Britains forecourt attendants

[MDFord]

I really like the older Britains and Herald figures, they are much nicer than the more recent offerings.

Recently I picked up these two which I think are described as forecourt attendants, the man should be carrying a spanner, and the lady looks like she needs something in her outstreched hand as well.

I want to get the mechanic lying on his back as well when the opportunity arises.

The question I have is, were these figures part of the Farm range, Garden range, or whatever other range, and what Britains vehicles were they meant to "go" with?

You don't see many about, so I take it they were pretty short lived ??

[david_scrivener]

A short lived set, from early 1964 to the end of 1968. There were four figures, the two pictured, the lying mechanic and a girl filling fuel. She came with a pump nozzle & hose, which came with the other end of the hose plugged into the base, but was intended to be plugged into one of the four petrol pumps issued at the time when being played with. The girl in the picture was holding a sponge, cleaning windescreens, for the use of. There was also a stand to fit three petrol pumps on, including a display cabinet ofr cans of oil (suitably printed paper fitted inside, which concealed a battery to light the three pumps ,which fitted over stands, each with a little light bulb.

There weren't many vehicles made by Britains at the time, the motorbikes, a few tractors, eventually a couple of Landrovers, one to go with a horse trailer & the riding/show jumping figures, an army Landrover and an army Austin Champ. 

They are nice figures, and its a pity they didn't survive long enough for the number of Britains vehicles to increase enough for them to have enough customers. 

[graham]

they look very nice mark i did not realise they even done them cracking find i should think 

[MDFord]

Thanks for that info David, they must be pretty thin on the ground then.

Allright Graham, yes I was pleased to get hold of these, sounds like I need to find the other 2 now 

[david_scrivener]

They're very thin on the ground indeed. I don't have the lying mechanic, and I've been looking for one for ages.

[ploughmaster]

... the man should be carrying a spanner, and the lady looks like she needs something in her outstreched hand as well.

I want to get the mechanic lying on his back as well when the opportunity arises.

These figures are quite difficult to find complete - the standing mechanic tends to have lost his spanner (and sometimes the wheel as well), the petrol attendant is mostly found missing the nozzle (or with the nozzle but missing the hose); the cleaning attendant is usually missing her sponge; and the lying mechanic is usually missing his torch (a nice diecast representation of a standard 1960's Eveready).

Ther were four variations of the petrol pump:-

Shell/Supershell;

Shell/Shellmex;

Esso/Esso Extra;

Esso/Esso Plus 

.......There was also a stand to fit three petrol pumps on, including a display cabinet ofr cans of oil (suitably printed paper fitted inside, which concealed a battery to light the three pumps ,which fitted over stands, each with a little light bulb.

The illuminated version was only available until the end of 1965, the lighting parts being deleted from 1966 (and the sets re- numbered), and it was available on its own without the pumps, or in a  larger set which included the four figures together with the forecourt stand and 3 petrol pumps (there were seperate sets for Shell and Esso). 

The pumps and forecourt sets lived a year longer in the catalogue than the figures, being deleted in 1969, but were only available as Esso Extra/Esso Plus (the Shell pumps were deleted in 1968).

[FNHIR]

I've often wondered Ploughmaster - do you have all that information written down or do you carry it around in your head?!

[MDFord]

Thanks for the extra information ploughmaster, I'll have to try and find a picture somewhere of the figures with all their accessories if there is such a thing.

Do you know if there were any other civilian figures released that were along these lines ?

[david_scrivener]

Racing cyclists, 1962-65 (Rare now, set of 4 figures, all in various colours. Would be stupidly expensive to try to get all 4 in all colours.)

Hospital series, 1984-86.

Autoway series, from 1984, deletions 1986, 1988 & 1991.

[super6]

The mechanic lying down, as bought complete with torch and retailers box

[MDFord]

Thanks David, nothing in that list I haven't encountered 

Paul, thank you for posting that picture, so they were available individually as well. That is a very desireable box in my eyes, do you have the full box of all 12  figures though ?

[super6]

Paul, thank you for posting that picture, so they were available individually as well. That is a very desireable box in my eyes, do you have the full box of all 12  figures though ?

Yes a very desirable box, few and far between though unfortunately

Not a dozen, but he does come with a few mates  and I think some spare torches and a spanner.

The torch batteries are all flat though 

[THEBRITFARMER]

I have the lying down mechanic, no torch though. He was minus all of his paint when I got him so I gave him a makeover:)

[super6]

I have the lying down mechanic, no torch though. He was minus all of his paint when I got him so I gave him a makeover:)

Has he got different coloured overalls now?

[THEBRITFARMER]

Has he got different coloured overalls now?

No I left them blue, I tried to stay as true to the original as I could.