can anyone dig deep into their memories to recall wether sheffield ever had a national petrol station?. national stations all but disappeared by the mid 1980s. the only place they survived (and still do was scotland). national was originally known as national benzole. just to add they were the company that ran a very successful smurf promotion for a few years.

I only really remember National petrol stations because they were the places you could buy Smurfs!!

So I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt that there was a National place at Nether Edge, on Machon Bank Road just past the main junction at the bottom of Nether Edge Road.

Used to buy all my Smurfs from there.

I'm 95% sure there was a National garage on Ecclesall Road, just beyond Berkeley Precinct, same side, as you sit in traffic en route to Hunter's Bar. National's sign was in blue and white, a white helmeted face on a blue background.

I too was an avid collector of Smurfs - beats crystal glasses and thermos flasks any day! Do you recall, the Smurfs used to be on show beneath a plastic dome on a table in the middle of the shop?

Oh the happiness as dad pulled into a National, as opposed to Esso, BP, Fina, Gulf and so on!!

Now you mention it, I can kind of picture the National logo somewhere round that bit of Ecclesall Road so you're probably right there.

Some time around 1977/78, my sister and I wrote and drew a kind of Smurfs fanzine called 'Smurfs Fun And News'. It's unlikely you ever saw it, as there was only one copy, and I still have it in a box of equally embarrassing stuff from my youth.

You know, when the Internet was first invented, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I'd one day use it to discuss the whereabouts of National petrol strangers with strangers.

Originally posted by Damon

You know, when the Internet was first invented, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I'd one day use it to discuss the whereabouts of National petrol strangers with strangers.


Strangers with bags on their heads too! <<<<< But it's the small things in life that matter isn't it?

At least that's what I keep telling the wife:thumbsup:

thanks for info guys. i wasnt brought up in sheffield but i felt sure that such a large city would have had at least one or two of these garages.

your spot on about the logo. back in the days of national benzole it was the same face but shown with more detail.

these smurfs still do the rounds on ebay typing in national smurfs usually finds them. usually worth a peek.

There was one on Psalter Lane, next to the Stag, where the lower car park is today.

There were two types of outlets which sold National Benzole - one was where the garage was a "dealer" who could sell any type of petrol, one of which may be National Benzole. He would be the owner of the garage or filling station. The other type was a "licensee", wher the petrol company owns the site and rents/leases it out to the "licensee" the guy running it.

My father sold National Benzole for many years at Crest Service Station, Handsworth, next to the Turf Pub. Many National Stations changed over to Shell around 1975/76 as a part of a "swop" deal between the two.

National were gentlemen to be associated with, unlike the criminals from Shell

Regards - Grey Eminence - Subang Jaya, Malaysia
"It Aint Alf Ot Mum" - every day of the year

The one at Meadowhead was National. I think originally it was Brocklehursts then became Alan Ponds

There was on at the junction of Barrow Rd and Holywell Rd used to be Ross Garages Haulage in the 60's before it was took over by Humber Wharehousing.

Albert Jackson Motors on Richmond Road used to sell National too. Also American cars. Think the garage is still there?:confused:

There was one on Psalter Lane, next to the Stag, where the lower car park is today.

Yep I remember that one and it was the first place I bought petrol for my first car. Back in 1970 three gallons cost less than a quid I am sure. - Used to last me all week.

Wasn't the Kennings garage in Broomhill a National station?