The fuel storage tanks finally ran dry on the Wednesday morning of the 3rd August 2016, and traffic cones were then placed at the entrance and exit of a very busy filling station to say we have no more!
The weather had been very windy, but nice and sunny with a high of 24C, as an increased volume of customers came to say their own farewell to the team.
And so another landmark has come to an end in Rushden, this time it was at the former Bridge Service Station. The final owners were Mr Fred Steel and Mike Young, who had operated the site for 27 years since 1989.
It was one of the few places in the town where you could check your tyre pressures, and adjust as necessary, the air hose etc was mounted on the wall of the car wash.
Talking of former iconic landmarks, on the same side of the road were the former Birches bus garage, which made hourly and very punctual runs to London, and the Airflow Cafe, and further along towards the town was the Queen Victoria Hotel.
And on the opposite side of the road where the Asda store is now, was the Theatre cinema, where we used to go in big numbers to see the likes of Flash Gordon on a Saturday morning back in the 1960's.
The former full and part time staff members at the Bridge were Peter Gilby, Ann Webb, Georgie Webb, Sonia Camp, Kirsty Graham and Harry Ingle, who had given many years of friendly and loyal service.
Corporate colours of the Jet brand are a distinctive yellow and blue, and the tanker made its delivery of fuel twice a week on average. They were working out of the largest fuel depot in the UK at Kingsbury near Birmingham.
Many major changes have been happening nationally so far this year in 2016; we had the EU referendum, which voted to leave the European union. Then came the rapid exit of conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, and because of all of that we had a new prime minister in the shape of former Home Secretary Mrs Theresa May.
She became our second female prime minister following Mrs Margaret Thatcher some 26 years earlier in 1990.
When the Bridge finally closed it left just four other sites in the town selling fuel; they are Park Road Motors, Croyland Motors, Waitrose and Texaco in Wellingborough Road.
The new owners of the Bridge service station are "Asda", who plan to upgrade the site with no immediate plans for the use of the former service bay etc.
No doubt the fuel prices maybe a few pence per litre lower in the town when Asda take over the site, but will it still give the homely feel of the "Bridge"?
When the neon signs displaying the fuel prices were finally switched off on that summer day, what were the prices? Well unleaded petrol was selling at £109.9 per litre, and diesel was slightly dearer at £110.9 per litre.
The view of Rushden won't quite be the same as we drive in and out of town on Higham Road. From all us motorists, many thanks Fred, Mike and the team "Thanks for the Memories".
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