Three Towns Forum

The Local => Times Past => Topic started by: gaztrucker on September 12, 2017, 08:18:02 pm

Title: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: gaztrucker on September 12, 2017, 08:18:02 pm
i grew up in rhos in the 60s&70s on penrhyn avenue there were 3 petrol stations rhos county garage,hancocks,&penrhyn sevice station which was also where penrhyn coaches were based anyone remember them ? did many school trips on those old bedfords anyway im drifting away from the topic slightly who remembers how many petrol stations there were between penmaenhead and black cat ? bearing in mind these were the days when cars did about 20 to the gallon hence the need for filling up frequently.  additionally a lot of go to work motorbikes were 2 stroke when you filled up there was a dispenser which gave you shot of 2 stroke oil to mix with the petrol .
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: hiraeth on September 13, 2017, 09:17:02 pm
Squiggle,  who really must get his membership sorted again... but...

In our first time round, I can't remember from what point but late 60s early 70s, the (I think') Burmah in Mochdre was favoured and convenient from Pydew.  Father had Austin 1100/1300s (Abbey company cars) and mother had an A30 and and A3. Big end went on the A30 coming back from Llanrwst (cricket - dad played for them) and it clattered noisily home.

I have served petrol, both in Craig Y Don and when I lived in kent and used the 2 stroke pumps.  Bikes moved on to having their own tank for the oil and I guess (I don't know how it works off hand) mixing scheme. Other things like our strimmer, you just mix from a bottle.  Plenty of new 2 strokes around but the demand for the "dispenser pump" that gave a shot to the right mix no longer exists.

Other comment perhaps of interest but maybe not... is that I once had a Lambretta that needed 16:1 .  The strimmer is happy on 50:1
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Ian on September 14, 2017, 08:02:12 am
Squiggle: if let me know the problem via the 'report to moderator' link at the bottom RH side of any post, I'll try and sort it for you.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: born2run on September 14, 2017, 09:50:40 am
I think if Pete Seeger had of sang this instead it would have sounded much less poetic.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 15, 2017, 01:01:07 pm
Thanks Ian. I made things a bit complicated or that but have come back as something that I hope is clear is the same person (a v2 version).

Born2Run, I have difficulty getting the words in.

"Gone self service, every one" works ok but I can't solve "where have all the service stations gone?"

I suppose next up at some point in the future, although I've no idea when might be easier; something like "were has all the petrol gone"/ "gone electric every one".
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: born2run on September 15, 2017, 01:34:32 pm
 8)

Where has all the petrol gone?
Long time charging
Where have all the diesels gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the engine's gone?
Gone to scrapyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: gaztrucker on September 15, 2017, 06:10:11 pm
hey squigglev & born to run thought this forum was about times past not composing songs !!!!! anyway no worries takes all sorts
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 15, 2017, 10:39:32 pm
Sorry gaztrucker .  I’m easily distracted…  I’m really struggling to remember petrol stations.  One other memory I have is that we did try to influence parents ‘choices a couple of times but I can’t think where the local garages were.  I think one thing we did collect must have been this Esso football series http://cards.littleoak.com.au/index_esso.html (http://cards.littleoak.com.au/index_esso.html) at the top of the page.

Another, I can’t remember the brand of petrol, was plastic busts of kings and queens.  One of those was much loved for a while. Something must have gone badly wrong with the moulding and he was a somewhat distorted “King Fred”. I’m pretty sure he was not obtained locally but came from Buxton on one of our “Cat and Fiddle” trips to grandad’s in Norwich.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DVT on September 16, 2017, 11:17:56 am
Shell did a series of "coins" with cars through the ages on - I think I have two full sets somewhere in the loft.

I started driving in 1966 and filled up every Friday at Black Cat on my way home from work -n Austin Mini Countryman that did about 30mpg, 6 gallons lasted a week.  Now over 50 years on and I still use Black Cat - in fact, I cannot remember the last time I bought fuel from anywhere else - perhaps I should be able to claim some sort of loyalty discount - I must have spent a fortune there on fuel !!!
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: SteveH on September 16, 2017, 12:00:34 pm
I remember the Black Cat in the days before the new station was built in 2011,   is Brian still running it ?
New construction 2011....
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: spotty dog on September 16, 2017, 01:04:37 pm
Brian moved to Marine land garage before that was redeveloped as housings he passed away about 3years ago.Do you remember Woolers garage and caravan park +boat center ,I think it was about where the roundabout is now
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DVT on September 16, 2017, 01:16:53 pm
Correct, Woollers was on the Colwyn Bay side of the A55 main road, roughly where the big roundabout under the new A55 is now.

Black Cat, when I first started going there in 1966, was (I think) linked to Meredith & Kirkham's garage/BMC dealership in Old Colwyn where the supermarket is now.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: SteveH on September 16, 2017, 04:16:42 pm
Brian moved to Marine land garage before that was redeveloped as housings he passed away about 3years ago.Do you remember Woolers garage and caravan park +boat center ,I think it was about where the roundabout is now
Sorry to hear about Brian, he must have been quite young by my reckoning ?
When I lived in Rhos and moorings were up for grabs, first come etc. I bought a small boat from the boat centre in the 80's,  there were Woolers in Rhos County garage in my Dad's day, any connection ?
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: spotty dog on September 16, 2017, 05:19:28 pm
 Yes I believe they were brothers one was a very good cricketer the manager was called Tim Boucher .also Steve Wooler a builder I think his yard was behind Methodist church in this.Brian Black Cat was converting old chapel on the back road from Black Cat to Bryn y Maen.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: gaztrucker on September 16, 2017, 10:02:52 pm
re: the wooler family they owned rhos county garage was a bmc dealership in the 60s the building side of the family had a yard which was down an alley between the garage and the first house on penrhyn ave woolers built a lot of houses in penrhyn bay they were quite a large firm at one time . my recollections of old petrol stations between west end and glan conwy corner are as follows : braids the large car and wagon dealership, red dragon garage mochdre, gwyns burmah autopoint, alpine view on the old mochdre stretch owned by philip harris a local road haulier and the black cat filling station at glan conwy corner .  additionally who remembers how deadly the old mochdre stretch used to be when it was a 3 lane road!!!!!!!! in places you can still see the old road markings         
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Hugo on September 20, 2017, 08:18:28 am
My friend sent me an e-mail with a few more to add to the list.    I had forgotten about some of them but his e-mail jogged the old memories back again

 again just a few snippets!
 Re garages:
  Starting from Penmaenhead :-
   knowles garage = penmaenhead
   bluebird filling station old colwyn, abergele road/llysfaen road
   m+k old colwyn.
   white`s garage (opposite m+k`s)
   mobil old colwyn (formely cooper`s)
   garage where plumb centre is now !
   opposite park hotel
   braid`s garage (pump on corner of erw-wen road (i think it was
national!)
   seem to remember a garage with single pump at top of grove road (cul-
de-sac)
   another memory is a pair of pumps with a little shed alongside down
by Collins amusement park on way down to pier. would be grateful if
anyone could verify these last two!
   hollindrakes, princess drive
   chester engineering, princess drive
   francis garage west end
   braids,west end
   links garage,penrhyn bay
   morfa road garage, penrhyn bay
   penrhyn bay service station
   hutchinsons llandudno prom/nant-y-gamar road
   promenade garage craig-y-don
   barlows,queens road.
   small garage opposite bernards queens road,
   storers victoria ave.
     
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 20, 2017, 08:45:26 am
My friend sent me an e-mail with a few more to add to the list.    I had forgotten about some of them but his e-mail jogged the old memories back again

 again just a few snippets!
 Re garages:
  Starting from Penmaenhead :-
   knowles garage = penmaenhead
   bluebird filling station old colwyn, abergele road/llysfaen road
   m+k old colwyn.
   white`s garage (opposite m+k`s)
   mobil old colwyn (formely cooper`s)
   garage where plumb centre is now !
   opposite park hotel
   braid`s garage (pump on corner of erw-wen road (i think it was
national!)
   seem to remember a garage with single pump at top of grove road (cul-
de-sac)
   another memory is a pair of pumps with a little shed alongside down
by Collins amusement park on way down to pier. would be grateful if
anyone could verify these last two!
   hollindrakes, princess drive
   chester engineering, princess drive
   francis garage west end
   braids,west end
   links garage,penrhyn bay
   morfa road garage, penrhyn bay
   penrhyn bay service station
   hutchinsons llandudno prom/nant-y-gamar road
   promenade garage craig-y-don
   barlows,queens road.
   small garage opposite bernards queens road,
   storers victoria ave.
   
That's a great list. Many thanks to your friend for sharing.  $good$
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DVT on September 20, 2017, 08:53:38 am
The garage where Plumb Centre in Old Colwyn is now was owned by Red Garages (Llandudno).  I note Red Garages Llandudno is missing from that list.  There also a garage in West Shore where Able World is now but I cannot remember whose that was.

White's Garage opposite M&K ... bumped into owner Roy White at Eglwysbach Show last month.  I did co-drive for his son Julian on a few car rallies some years ago.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 20, 2017, 10:36:39 am
I I have the right West Shore Garage, my brother worked there - Citroen main dealer then.  I'd need to check with him but I've a feeling that it was connected in some way with the Tyldesley family (builders). I'm also coming up wit the name Stanhope.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 20, 2017, 11:00:55 am
I I have the right West Shore Garage, my brother worked there - Citroen main dealer then.  I'd need to check with him but I've a feeling that it was connected in some way with the Tyldesley family (builders). I'm also coming up wit the name Stanhope.
I believe the Stanhopes owned (still own?) the LSP garage next to Broadway Boulevard.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 20, 2017, 11:06:14 am
Interesting DaveR and my brother also worked there before going to West Shore.  Things can change of course and I could be wrong, etc.  but the name I'm coming up for with LSP is Lovell Smith.  LSP being something like Lovell Smith Properties???
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 20, 2017, 11:15:02 am
Interesting DaveR and my brother also worked there before going to West Shore.  Things can change of course and I could be wrong, etc.  but the name I'm coming up for with LSP is Lovell Smith.  LSP being something like Lovell Smith Properties???
Lovell-Smith Partnership.  ;)
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Michael on September 20, 2017, 01:38:16 pm
Two more in Rhos. The Rhos County Garage alongside what is now the Spar store. And the Rhos garage, always better known as Berry's garage. Up the entry behind the mount Stewart hotel. Sold clevedon petrol from one or two pumps
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 20, 2017, 02:14:12 pm
Funny the way I can place many of the names now they are given.  Chester Engineering had me puzzled a while, thinking it wasn’t, which has led me to a sort of tangential and OT question.  Can anyone think of a company in CB that sold Renolds chain, probably SKF bearings, etc.  Coming into CB from the old Laundry Works, I think it would have been on the left on the main road but I can’t think how far down.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Hugo on September 21, 2017, 08:20:46 am
I've had another list from my friend who must have been busy thinking about the garages as there are some old ones included in his list

 i just thought those few would suffice for last
night so had a break, as your fellow user commented on the fact i had
missed red garage conway road i thought i had better pull a few more
out!!
 carrying on from craig-y-don you had:-
  l s p. broadway.
  red garage. conway road.
  beacon garage, garage street.
  vernons garage, back charlton street.
  garage in jubilee street near chinese laundry (remember that?)
  davis`s garage, back madoc street.
  garage in new street,back of the odeon.
  imperial garage, bodafon street.
  somerset garage, somerset street.
  windsor garage, vadre lane.
  garage in water street (50/50 whether they sold petrol?)
  west shore garage,.
  also there was a fuel pump at john thompson`s which i only saw them
filling their own vans at.
  i feel sure i have missed an obvious one which i will kick myself
for!!
  llandudno junction/deganwy.
  there was a garage at bottom of york road before quick-save opened,i
think robertson research have it now.
  garth motors, deganwy.
  castle view,glan-y-mor road
  l s p. the junction
  hughes. bottom of the hill.
  marineland.
  that`s my lot for to-night!     
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 08:27:40 am
Funny the way I can place many of the names now they are given.  Chester Engineering had me puzzled a while, thinking it wasn’t, which has led me to a sort of tangential and OT question.  Can anyone think of a company in CB that sold Renolds chain, probably SKF bearings, etc.  Coming into CB from the old Laundry Works, I think it would have been on the left on the main road but I can’t think how far down.
My Dad worked at Chester Engineering in Princes Drive in the early 1970s. I seem to recall (maybe wrongly) that they were linked with Braids in the West End at one time? Both became part of Lookers maybe?
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 08:28:46 am
Photo of Hollingdrakes in Princes Drive, courtesy of Merfyn Jones on Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/merf29/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/merf29/)

Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 08:32:40 am
Chester Engineering in Princes Drive:
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 08:37:30 am
Braids (Braid Bros) in the West End of Colwyn Bay, in the 1940s? They used to assemble army vehicles (jeeps?) during World War II. I think the building was remodelled in the 1950s/60s as I remember the frontage looking somewhat different in the 1970s
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 09:06:33 am
A couple of adverts for Braid Bros in Colwyn Bay & Deganwy. I loved looking round their showroom in Abergele Road (now Stermat) when I was a kid.


1924:
[smg id=2525]

1937:
[smg id=1648]

1966:
[smg id=1685]

Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 09:08:28 am
Aerial view of Rhos County Garage in the 1980s:
[smg id=2643]
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 21, 2017, 10:26:59 am
My Dad worked at Chester Engineering in Princes Drive in the early 1970s. I seem to recall (maybe wrongly) that they were linked with Braids in the West End at one time? Both became part of Lookers maybe?

Going by  post in this forum, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=659927&i=240 (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=659927&i=240) you are right about the Braids/Chester Engineering link.  The poster lists the following as the Braid group:

Quote
Garlick, Burrell & Edwardss (G.B.& E)
Vauxhall in Liverpool, Bootle, Birkenhead, Ellesmere Port & St. Helens
Also Bedford trucks and vans in Regent Road, Bootle
J & S Leaver, Vauxhall, Blackburn
Southport Engineering Compant, Vauxhall, Southport
Chester Engineering Company, Vauxhall, Chester & Colwyn Bay
Braids of Ewloe, Vauxhall
B.E. Motors, peugeot Liverpool & St. Helens
Braids, B.L., Opel, Rolls Royce, Colwyn Bay
Marsdens, coachbuilders specialising in furniture van bodies in Warrington
Budget Rent a Car franchises in liverpool, Bootle, Southport, Blackburn, Birkenhead, Chester, Ewloe & Colwyn Bay.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 21, 2017, 11:08:10 am
My Dad worked at Chester Engineering in Princes Drive in the early 1970s. I seem to recall (maybe wrongly) that they were linked with Braids in the West End at one time? Both became part of Lookers maybe?

Going by  post in this forum, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=659927&i=240 (https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=659927&i=240) you are right about the Braids/Chester Engineering link.  The poster lists the following as the Braid group:

Quote
Garlick, Burrell & Edwardss (G.B.& E)
Vauxhall in Liverpool, Bootle, Birkenhead, Ellesmere Port & St. Helens
Also Bedford trucks and vans in Regent Road, Bootle
J & S Leaver, Vauxhall, Blackburn
Southport Engineering Compant, Vauxhall, Southport
Chester Engineering Company, Vauxhall, Chester & Colwyn Bay
Braids of Ewloe, Vauxhall
B.E. Motors, peugeot Liverpool & St. Helens
Braids, B.L., Opel, Rolls Royce, Colwyn Bay
Marsdens, coachbuilders specialising in furniture van bodies in Warrington
Budget Rent a Car franchises in liverpool, Bootle, Southport, Blackburn, Birkenhead, Chester, Ewloe & Colwyn Bay.
I had no idea that Braids were such a large company, but I do remember my Dad delivering cars to the Ewloe garage from Colwyn Bay.

One of the Braids later set up Braids Garage in Mochdre, the MOT Testing Station, but he retired long ago, I think.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 21, 2017, 11:09:48 am
... And according to this wiki page:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lookers , Lookers acquired the Braid Group in 1983.

Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: squigglev2 on September 21, 2017, 12:57:47 pm
One of the Braids later set up Braids Garage in Mochdre, the MOT Testing Station, but he retired long ago, I think.

The Mochdre MOT station I remember is/was behind the Mountain View pub.  The name John Collinge comes to my mind?
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DVT on September 21, 2017, 07:47:50 pm
The Mochdre MoT station was run by John Collinge who later went to the one in Albert Road (?) behind the old Police Station in Colwyn Bay.  The business was bought by John Braid (son of Albert Braid, one of the founders of Braid's Garage) and he ran it as Braid's Garage until retiring and it was bought by Mike Hamlett who is still there trading as Braid's Garage.
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Hugo on September 22, 2017, 08:19:13 am
A couple more snippets that my friend remembers


  the obvious one was the royal hotel garage facing abbey road as it
was quite a size,it stood roughly where pochin built the big block of
flats.
 another one i think was pearsons garage in central place.
 someone was asking about abearing supplier in colwyn bay, yes it was
on abergele road about 2 doors from rhiw bank ave,they traded as
bearings n.w. i think.back in the 60s they would send a lot of their
stuff on crosville buses just handing it to the conductor as the bus
stop was and still is right outside their door!!
     
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Cambrian on September 22, 2017, 09:04:04 am
Just a few comments

Barlows Garage (later Thomas Bros) Queen's Road - now a carpet warehouse
Hall's. Queen's Road - a couple of pumps which swung over the pavement - main garage at the rear now Craig y Don Travel.
Mostyn Garage/White's Engineers, Bodhyfryd Road - later Kwiks and a Market now demolished and flats on site.
Elsinore Garage, Somerset Street - pump was still here until a few years ago.
Meredith's, New Street.  Later split into two - the other was Bilton's -now remodelled and is Home Front.
Vernon's, 5 Mostyn Street - mainly a showroom but may have had a swing pump.

Anyone remember Nev Bannister's small chain all named after family members ?
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 22, 2017, 09:53:34 am
I remember photographing this old petrol pump outside the old garage in Charlton Street a few years ago:
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: gaztrucker on September 22, 2017, 07:54:19 pm
hi all its friday night again!! thank you all for your response to my posts as a new member of the forum i really look forward to sharing my memories of times past and to receiving your replies i have many more topics ready and waiting!!!! some well known and some slightly more obscure.!!!!! i will try to jog a few more memories very soon
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: gaztrucker on September 12, 2018, 06:13:57 pm
hi hugo i know i,m about a year late with my reply about petrol stations the green corrugated iron hut with two pumps opposite pat collins "happy hour funpark" was the ambulance station can,t remember if it was front line or st johns if anyone knows please let me know cheers
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Cambrian on September 12, 2018, 06:51:08 pm
Gaz  - at one time the ambulance service in West Denbighshire was operated by the St John's, so yes you are right on that score.  Colwyn Bay was a bit unusual as for some years in the 50s and 60s it had a voluntary ambulance as well.  Their vehicle was also based in the green shed compound. 
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: gaztrucker on September 12, 2018, 06:59:07 pm
thanks cambrian while im on do you recall the old goods yard in the bay? im going to start a new post on this one soon
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Michael on September 14, 2018, 09:08:57 am
Remember the goods yard. I should say. Spent hours looking down on all the activity from the square outside the railway station. Alongside long gone public toilets
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 14, 2018, 10:51:24 am
I remember my Dad driving down to the old goods yard when it was in use as a car park in the late 1980s. Seem to recall there was a footpath up to Sea View Road from it?
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: DaveR on September 14, 2018, 10:52:30 am
Goods Yard in the 1960s:

[smg id=1036]
Title: Re: where have all the petrol stations gone !!!
Post by: Cambrian on September 14, 2018, 01:53:20 pm
Gaz - yes remember the goods yard very well.  They used to do the shunting about the time we left school so always watched them from bus stop which used to be by the underground toilets in Sea View Road.  The entrance was off Sea View Road almost parallel to Bay View Road.

Look forward to your post on this.