I did a very silly thing yesterday

[CalicoJack]

On our return to Chatham from Limehouse we refueled. The tank was not full when we left and to my surprise we took 98 litres of diesel. Now this got me thinking and I converted this in round figures to gallons, which worked out at 21 gallons. Then I got silly. My first job was as a petrol pump attendant, remember them? In those days a gallon of Derv (Road diesel) was 35p so 21 gallons @ 35p would have cost me in 1970 £7.35, rather than 98 litres in 2013 which cost me £97. 83.

Its one of those things I wish I had not done. It quite spoiled my day.

 

[Stemar]

I don't know if it'll make you feel any better, but in 1970, I was earning £13 a week, so that £7.35 was more than half a week's wages (before tax & NI) - 57%. Even at minimum wage, your 97.83 is less than 40% of a full time salary today.

Of course, what I want is the 2013 salary and 1970 prices - that way there'd be a (slim) chance of money left at the end of the month rather than the current month left at the end of the money.

 

[maxi77]

On our return to Chatham from Limehouse we refueled. The tank was not full when we left and to my surprise we took 98 litres of diesel. Now this got me thinking and I converted this in round figures to gallons, which worked out at 21 gallons. Then I got silly. My first job was as a petrol pump attendant, remember them? In those days a gallon of Derv (Road diesel) was 35p so 21 gallons @ 35p would have cost me in 1970 £7.35, rather than 98 litres in 2013 which cost me £97. 83.

Its one of those things I wish I had not done. It quite spoiled my day.

Sorry to piss on your parade but you must be a young thing, back when I started driving and did a pump attendants job after school a gallon of petrol was 4/- so 5 gallons for £1 and from memory Derv back then was cheaper. Spoils my day every time I put petrol in the car

 

[Cymrogwyllt]

I remember serving 2* at 3/6 a gallon and four star a penny or two more. The buses the company ran were on 2*. Just enough to run for the day in the tanks. My driving style allowed me to run on near full tanks with the accepted daily top up.

 

[Tam Lin]

I remember when we used to go to the pictures on a Saturday, have fish and chips and get the bus home and still have change from a tanner! Etc. Etc.

 

[cliff]

Sorry to piss on your parade but you must be a young thing, back when I started driving and did a pump attendants job after school a gallon of petrol was 4/- so 5 gallons for £1 and from memory Derv back then was cheaper. Spoils my day every time I put petrol in the car

Sorry to piss on your parade too. 2½ gal 2T, 20:1 mix all for the grand sum of 2/6 or half a crown in real money or 1/- per gallon. - Ooops - for you youngsters 5p a gallon! That's right, £0.05p for a gallon of petrol - twenty gallons for a pound.....

 

[OGITD]

OMG!

There is just NO-WAY you-lot are that OLD! ..... cos even I don't remember it being that cheap! ....

 

[epervier]

My cats not black enough for this, but I do remember my local Mobile petrol station selling 5* for 4'11d circa 1958 IIRC.

 

[elton]

I worked evenings at a petrol station when I was at still at school in 1975. At 11pm I'd shut the forecourt, turn off the pumps, and empty all the petrol out of the nozzles into my Suzuki A100 petrol tank. I've got no recollection of how much it cost because I never bought any for 2 years

 

[LePacha]

On our return to Chatham from Limehouse we refueled. The tank was not full when we left and to my surprise we took 98 litres of diesel. Now this got me thinking and I converted this in round figures to gallons, which worked out at 21 gallons. Then I got silly. My first job was as a petrol pump attendant, remember them? In those days a gallon of Derv (Road diesel) was 35p so 21 gallons @ 35p would have cost me in 1970 £7.35, rather than 98 litres in 2013 which cost me £97. 83.

Its one of those things I wish I had not done. It quite spoiled my day.

Meaning that you paid less than a pound for a litre, not too bad compared to what I had to pay at Hamble last time.... you should be happy, 't'was a good deal!

 

[Mariner69]

All I remember of my time as a gas pump attendant was the anglo saxon phrases and style of delivery from the owner when I drove his car backwards through the show room window. I think that was the time when I decided to actively go to sea!

 

[[70521]]

Filling the tank up does not sound silly at all.

 

[lisilou]

It's times like this when I'm glad I'm cra.p at maths!
L

 

[agurney]

On our return to Chatham from Limehouse we refueled. The tank was not full when we left and to my surprise we took 98 litres of diesel. Now this got me thinking and I converted this in round figures to gallons, which worked out at 21 gallons. Then I got silly. My first job was as a petrol pump attendant, remember them? In those days a gallon of Derv (Road diesel) was 35p so 21 gallons @ 35p would have cost me in 1970 £7.35, rather than 98 litres in 2013 which cost me £97. 83.

Its one of those things I wish I had not done. It quite spoiled my day.

I've photos of my first car in Aberdeen in the 70s with 35p showing at a filling station in the background .. anyone who's seen it doubts my memory and is convinced it was 35p per litre .. we know better

I was in Riyadh a couple of years ago and offered to pay for my minder to fill his car up with fuel on my company credit card .. he laughed and showed me the price, less then 20p per litre for four star which was way cheaper than bottled water.

 

[jimi]

in this link
http://www.significancemagazine.org...l-price-of-petrol--how-bad-do-we-have-it.html
is this graph

 

[Danny Jo]

Thanks Jimi – it's good to have a reality check to stem the flood of nostalgia – I was about to chip in with the price of my first pint, 1s10d or 9p I think (I hardly drank anything, but life is full of wasted opportunities).

 

[agurney]

A bit parochial and misleading that, it looks like the price in the UK after duty and taxes has been applied.

Places like Egypt can manage 45p/litre for petrol today (and 35p/litre for diesel with no colour added)

 

[cliff]

There is just NO-WAY you-lot are that OLD! ..... cos even I don't remember it being that cheap! ....

Ahh, but you don't know where I bought the fuel for that price.........

 

[alan_d]

I passed a significant milestone (about 8 years ago I think) when it cost me more to fill my tank than I had paid to buy my first car ....

 

[maby]

I passed a significant milestone (about 8 years ago I think) when it cost me more to fill my tank than I had paid to buy my first car ....

Likewise here! We let the Landcruiser run almost empty a couple of months ago and a full tank of diesel came to almost £100 - I definitely paid less for my first car (and it came with a full tank of petrol)!