Queen of the Forecourts: Celebrating Dot Ryan
At Gulf, we love to celebrate our colleagues, and Dot Ryan is someone who deserves all of our praise. Dot is the longest-serving member of staff at the forecourt and shop in Burton-on-Trent, who originally joined for maternity cover in 1980 – and, 45 years later, she has no plans of stopping.
Serving on the till three days a week, Dot attributes her job to her youthful spirit. “I just love the job!” Dot explains. “It keeps your mind sharp talking to all sorts of people all day, and I always stand at the till for the full shift, so it keeps me active.”
How Times Have Changed
In her four decades of service, Dot has seen lots of changes in the village and the garage too. Dot says: “There is a good life in the village. Now with the new build estate, we have got lots of young families moving here. It is a busy garage. I get to chat to everyone and find out all the news and gossip.”
Today’s technology does a lot of the heavy lifting on the forecourt, but Dot remembers the old days fondly. She said: “Back in the 80s, we served out of a kiosk with a cashbox. We did not even have a till. You could get petrol or oil in a can. We had one diesel pump with two hoses, and the old 2-star, 3-star and 4-star petrol. It was 32p a litre back then!”
Keeping Busy at Gulf
Originally from Smethwick, West Midlands, Dot moved to Alrewas in 1965, where she met husband Paddy. They have been happily married for 56 years and have a close-knit family of 7 children, 13 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren who live locally.
Dot loves how busy her life is with her family. “There are so many of us, I never stop buying birthday and Christmas presents. I had two birthdays last week, one this week. At Christmas, we hire Alrewas Village Hall and load up my son-in-law’s van with all the presents.”
While many of her friends have retired, slowing down is the last thing on Dot’s mind. She says: “I don’t think I am doing anything special. My generation is old school. We have a good work ethic. I have done all sorts of jobs since I was a young girl - helped the milk man, worked at an ice cream van, and even on a building site cleaning brick when I was 14. We can knock spots off the youngsters!”
Dot’s Impact on the Gulf Community
Dot’s a long-standing member of the Gulf community – and her impact doesn’t go unnoticed.
Gill Purkiss, Store Manager at Gulf Ivy Garage, says: “Everybody knows Dot! I have worked with her since 2012. She helped me learn the ropes and she knows the site like the back of her hand. She never changes. She always has a smile on her face – does not matter what is going on at the counter or forecourt. She is just brilliant. I wish more people were like Dot!”
And it’s not just her team that Dot has had an impact on. Jenny Lockwood, Head of Retail Dealer at Certas Energy, says: “This is an exceptional milestone. Dot’s enthusiasm and work ethic is incredibly impressive. It’s thanks to the dedication of people like Dot that Gulf’s network of independent sites keeps running smoothly. And for that, we’re hugely grateful. Thank you for your years of service, Dot!”
Visit Gulf
Head to your nearest Gulf forecourt to stock up on all the essentials – and to support your community. You can find your local site below.
