A little bit about Roger
The Ropley petrol station was originally owned by National Benzole, founded in 1919 they were the first petrol company selling petrol on the Roadside. Roger bought the business in 1972 as Sole Proprietor at around the time that National Benzole was bought out by Shell, who still own it today.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Roger Roger Interview
Colour photo of crane removing the national Benzole sign from the petrol forecourt, taken in 1972
Long working days and hard work are nothing new
With Roger commuting from Eastleigh and the petrol station operating from 7am till 11pm, for some time he was the only employee working there. Bear in mind that at the time it was a serviced operation (not self-service)
long working days are nothing new
Work gets busier
Later when the petrol station got busier, Roger started to employ locals, firstly the semi-retired, ultra-reliable Ernie Wise (NOT that Ernie Wise) and later gave many youngsters from the village their first working experience.
Do you remember green shield stamps?
‘Green shield stamps’ was a British sales promotion scheme, introduced in 1958 and ran till 1991 that rewarded shoppers with stamps that could be used to buy gifts from a catalogue.
So what did good customer service look like from our cheeky Welshman?
A proud Welshman, Roger would often fly a Welsh flag above the station.
Click here for Rogers anecdote about an encounter with some American customers:
Drive-offs are nothing new
Making off without payment did not become an offence until 1978, with The Theft Act- listen here for how petrol theft affected Roger in the early days of his business.
A Local Hero
Read the article below to understand that life at the Ropley petrol station was not always quiet and peaceful.
Ropley Garage
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