Old Garages and Filling Stations

[Ousetunes]

If you climb into your car in the morning and are confronted by a little light showing that you're running low on fuel, how far do you have to travel to fill up? There are threads on here relating to pubs which have closed, but have you actually noticed how few filling stations there are in Sheffield?

 

I'm 38 this week and in that time, the number of filling stations and forecourt petrol pumps which have ceased to be is staggering. I haven't space nor the time to list them all, but simply covering my end of town, here are some that have disappeared (and naturally I'd love your comments regarding any of these or others):

 

Starting close to home in Lodge Moor...

 

Esso garage behind the shops on Rochester Road (Winchester Rd?). Now houses;

Nethergreen Garage, corner Fulwood Road and Nethergreen Road. Now car showroom;

Tavern Garage, Crosspool. Now functioning as mechanic's garage only;

Kenning Garage on Peel Street, Broomhill. Used to have pumps on the forecourt; now offices;

Simpsons' Garage, Harcourt Road, Crookes. Now flats;

Bellfit's, Rosa Road, Commonside. More flats;

National Garage, Ecclesall Road - still derelict;

TCHarrison, Ecclesall Road. Used to have pumps on the large forecourt; no longer. Just a car showroom (and formerly a stinkingly bad one at that: Reg Vardy).

 

I could go on but this little group illustrates in a distance of no more than 4 square miles we've lost 8 petrol stations. There were some at Banner Cross, which in time became a Mercedez showroom. Seems the majority of garages had pumps on their forecourts.

 

Looks like soon the supermarket will be the only place to go to get your car filled up.

[mikeG]

I'm sure its the same everywhere. I've just spent a week in Beer, South Devon which had 2 garages for petrol but now has none. They've also disappeared from nearby Seaton. Here in Hawarden there are 2 garages within 3 miles selling at 97p/£1 a litre. There used to be a garage in Hawarden itself. Long gone. It pays to fill up at Tesco or Asda when getting the grub etc in. Eventually, I guess the supermarkets will be the only vendors.

[Nigel Womersle]

I live in Ecclesfield village and we have lost - Fitzwilliam Service Station. St Mary's Lane Garage, Cross Hill Filling Station and Stead's Filling Station. We now have one - Morrison's, which I admit came after all the others had closed.

[Alastair]

It's people buying cheap petrol from supermarkets which put the petrol stations out of business.

 

Just like all other independent shops like greengrocers and butchers, they can't compete on price.