No Village Pump

NZ Truth, Issue 1186, 23 August 1928, Page 6

No Village Pump

THE country is so bestrewn with petrol 7 service stations that they fail to excite more, than passing notice except from motorists or perhaps an observant tram passenger who might remark; "Hullo, there's another new one opened up; beats me how they all make a do!" A pioneer, however, m any line of business merits a r,ay of the spotlight, and these premises being conceded, you are asked to meet Fred Crawford, the cheery presiding genius at the Addington service station (Christchurch). Some few years ago, with never a pump adorning a Christchurch footpath, F.C. — aided and abetted by one Patrick of intercolonial cricket fame — decided that the petrol trail was worthy of j exploration. Conjointly they blazed £he trail whereon a veritable legion has since encamped. But Fred holds the fort not merely by the early bird pre-emption of a snug location. . Consumers don't as a rule chase lantern- jawed petrol purveyors with Ddn dreary whiskers for a "fill": It is much nicer to do business with a bright companionable chap who cheerily invites you to "take a pew" the while he gets busy with the gadgets! And if he is interested m the things you ai-e interested m, so much the better. Arid that's why F.C. has a large and growing clientele.