RECENTLY I SPOTTED two old, disused petrol pumps in the Cornish seaport of St Mawes. Somebody, had written on them that the price of petrol as 2/3 (two shillings and three pennies) per British gallon (that is about 11.2 pence per 4.55 litres). I passed my driving test in the summer of 1982, and can remember that even then, the price of a gallon of petrol was less that £1 Sterling. I can recall being surprised when the price reached £1 per gallon.

Yesterday, 31st September 2025, I was pleased to have found really cheap petrol in Penzance, Cornwall. It was £1.28 per litre, whereas at most other filling stations, it was at least £1.38 per litre. Well, £1.28 per litre equates to £5.82 (5 pounds and 16 shillings and 5 pennies) per gallon. Thus, the price of petrol now is at least 52 times what it was when those pumps at St Mawes were last used.