Petrol Station

I can remember when that petrol station on the corner "suddenly" appeared - can't remember the building work. I was near in 22 Arnhem Avenue. When I was still at grammar school in Dagenham I worked evenings a little bit at the petrol station down on the A12/A13 (?) for some pocket-money. Bye, Colin Newberry

Hi Colin,
Good that you remembered that.
I lived near the Cherry Tree part of Rainham at the time and remember once having to walk all the way to Aveley in deep snow to get the garage up and running because folk needed paraffin for their heaters.
I later worked for Alan Ponds garage on the A13 near Fords, which at the time served the highest volume of motor fuel daily in the UK.

Hello Colin, I worked at several Alan Pond Garages all in Essex.The company was divided up . Alan Pond London Ltd and Alpon Ltd..I worked as an under manager in the Mersea Rd, Colchester branch first in about 1971.The 12 hour shifts for very poor money were tiring.When the Miners, Fords and The Power Workers were striking for 15% pay rises nothing was offered to NON UNION labour. They cause three and 4 day weeks and luckily Thatcher sorted that lot out although the bleeding hearts would have it that she was a witch.The unions had beaten Edward Heath and flying picket bully boys tried it again with Thatcher in the 80s She outlawed them quite rightly.
Michael Caird was the manager. a young lady called Lottie who married his brother was the cashier. I scrubbed wheels and sold many car wash books as a result. This led to promotion as a Manager to the New St, Chelmsford (6 pump site) and was attached to the Great Baddow site.
The site was cheated of a delivery one day as the delivery driver never unloaded all the petrol! I then moved and was running the Leigh on Sea site.
Barry Norman was the area manager.
Harry Worth, the aged comedian appearing at the Westcliff Theatre regularly brought in his Mercedes and asked for a service. Of course we could only car wash as it was not a servicing garage.The Company had a director who wanted out and so they sold up to BP to pay him off but that was thought an excuse to cash in. BP expected Managers to work 7 days a week. Heron Garages were our biggest competitors So I found better employment and
became a fully trained Dry Cleaner with Sketchley Dry Cleaners.

Hello Dave,
I'm Alan - the original poster and former Alan Pond "Under-Manager" like you.
Good to hear about your times with Alan Pond Group. I think I joined before you, around 1966 . I started as Under-Manager at the small Goodmayes site in Dagenham. Eddie the manager had a 1920's vintage Morris Minor convertible and the District Manager was big Ron Wilson. I was given an opportunity to help set-up the new site at Aveley where I was lined up to be Manager but after a few months successful trading, in a typical AP Group move they gave the job to a lad I had trained-up and posted me to Dagenham where "the high volume needed my experience".
I did enjoy working at the New Road, Dagenham site. We were a great team. Strangely I remember well the names of the lovely young girl cashiers but struggle with my fellow Under Managers. Shifts were always fun with Chris (Christine) Matthews,a bubbly, vibrant Liza Minelli lookalike who wore the shortest mini-skirts possible, "Big" Lin (Linda) a dark haired beauty with tremendous assets, Carol, who would breathily answer my wake-up call in bed and turn up late with all forgiven, Diane Wilson and my good pal Mareena from Aveley. My fellow Under Managers were Bob Harrison (my fishing pal) and another lad whose name annoyingly escapes me, who previously worked as a bookmaker. The Manager at New Road was Warren followed by Eddy whose wife Liz was also a cashier.
You mention unions Dave. Funnily enough I tried to organise membership for AP employees who were being badly exploited, but word got out and I received a visit from the Regional Manager who took me out to his car for a "chat". Long story short I was told to keep quiet or start looking for another job.
I attended an interview in London for Heron Group but left half-way through when I discovered what they expected and what they paid. I was offered full management of a Murco petrol station at a good salary but the snag was a known problem with theft and the manager had to make up the shortfall.
So I left AP Group around 1969 to become a "Man from the Pru" insurance agent in South Hornchurch and Dagenham, for about 5 or 6 years, followed by 13 years at May & Baker where I once spent cold snowy Christmas nights on picket duty during a strike to get the company to honour a pay agreement. During the 6 week strike, with a young family, a mortgage and no pay, I had the humiliation of being offered the princely sum of £1.24 per week plus some milk tokens by the staff at Basildon dole office as I watched grinning Irish Travellers leave their private appointment with huge rolls of cash. Lessons were learned that day.
With the abolition of the "closed shop" and the increasing use of private contractors May & Baker, like many other companies, started to shed labour. So faced with redundancy and approaching the age of forty, I left to start again at Lloyds of London........ but that;s another story.
I was never a fan of Thatcher but arguably even more damage was done to Trade Unions by Blair and New Labour, so we are probably poles apart on politics. What we might agree on is the state of things now, with weak government and outside forces pointing to a dismal future for our kids and grandkids.
Chin up.
Regards,
Alan.