Time spent with BP

The caption I've used for years is; "How do I fix that."

I guess I must have figured it out because this was taken before I made the
leap into the grease pit, if memory serves it was an old Bedford van that
belonged to my Dad and he had asked me to get it started, don't you love the
intelligent look and the haircut on that skinny kid!!!

My time with BP Australia began in 1965 when I joined the company as an area
Representative in the city of Geelong, situated only 50 miles from Melbourne
Geelong is Victoria’s second largest city.

I made a poor choice when I left school and took up a trade as a motor mechanic,
it only took the 5 years of an apprenticeship for me to decide I really didn’t
want to do this for the rest of my working life, I spent a few years with
Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co before landing the plum job with BP.

Because Geelong was a large enough city but still insulated from Head Office in
Melbourne I spent 3 years as a wholesale Rep, which simply meant that anyone
except a reseller was my potential customer, I finished my 5 years with BP as
the Retail Rep.

I enjoyed all of my time with the company but my preference was the retail side
of the oil industry, so much so that when I resigned from BP and moved to
Queensland to live I sought out the State manager, who happened to be the man
who first employed me, and obtained a BP service station to lease.

It was quite an eye-opener to be sent back to
school to learn the ropes and even more so to find
that I needed to do this, from the other side of
the fence the view was quite different.

It was during this time that Wazza, who lived
nearby became first a customer and later a friend.

For the next 3 years the business in Holland Park,
a Brisbane suburb, flourished but then the
dreaded Petrol Price Cutting that had been so much

a part of my life as a Rep came to Brisbane.

Rather than join in to this quick road to bankruptcy
We chose to move out of the metropolitan area and buy the freehold title to
a small service station at Rosewood, this station had a franchise deal with
another oil company so the 8 year association with BP was broken.

Julie is here giving full driveway service to the old FJ Holden Ute we bought as
a run around.
That little trip down memory lane reminds me;

1975: Long hair.
2005: Longing for hair.

1975: Acid rock.
2005: Acid reflux.

1975: Moving to California because it's cool.
2005: Moving to California because it's warm.

1975: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor.
2005: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor.

1975: Seeds and stems.
2005: Roughage.

1975: The Grateful Dead.
2005: Grateful you're not dead.

1975: Going to a new, hip joint.
2005: Receiving a new hip joint.

1975: Rolling Stones.
2005: Kidney Stones.

1975: Being called into the principal's office.
2005: Calling the principal's office.

1975: Screw the system.
2005: Upgrade the system.

1975: Disco.
2005: Tesco.

1975: Parents begging you to get your hair cut.
2005: Children begging you to get their heads shaved.

1975: Passing the drivers' test.
2005: Passing the vision test.

1975: Whatever.
2005: Depends.