A FAMILY-run Baildon garage which still uses a fuel attendant has celebrated a major milestone.

By Mark Stanford  MarkS_TandADigital Reporter

Baildon Moor Garage, in Northgate, has been run by the Dobby family in the town for the last 50 years. It is believed to be one of only three hand-attended petrol stations left in the UK.

In the era of petrol stations which also include large shops on site, Baildon Moor Garage could be seen as a throwback from a different era.

The garage features an attended service where David Gill, who has worked there for the last 35 years, fills motorists’ cars with fuel himself, whatever the weather. The site remained open when heavy snow hit Baildon earlier this year, a picture of which is hung up on the garage office’s wall.

The garage was originally opened in November 1971 by Tonie Dobby and his wife Joyce, who died in 2013. There are also four pumps with unleaded petrol and one diesel pump at the site.

In addition to providing fuel, the site also carries out bodywork and MoTs on cars, and sold vehicles in previous years.

Tonie, 85, said: “We have had the same customers forever. We have stayed loyal to the staff and the people of Baildon. The business was seven days a week. It was never work for me, I loved it. Things have changed so much.

“We used to sell cars like Range Rovers, Volvos and Ladas. The last 50 years have gone so quickly. I can’t believe it. The problem is that supermarkets control the fuel supply. They have such huge quantities, and we can’t compete with them on price.”

Garage owner Lindsay says she wants to keep the site open as long as she can due to the strong ties it has to her family and the community.

She said: “I don’t want to sell it, I don’t want to let it go. It’s part of my family.