Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
London's Disappearing Petrol Stations
Source: Daily Mail
A couple of weeks back, I had to pick up my other half from a late night flight at Heathrow. Before I left I tried to fill up in Harringay and found the petrol station closed. Same result in Crouch End and then again at the petrol station on the A1 between Highgate and East Finchley tubes. With the one in Hampstead Garden suburb long gone, my next opportunity was on the A40 and that was closed waiting for a delivery. Fine, I thought, I'll get some on the way back, but I faced the same problem and we got home on air.
It's not the first time I've had some trouble finding petrol in London. I wondered if it was just me. Googling it, I found a number of references including a story from the Daily Mail which claims that 75% of petrol stations have closed in the past 40 years. With car ownership over the same period rising from 10 million to 40 million, it's amazing that we can still all get petrol at all without queueing too often.
Source: Olympic Britain, House of Commons
Locally we've lost a few since I moved to the area. Those that I can think of include the one on Wightman opposite the mosque and one on West Green Road opposite Sainsbury's Local. For some this might be welcome news. Not so for me. I guess economics must be driving it, but the stats make one wonder.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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Also used to be one where Macdonalds now stands. There's still the place on Stapleton Hall Road which I believe is independent and offers the lowest price possible.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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The McDonalds one was before my time I think. There's another indy (or small operator) on Seven Sisters Road just as you come in to Finsbury Park.
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Permalink Reply by Nick G-T on
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There's a small one on North Hill, Hightgate too. But it would not have been open when you needed it.
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I think there's still a garage on Euston road, near Baker st station, which all the cabbies use so I imagine its 24 hours.
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On the continent, a lot of garages have automatic payment machines, which means you can still buy petrol out of hours (or during the very long lunch breaks!) - unless you happen to have a British credit card...
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Is there a crossover or a link between pubs' and petrol stations' slopes on the graph?
A passing thought, could service now be quicker as they are all self-service now? Does anyone under 40 recall being served by a real attendant, who could also check your oil and clean your windscreen?
(Pamish: first summer job working in uncle's garage, who if asked for four gallons of petrol, would ask, shall I make that up to a pound for you?)
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Permalink Reply by Lesley Ramm on
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I started driving in 1970. So many local petrol stations all around Hornsey, Tottenham etc. Now just Park Road left. Or bloody supermarkets which always have long queues.
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