lovely, I could have spent hours nattering about old Swedish stuff, although I was worried he'd demonstrate his timber-lopping skills on my wooden wonder parked outside. 

[Liggle]

I drove past Bullwinkle's on Sunday, glad to see it's already in here! 

[somewhatfoolish]

15 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Once from the Scottish edition of the book. I took this in Thornhill, it was once a Saab dealership and now is a service centre for chainsaws. The chap there was lovely, I could have spent hours nattering about old Swedish stuff, although I was worried he'd demonstrate his timber-lopping skills on my wooden wonder parked outside. 

I bought spares from him when the old man had a Snapper sit-on mower; it was cheaper than ebay.

[motorpunk]

3 hours ago, Liggle said:

I drove past Bullwinkle's on Sunday, glad to see it's already in here! 

The owner was lovely, he sent me lots of old photos in the post (which I returned after scanning) and was so patient on the phone when I was researching things. A shiter worked there (can’t flippin’ well remember who, now) and was also helpful. 

[motorpunk]

3 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

I bought spares from him when the old man had a Snapper sit-on mower; it was cheaper than ebay.

He gave me a free pen. “We’re doing some marketing, look, it has our logo on it!” he said. Lovely chap. He had a Bibendum which he’d painted in Huskvarna colours on a shelf. My kinda place.

[Cheezey]

4 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Once from the Scottish edition of the book. I took this in Thornhill, it was once a Saab dealership and now is a service centre for chainsaws. The chap there was lovely, I could have spent hours nattering about old Swedish stuff, although I was worried he'd demonstrate his timber-lopping skills on my wooden wonder parked outside. 

I drove past this before Xmas en route to an alpaca farm. I commented to my wife how much I loved it. 
I also enjoyed the Scottish edition of your book recently. 
I’m always tentatively waiting to see if you ever uncover an old photograph of the old petrol station in Laurieston near Falkirk. It was a Simca dealer in the sixties. 

[Missy Charm]

On 10/09/2021 at 15:57, motorpunk said:

Here's a snippet from Lincolnshire. Thanks to shiter Tim for his help. 

Bullwinkles Garage was founded in 1938 when the current owner’s grandfather (a Henry James Bullwinkle) moved up from London and set up shop in the stables of what used to be the Red Lion pub next door in Baumber, Lincs. He was a skilled coachbuilder, turning Rolls-Royce cars into hearses, and served as the ARP warden during the war. When he passed away, the business came into the hands of his son, who realised that adding a motor dealership would bring more business and went to the Motor Show in 1970.

Back then, only Porsche, Lotus and Citroën would consider signing up Bullwinkles as an official dealer as they didn’t have a showroom. So for a decade, this garage in Baumber, Lincolnshire, sold Lotuses and Citroëns. In ’71, an all-night pump was installed, whereby customers could pay 50p and get a pre-measured amount of fuel. There was also a vending machine. High tech! Bullwinkles invested in an automated car wash (the damn things still mangle cars even today, so I’m curious as to how good they were back then) which charged 12 ½ pence a go.

By the late ‘70s, Lotus moved upmarket from their kit cars and insisted on a showroom, so Bullwinkles stopped selling them. They ran a breakdown recovery service, busy rescuing day trippers going to the coast in their distinctive pink and yellow trucks, including a Rover P4 saloon converted with a little crane on the back. By 1990, Bullwinkle parted company with Citroën and continued as an independent; few people nowadays can properly service the hydraulic suspension that these fantastic French cars use, the green LHM fluid looking like witchcraft to an amateur spannerman like me.

The garage has served fuel from many brands over the years, including Jet, Power, Cleveland and National. National had a loyalty scheme that rewarded regulars with ‘merry sherry’ glasses, ‘dishy dishes’ and ‘mighty mugs’. National also gave away Smurfs, but rumours of a toxic batch temporarily put their production on hold. Philip, the grandson of Henry Bullwinkle, is to retire soon, with the garage being up for sale. A lifetime of fettling Excels and XMs means he won’t miss ‘em much. But we’ll miss this lovely old place when it’s gone.

This place is now up for sale, see here - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77441986#/?channel=COM_BUY

More like this here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/SUPER-interesting-abandoned-stations-Midlands/dp/B08LGMR1PX/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1631284346&refinements=p_27%3AMr+Rich+Duisberg&s=books&sr=1-1

 

Top marks for the Blondie reference on the side of the pink truck! 

[motorpunk]

On 12/01/2022 at 13:50, Missy Charm said:

Top marks for the Blondie reference on the side of the pink truck! 

The owner asked me to mask the drivers identity, but I’ve no idea why! 

[motorpunk]

[High Jetter]

Bloody people blocking the pumps while they do their shopping!

[Missy Charm]

On 09/01/2022 at 10:44, motorpunk said:

I missed this sign when I was there in the summer. In winter you can just about make it out.

Any idea what the sign says?  There's something familiar about the colour scheme, but I can't place it.

[motorpunk]

40 minutes ago, Missy Charm said:

Any idea what the sign says?  There's something familiar about the colour scheme, but I can't place it.

I think it's Benzol.

[ruffgeezer]

On 1/11/2022 at 9:52 PM, motorpunk said:

The owner was lovely, he sent me lots of old photos in the post (which I returned after scanning) and was so patient on the phone when I was researching things. A shiter worked there (can’t flippin’ well remember who, now) and was also helpful. 

That was me!

I believe the Rosalie that had been entombed in the garages there for 40 odd years is now nearing completion after I spotted the previous owner's grandson searching for it on a facebook group.

[SiC]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/148269922014080/permalink/2062704823903904/

 

[martc]

Venice, 1950.

[motorpunk]

More pics and a plug for the book - https://www.motorpunk.co.uk/out-and-about/perfect-forgotten-filling-station-england/

[motorpunk]

Looking for a christmas gift with the whiff of four star? Amused by the fact that National Petrol once gave away model Smurfs to loyal customers, with a batch accidentally made from poisonous, leaded paint? Like pictures of shite old Lada and Yugo dealerships and manky petrol pumps? Miss 3D petrol? Amused by my sometimes-sober postings on AutoShite and want to read proper books by me? Does the picture below make you feel kind of fuzzy in your downbelows department? 

Each of the following shite books about such garages has 50-100 places in them. Written and mostly photographed by me they are organised into regions; SUPER Midlands and North of England, then there's SUPER South East, SUPER South West, SUPER Wales and SUPER Scotland. I went to Cornwall, Scotland and Dudley and all points inbetween photographing places that were closing down, being redeveloped into a bastard Tesco Express or just plain old forgotten about. 

Genuinely, thanks to those who buy a copy. Yes, I hate Amazon too but their print-on-demand service means I make a couple of quid in royalties from each one sold, and they're printed in the U.K. Happy Christmas.

[motorpunk]

FREE STUFF!

Anyone ordering a copy of "SUPER - old, odd, interesting, obscure and abandoned filling stations" from Amazon will also get a free copy of my book 'Nothing handles like a Rental Car', as I have some author copies I can sign and post. Once you've ordered from Amazon, drop me a DM with a screenshot of proof of purchase, and your address, and I will post a copy of 'Nothing handles like a rental car' which is a chunky paperback about how to explore the world's more interesting roads on a budget. It also contains content about me falling into an open grave, getting nicked for for motoring offences in half a dozen countries, and how to drive a fucked-up XJ6 on Chinese tyres to Norway in the middle of Winter. Essential reading!

[worldofceri]

Nobody has asked me what I would like for Christmas yet this year, but when (if) someone does, I shall definitely be looking to add to my collection* of Motorpunk SUPER books.

*one volume and counting.

[Noel Tidybeard]

this used to be Mrs Jones' post office with 2 pumps that she served you with back in the '80s

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.1729398,-4.384622,3a,75y,288.11h,69.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swaA-BJpr0UizCe2AhjKlkA!2e0!5s20090601T000000!7i13312!8i6656

[motorpunk]

Thanks to those who have ordered, and for the DMs, I’m at a desk tomorrow and will post copies of freebies. 

[motorpunk]

On 09/12/2022 at 22:45, worldofceri said:

Nobody has asked me what I would like for Christmas yet this year, but when (if) someone does, I shall definitely be looking to add to my collection* of Motorpunk SUPER books.

*one volume and counting.

You helped me moving a panda, and an MX5, DM me your address 👍🏻

[UltraWomble]

On 12/9/2022 at 9:59 AM, motorpunk said:

FREE

If ever there was an excuse to pull the trigger that word is is...

So I have.

[privatewire]

8 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Thanks to those who have ordered, and for the DMs, I’m at a desk tomorrow and will post copies of freebies. 

Done! Ridiculously excited!

[motorpunk]

FREE stuff being posted. There’s a little extra thingy in the envelopes, too.

[Macscrooge]

You had me at  ‘free.’  Order placed and pm sent!  

[motorpunk]

20 hours ago, Macscrooge said:

You had me at  ‘free.’  Order placed and pm sent!  

Posted!
 

Have a picture I took this week in Nottingham.

 

[High Jetter]

I'd intended to get this with birthday tokens last year, but didn't. Really no excuse now with the very kind offer of bonuses, so trigger pulled. Have sent you a PM, @motorpunk, hope it's clear enough.