SUPER – Old, odd, interesting, obscure and abandoned filling stations

Hello! I’ve been busy on a new book, or five. Super is a light-hearted mooch around the country, exploring old, odd, interesting obscure and abandoned filling stations. There are over 350 locations photographed and listed alphabetically. From a semi-derelict Lada dealership, to a castle selling four star, beautiful, wisteria clad rural garages and places that are, frankly, hideously ugly – these books cover the lot. Why did I write these books? In the 1960s there were 40000 filling stations around the UK. Today there are perhaps no more than 8000. The book aims to record these places before we all go electric. There are reflections on the Little Chef menu, Shells collector coins and a dodgy anecdote about toxic Smurfs. We have pictures from beautifully isolated places, inner city grot, derelict car dealerships and of a Murco garage with a logo that looks like a cats bum. Each edition covers a different region of the UK. There are five in total. The Midlands and North edition was published first for no other reason than that’s where I’m from. Here’s the cover sleeve, you can click on it to order from Amazon if this tickles your fancy.

The Midlands and North edition (above) has c.130 pages, 7.5″ x 9.25″ in size and printed full colour throughout. I am particularly proud of it. The South East edition (below) is of a similar heft. The cover shot was taken very recently but could quite easily have been taken in the seventies. The South East edition has wonderful wooden garages in the New Forest who are fighting an endless seasonal battle against the undergrowth, trendy London locations, and locations which are celebrating their retro appeal with wonderfully restored petroliana. Click the image below for more info on Amazon. Go on, I dare you.

Below is the Wales edition of SUPER. In it is a garage owned by a man who hoards Hillman Imps, semi-derelict pumps on windswept mountainsides and an ode to Welsh rappers, Goldie Lokkin’ Chain. Click the image below to see more on Amazon.

Being published by the end of November (so I had better get my finger out) is the edition with the prettiest sites. The South West edition also covers some of the ugliest, like the cover shot at Cheddar Gorge. Also in this edition is a forgotten car factory, throwback Austin Rover garages and waffle about a way of life that is fast disappearing. It’ll go live on Amazon soon, click the link for where to find it.

 And last, but by no means least, is the Scotland edition. Man, we clocked up some miles! This edition would also make a useful addition to anyone planning a North Coast 500 roadtrip. There’s stories of a Bentley dealership which operated for almost a century, with a pot bellied stove in the workshop, pumps on islands serving tiny fishing communities and a large church which sells petrol outside and services Land Rovers inside. Praise be to petrol. The Scotland edition will go live in December, ish, and can be ordered by clicking the image below.

You can order these books, and other twaddle I’ve written, by clicking here.

Cover pic credits (c); Rich Duisberg, Willie Angus, Martin Chamberlain, Carl Smith, Neil Jones and Keith Bellis. With particular thanks to Dicky Cutler.