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The Price of Beer & Petrol & Mrs Miggins Pies


DaveH

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HI If its of any use to your records the price of petrol in 1940 was 11 pence [a gallon] in Sheffield. Skeets

Now, 11 pence (thats 11d) in 1940 is equivalent to 4.5833p in decimal currency.

We dont have the half p any more but call it 4.5p a gallon.

A gallon is 4.542 litlres so this works out at almost exactly 1p per litre :blink:

So petrol today is around 110 times more expensive, an increase of 11000% :o

I use about £18 of petrol a week, now imagine if I could fill up for just 16p :unsure:

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Now, 11 pence (thats 11d) in 1940 is equivalent to 4.5833p in decimal currency.

We dont have the half p any more but call it 4.5p a gallon.

A gallon is 4.542 litlres so this works out at almost exactly 1p per litre :blink:

So petrol today is around 110 times more expensive, an increase of 11000% :o

I use about £18 of petrol a week, now imagine if I could fill up for just 16p :unsure:

Came across this Dave may be useful

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency/

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Came across this Dave may be useful

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency/

The currency converter for converting old into new is OK, - but for anyone of my age its the sort of calculation you do in your head without thinking.

Besides which I tend to do the calculation more frequently in reverse, converting new back into old.

Now the other bit in the link that tells you the value of todays money at any point in history, - now thats just depressing to see how inflation has eroded the value of our money.

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When I had my scooter during the mid to late 60's I used to use the special 2-stroke mixing pumps which some garages had.

They were like a giant one armed bandit. The attendant set the oil to petrol ratio and pumped it in by hand.

I liked this type because they dispensed the 2-stroke mix by the pint which, if I remember rightly, was about 1/3d per pint. (that's about 6p)

I could only use the other type (normal pump and shots of oil put in separately) just after payday when I felt well off enough to put a full half gallon in the tank. :)

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When I had my scooter during the mid to late 60's I used to use the special 2-stroke mixing pumps which some garages had.

They were like a giant one armed bandit. The attendant set the oil to petrol ratio and pumped it in by hand.

I liked this type because they dispensed the 2-stroke mix by the pint which, if I remember rightly, was about 1/3d per pint. (that's about 6p)

I could only use the other type (normal pump and shots of oil put in separately) just after payday when I felt well off enough to put a full half gallon in the tank. :)

Used to work in a garage (Endcliffe Motors, Bramall Lane) which had these dispensers and occasionally had to use it.

I have had 2 motorcycles with 2 stroke engines and both had different methods of lubrication.

First had to have petrol + oil mixed in same tank in the right ratio (hence the use of the "oil shots" machine). This was OK but the ratio was only rough and not correct for all engine loads, - It needs to change the ratio as the engine alters speed and / or work harder (eg pulling away) and a simple straight mix can't do this.

Second bike had seperate fuel and oil tanks and mixed oil into the injected fuel (I think in the carburettor) in the right ratio. As it was a pump and vacuum system it could vary the ratio according to the load on the engine and was much better, - in theory.

It once malfunctioned and was injecting far too much oil. This produced clouds of black smoke out of the exhaust especially when pulling away on a steep hill. I was stopped by the police on East Bank Road (the steep bit) for causing "a total eclipse of the sun with all that smoke" (their words not mine). They were very understanding about it though as one was ex police motorcyclist and they suggested what I needed to do to put it right before letting me go on my way.

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Cheapest price currently spotted on the Arbourthorne for petrol

Pearl Motors, East Bank Road, price 98.9p per litre

Pearl Motors are currently selling unleaded petrol for 105.9p per litre

Still cheaper than anywhere else nearby, - but is there cheaper petrol in Sheffield?

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Pearl Motors are currently selling unleaded petrol for 105.9p per litre

Still cheaper than anywhere else nearby, - but is there cheaper petrol in Sheffield?

If there is, and it's a Supermarket, don't buy it.

It won't be long until they've squeezed the last few independents out of business, then they'll be the only "choice" we have. They've almost succeeded already.

Please delete this post if you think it may be considered controversial. :)

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If there is, and it's a Supermarket, don't buy it.

It won't be long until they've squeezed the last few independents out of business, then they'll be the only "choice" we have. They've almost succeeded already.

Please delete this post if you think it may be considered controversial. :)

Please do NOT delete vox's post as I fully agree with him on this and he is giving good advice to anyone reading it.

I certainly do not buy petrol at supermarkets, - partly for this reason.

I also strongly disagree with the supermarket ploy of giving you a discount of a few p on every litre of petrol you buy if you have already spent £50 or more on goods in the supermarket. This is like using petrol as a "carrot" to tempt you to do £50+ of shopping with them, - and then due to fuel pricing they don't make a loss on the petrol either, - just a bit more profit!

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Pearl Motors are currently selling unleaded petrol for 105.9p per litre

Still cheaper than anywhere else nearby, - but is there cheaper petrol in Sheffield?

Sure I have just heard on a breakfast TV news show that the price of petrol is set to fall again, - but it was this morning and I was still half asleep.

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Sure I have just heard on a breakfast TV news show that the price of petrol is set to fall again, - but it was this morning and I was still half asleep.

This morning was over 3 1/2 hours ago Dave. It could have doubled by now. :o

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This morning was over 3 1/2 hours ago Dave. It could have doubled by now. :o

Or it could have halved he he

Been a bit busy vox, I.m a bit out of step at present.

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Due to the recent bad weather I filled up at Pearl Motors on East Bank Road this week rather than my usual stop in Derbyshire which is currently on a snow and ice bound main road.

Pearl Motors charged me 107.9p (108 rounded up) for a litre.

On my way home I drove past my usual garage which is now charging 112.9p (113 rounded up) for the same fuel.

It appears that most local petrol stations are now charging this price, so Pearl Motors is quite a bargain at present.

and despite the weather they also had paraffin and grit salt in stock.

That differential is really quite big, 5p per litre difference, that equates to about 23p a gallon DIFFERENCE. :o

Some of us can remember a time when a gallon of petrol, while not exactly costing 23 p as such, actually cost its Imperial equivalent, 4 shillings and 8 pence :huh:

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Due to the recent bad weather I filled up at Pearl Motors on East Bank Road this week rather than my usual stop in Derbyshire which is currently on a snow and ice bound main road.

Pearl Motors charged me 107.9p (108 rounded up) for a litre.

On my way home I drove past my usual garage which is now charging 112.9p (113 rounded up) for the same fuel.

It appears that most local petrol stations are now charging this price, so Pearl Motors is quite a bargain at present.

and despite the weather they also had paraffin and grit salt in stock.

That differential is really quite big, 5p per litre difference, that equates to about 23p a gallon DIFFERENCE. :o

Some of us can remember a time when a gallon of petrol, while not exactly costing 23 p as such, actually cost its Imperial equivalent, 4 shillings and 8 pence :huh:

In the so called `good old days`when Jet petrol came to Sheffield in 1962/63 ish, we would queue to save one and a half OLD pence.

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In the so called `good old days`when Jet petrol came to Sheffield in 1962/63 ish, we would queue to save one and a half OLD pence.

At about that time I went on a camping tour. There were about 5 of us including a couple who were old enough to drive.

We went in his dad's car with a large trailer. His dad worked out a route which enabled us to fill up at Jet stations. :)

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In the so called `good old days`when Jet petrol came to Sheffield in 1962/63 ish, we would queue to save one and a half OLD pence.

But at the time 1.5d would have been worth more, in its purchasing power, than its modern day eqivalent (less than 1p) due to inflation.

If, with inflation taken into account, 1.5d in 1962 was worth more than 5p today (a shilling) then we are actually no better or worse off in the "saving" to be made by shopping around for the cheapest fuel price.

I can't "link fairy" this one but somewhere on here there is a relative prices over the years converter which may give us an idea of what that 1962 saving of 1.5d would be worth today.

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At about that time I went on a camping tour. There were about 5 of us including a couple who were old enough to drive.

We went in his dad's car with a large trailer. His dad worked out a route which enabled us to fill up at Jet stations. :)

At about that time, 1962, I was in the "Supercar club"

Supercar, - a pre Thunderbirds Gerry Anderson supermarionation (puppet) childrens TV show, - from our reminiscences of TV programmes in another thread I am sure vox will remember it.

The Supercar club did some promotional and sponsorhip work with the fuel company National (National Benzol) to promote a new improved version of their fuel which I assume, given the 1962 date would be a leaded version of their fuel called "Super National"

We had a few National stations near us and my dad used to fill his 1959 Ford Prefect up at one of them.

National petrol stations,

You don't see them now, - what happened to them?

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At about that time, 1962, I was in the "Supercar club"

Supercar, - a pre Thunderbirds Gerry Anderson supermarionation (puppet) childrens TV show, - from our reminiscences of TV programmes in another thread I am sure vox will remember it.

The Supercar club did some promotional and sponsorhip work with the fuel company National (National Benzol) to promote a new improved version of their fuel which I assume, given the 1962 date would be a leaded version of their fuel called "Super National"

We had a few National stations near us and my dad used to fill his 1959 Ford Prefect up at one of them.

National petrol stations,

You don't see them now, - what happened to them?

According to Wikipedia they stopped using Benzole in 1957

At the same time they changes their logo of "Mr Mercury" (another supercar connection) from black and yellow to the more modern, benzole free (super mixture) National logo in blue and yellow

They underwent a series of mergers in the 1970's, first with Shell and currently with BP, hence their name no longer appears on petrol stations

National Benzole on Wikipedia

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But at the time 1.5d would have been worth more, in its purchasing power, than its modern day eqivalent (less than 1p) due to inflation.

If, with inflation taken into account, 1.5d in 1962 was worth more than 5p today (a shilling) then we are actually no better or worse off in the "saving" to be made by shopping around for the cheapest fuel price.

I can't "link fairy" this one but somewhere on here there is a relative prices over the years converter which may give us an idea of what that 1962 saving of 1.5d would be worth today.

In 1963 when I was 19 my car cost me £50, petrol was just under 5 shillings a gallon and car insurance for a 19 year old then was £8 for the year, a bargain compared to what todays teenagers have to pay, you could buy 3 months road tax and there was no MOT to worry about unless the car was over ten years old. The average wage then was around £12 a week. Oh and Tennents Queens was 1/10 a pint, a treat on payday only. W/E. Attached, my £50 car.

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In 1963 when I was 19 my car cost me �50, petrol was just under 5 shillings a gallon and car insurance for a 19 year old then was �8 for the year, a bargain compared to what todays teenagers have to pay, you could buy 3 months road tax and there was no MOT to worry about unless the car was over ten years old. The average wage then was around �12 a week. Oh and Tennents Queens was 1/10 a pint, a treat on payday only. W/E. Attached, my �50 car.

If a Gallon cost 5 shillings (60d) then a 1.5d reduction would be 2.5%

A gallon now costs £5.11 (based on 113p per litre), but proportionately 5p off on every 113p would be 4.4%.

So it would be much more worth our while to shop around and queue up for the cheapest petrol now than it was to queue up at a jet station in 1962 /3

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Pearl Motors charged me 107.9p (108 rounded up) for a litre.

A week later and still after a bargain Pearl Motors petrol has gone up to 109.9p (110p)

That's a 2p rise in a week and its still the cheapest petrol I can find locally!

Refering back to vox's earlier post, Pearl Motors is a JET station

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A week later and still after a bargain Pearl Motors petrol has gone up to 109.9p (110p)

That's a 2p rise in a week and its still the cheapest petrol I can find locally!

Refering back to vox's earlier post, Pearl Motors is a JET station

If you Google "Mrs Miggins" at no. 7 in the list is this topic <_<

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If you Google "Mrs Miggins" at no. 7 in the list is this topic <_<

Couldn't find it amongst all the other stuff when I googled it.

This topic at number 7 :blink:

Must be people thinking they really can find out the cost of beer and petrol, - of course Mrs. Miggins pies lol

I bet they're disappointed :(

A bit like those people who go to www.comparethemeercat.com expecting to get the price of car insurance lol

Simples

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Refering back to vox's earlier post, Pearl Motors is a JET station

I don't know!

You go away on holiday for a couple of weeks and when you come back they have tried to change everything.

Pearl Motors WAS a JET station, it is now a HARVEST ENERGY station

(What? :blink: Who? :huh: Never heard of them! :mellow: Who are they? :unsure: )

View from St. Pauls Vicarage, East Bank Road

Still Pearl Motors garage, now Harvest Energy fuel

So, Who are "Harvest Energy"?

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I don't know!

You go away on holiday for a couple of weeks and when you come back they have tried to change everything.

Pearl Motors WAS a JET station, it is now a HARVEST ENERGY station

(What? :blink: Who? :huh: Never heard of them! :mellow: Who are they? :unsure: )

So, Who are "Harvest Energy"?

OK, so Pearl Motors are now selling Harvest Energy instead of Jet fuel, but they are still very competitive on price.

A litre of unleaded costs 115.9p, still cheaper than other local petrol stations.

Having said that, they were charging 98.9p this time last year and its now 115.9p for a litre.

That's an annual rise of 17p per litre, or, if you prefer, 77.3p per gallon

A RISE in a year of 15 shillings and sixpence per gallon!!!

Once again, some of us can remember when a gallon of petrol cost less than the current annual rise, - and that was only in the 1970's. :o

1978 to be precise, - see post #21 in this topic!

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OK, so Pearl Motors are now selling Harvest Energy instead of Jet fuel, but they are still very competitive on price.

A litre of unleaded costs 115.9p, still cheaper than other local petrol stations.

Having said that, they were charging 98.9p this time last year and its now 115.9p for a litre.

That's an annual rise of 17p per litre, or, if you prefer, 77.3p per gallon

A RISE in a year of 15 shillings and sixpence per gallon!!!

Once again, some of us can remember when a gallon of petrol cost less than the current annual rise, - and that was only in the 1970's. :o

1978 to be precise, - see post #21 in this topic!

Harvest Energy, a combined UK and Dutch company, still not a lot wiser

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