A great-grandmother who has been serving petrol since it was just 32p a litre has celebrated 45 years at Gulf Ivy Garage.
Dot Ryan is the longest-serving member at staff at the forecourt and shop on Rykneld Street, Alrewas in Burton-on-Trent.
Dot, 77, joined the team as maternity cover in 1980 – and 45 years later has no plans of stopping.
Proving the adage ‘you’re only as old as you feel’ Dot serves on the till three days a week and attributes her job to her youthful spirit.
“I just love the job!” Dot explains, “It keeps your mind sharp talking to all sorts of people all day, and I always stand at the till for the full shift, so it keeps me active.”
Dot of Kings Bromley Road in Alrewas is a familiar face on the forecourt. In her four decades of service, she has seen lots of changes in the village and the garage too.
Dot said: “There is a good life in the village. Now with the new build estate we have got lots of young families moving here. It is a busy garage. I get to chat to everyone and find out all the news and gossip.”
Today’s technology does a lot of the heavy lifting on the forecourt, but Dot remembers the old days fondly. She said: “When I came to work at the forecourt, we had a big showroom, a workshop and a parts department.
“Back in the 80s, we served out of a kiosk with a cashbox. We did not even have a till. You could get petrol or oil in a can. We had one diesel pump with two hoses, and the old 2-star, 3-star and 4-star petrol. It was 32p a litre back then!”
“We had lots of accounts with local businesses which you’d have to hand write and sign for and sort the cheques.
“I remember when we used to go out and do the tanker – no qualifications to do it mind you. The tanker driver would get on top of the tanker and pull the measure out to wipe it and let you see. There have been lots of health and safety changes since then thankfully.”
Originally from Smethwick, West Midlands, Dot moved to Alrewas in 1965, where she met husband Paddy. They have been happily married for 56 years and have close-knit family of seven children, 13 children and eight great-grandchildren who live locally.
“There are so many of us, I never stop buying birthday and Christmas presents. I had two birthdays last week, one this week. At Christmas we hire Alrewas Village Hall and load up my son-in-law’s van with all the presents.”
While many of her friends have retired, slowing down is the last thing on Dot’s mind.
She says: “I do not think I am doing anything special. My generation is old school. We have a good worth ethic. I have done all sorts of jobs since I was a young girl – helped the milk man, worked at an ice cream van, and even on a building site cleaning brick when I was 14. We can knock spots off the youngsters!”
Gill Purkiss, Store Manager at Gulf Ivy Garage, says: “Everybody knows Dot! I have worked with her since 2012. She helped me learn the ropes and she knows the site like the back of her hand. She never changes. She always has a smile on her face – does not matter what is going on at the counter or forecourt. She is just brilliant. I wish more people were like Dot!”
Gulf Ivy Garage is family owned by J T Leavesley Ltd. The garage is partnered with Gulf UK, which is owned by Certas Energy – the UK’s largest independent distributer of fuel and lubricants.
Jenny Lockwood, Head of Retail Dealer at Certas Energy, says: “This is an exceptional milestone. Dot’s enthusiasm and work ethic is incredibly impressive. It’s thanks to the dedication of people like Dot that keep Gulf’s network of independent sites running smoothly. And for that, we’re hugely grateful. Thank you for your years of service, Dot!”
