You want what?

[Roscoe]

We owned a service station in a little town called Ward, 50km south of Blenheim in the early 60s. Our petrol was dearer than Blenheim and people travelling up from Christchurch would stop in for petrol, and knowing petrol was dearer they would only ask for one gallon which would take them to Blenheim where the petrol was cheaper and save them a few pennies. They often became quite upset when we told them we don't sell only one gallon. The smallest amount we would sell was three gallons. "But you have to sell it to me." some would say. "We don't have to sell you anything." was our reply. When we told them why, they bought three gallons.

When you start an electric motor there is an initial surge of electricity - three pence worth - we have overheads and wages - another three pence - so we don't start making a profit until the third gallon, and you only want one gallon? Go away! "But you sell one gallon to a motor cyclist." "Yes, but they have such a small tank they can't take any more, so we make an exception."

That was only one of the many things that happened. We should have written down all the silly things that happened over the seven years we were there. We could have written a book about it.

[prefect]

I know it well we used to go diving there, good for paua and crays quite handy pots just offshore to take them out of as well. I was in the Totaranui underwater club, turn on the light not a brain in sight. I thought petrol price was fixed by the government then?

[Roscoe]

I thought petrol price was fixed by the government then?

Yes it was, but there was an allowance made for the distance it was carted.

And you said good for crays: that was what the local fisherman fished for, but the only reason the fisherman could launch his boat - because of the undertow - was out the river entrance. We were very fortunate. The fisherman was one of our customers and bought the petrol for his boat. We got on very well with him and we often had crayfish for tea. All the crayfish he caught was for the American market but all they wanted was the tails so the rest of the crayfish was dumped. What a waste.

[WalOne]

In the mid 70s a Canadian mate of mine was driving from LA, homeward bound to Montreal. In the middle of the night and in some god-forsaken mid West town, he stopped for fuel at a 24/7 gas station, almost out of fuel.

He was refused service. It was due to some unforgiveable and anti-American double transgression ... 1) he was an "alien" (Canadian), and 2) he was driving a Japanese vehicle (a Honda Civic). In the end, he was aided by appealing to the local sheriff who arranged fuel for him - but only enough to get him to the next town and no more. Fortunately the people at the next stop were not as parochial in their outlook and he was able to continue from there without further issue.

These attitudes can still exist in remote parts of the USA, but thankfully not as extreme as this.

[Neil F]

What i remember about the name Ward was that once there was a rather nice beer called Ward's Pale ale -it had a pink label. From memory brewed at DB Washdyke.
Presumably like so many other things long past.

[gary67]

Currently diesel is 40C a litre more expensive in Hanmer than it is in Amberley and 30C more than Culverden. I always fill up when out of Hanmer and keep a couple of spare cans also filled up out of Hanmer. I don't mind slightly higher prices for being out in the Wops but I refuse to be ripped off.

[prefect]

What i remember about the name Ward was that once there was a rather nice beer called Ward's Pale ale -it had a pink label. From memory brewed at DB Washdyke.
Presumably like so many other things long past.

I thought it was brewed in CHCH anyway I remember it as the beer on choice on the Chatham's islands. If two utes meet on a road they sometimes stopped and warm bottles of Wards in crates on the back were cracked and a bit of a natter ensued.

[Driftwood]

Yeah I downed a fair bit of that when I was over there in the early 80s