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- The Petrol Pump Oracle, a legendary chalkboard outside a Johannesburg filling station, will have new owners.
- Former owner Alison Purchase is parting ways with the petrol station – and the board.
- Purchase said the new owners are expected to continue with the tradition.
If you live or work in or around Hyde Park in Gauteng, or you’ve driven down Jan Smuts Avenue, then you probably know the BP petrol station that’s home to the Petrol Pump Oracle.
The oracle is a legendary chalkboard outside the filling station that displays inspirational messages every day.
Over the years, it carried wisdom from the likes of Siya Kolisi, Madiba, Jimi Hendrix and the Dalai Lama. Owner Alison Purchase was responsible for sharing motivational quotes with motorists daily.
“I would wake up in the morning, check the news headlines and see if there is anything there that would be relevant,” she told News24.
She added:
“I got favourite writers who I like to use, like Maya Angelou. I often use her quotes; they are wonderful,” she added.
Purchase had written on the board for 20 years – a tradition she took over from the previous owners.
Many people have thanked her for her efforts over the years.
“Sometimes when I’m writing, people would stop and just come to me and say thank you,” she said.
Purchase recalled that when former president Nelson Mandela died, she was at a loss for words.
She said:
Purchase is parting ways with the garage but says the new owners will continue with the tradition.
However, she’ll miss it.
“I got a lot of joy out of this board, joy from the people it helped,” she said.
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