"when I was a lad..." petrol was £0.69 per gallon (1979), or about £0.15 per litre, so within the next few months, I should be paying 1000% more than I did at the start of my motoring

note - in 1979, a gallon of fuel was 1.5% of the average UK weekly wage - today, its 2.15%, an increase of about 45%

Being older than Nigel, the increase in fuel price since I started riding bikes age 16 is even more marked.

In old money, petrol cost 4/4d a gallon, that's roughly 22p, or 4.8p a litre. More than a 2500% increase since then.

I dont think fuel prices, or any other car cost, will ever render me to public transport.

Some luxuries we will pay through the nose for!!

btw: Nigel you got too much time working out coop costs.. how about working in a new coop design?

I remember when I first started driving (1991), a litre of four star (!) was around 50p.

And a fiver would actually buy a meaningful amount of fuel.

In the early 90's I always used the 10p a mile benchmark for fuel consumption.

Ah, happy days

I recall my father complaining when 4-star went up to 3s/7d (18p) a gallon - before I started driving, though.

Update

I have to say that this has been less painful than I expected - I've already learned to just bury myself in a book, magazine or iPlayer download and just ignore the rest of the world

Thankfully, the train change at Birmingham New Street is really easy - straight from one train onto another in the morning and a five minute wait in the evening

However, I realised this evening that I have a quarter of a tank of fuel left, and the last time I filled it up was the middle of the second week in February - I normally get through two tanks per week and now I'm heading for one tank a month - max

The other benefit is that when I went out for a drive last Saturday, the car felt massively fast and very special

I can't believe I'm saying this, but seriously - get the train.....

I don't want to say it but .....

I'd also say your power chase has ended but somehow I think not !

Nigel, I have to say you kept with it a long time, how much do you think you would have saved if you had done this say 4 years ago (i havent read the rest of the thread yet)

In Italy no-one grows up wanting to be a train rider either

Boom-tish!

Must be of a similar vintage - my dad complained when it went to 5s/2d (21p) a gallon. A cheap day return to London from Rochester was 5s 6d (22.5p), so the train was cheaper then as well!

I like travelling by train by the way; I always go to London by train unless I have my kids with me when the car is the cheaper option.

<pedant mode> 5/2 = 26p; 5/6 = 27.5p

Sorry; I'm old enough to have been of an age when the currency converted that I was able to help little old ladies who couldn't cope with counting to ten.

Cheers Neil; it has been a long day (and senility is creeping in).......

Very good

This thread has got me thinking! I've had a look and I could HALF my fuel costs by going on the train.

Problem is i'd need to drive to the station and station isnt near work. Also I quite often go partner's after work... Shame it's not that easy for some of us