FOR the past 12 years, Calvin Brown has been a friendly face to drivers at Shell's Causeway Service Station in Hamilton Parish, filling tanks, repairing tyres, and cleaning windscreens. It's a career he chose at the age of 15, one that will have spanned 57 years on May 27. As he prepared to celebrate his 72nd birthday today, he met with Mid-Ocean News reporter Heather Wood and photographer Glenn Tucker and shared some of the more interesting aspects of his work.

Q: When did you start working for Shell?

A: I worked for Esso first. I worked for Esso for 33 years. I left there and went to Van Buren's (a shell gas station) in Flatt's. I stayed there for 12 years and I'm now at Shell at Blue Hole Hill. I've been here for 12 years. It will be 57 years this month, on May 27, (that I've worked in this career).

Q: You started in 1951?

A: May 27, 1951.

Q: Why did you choose this as a profession?

A: To me, a lot of my old friends I played soccer with and whatnot were doing construction jobs and things but with this you see a variety of people - all your old friends, some new ones. I enjoy it very much.

Q: What is it that you do? What are your responsibilities?

A: I'm the assistant manager, the yard manager outside there. I'm in charge of the day shifts. I fix all the flats, tyres, things like that.

Q: What's kept you in it for 57 years? Meeting different people?

A: Yeah.

Q: What was it like when you first started? How much was gas then?

A: I don't remember the price (when I first started at Blue Hole Hill) but I remember at the time when I worked for Esso, it was round about one and threepence, a shilling and threepence.

Q: That was in 1951?

A: Yeah.

Q: And today it's what?

A: $8.14 a gallon.

Q: When you first started with Shell where were you based?

A: Rose Hill, St. George's.

Q: So you've always stayed at the eastern end of the island?

A: Yes.

Q: Why?

A: Closer to home and I enjoy the east end very well. It's nice and peaceful.

Q: Any dramatic things that have happened during your career? Any fires?

A: One fire down at Esso. I was fixing a flat and something happened down there but there wasn't too much damage. The next one I was fixing a Payloader tyre for Shell. It was a couple minutes before three in the afternoon. It was Friday the 13th.

The mechanic told me that the air was out of (the tyre), that everything was straight. So naturally I just went right to it with my tools. I took the nuts off and come to find out that he'd untightened the nuts, and left the air in it and she blew. It took me way up in the air. I broke a finger, put my knee out of place, broke my watch - it was stuck on three minutes after three. I went to the doctor's office first. Dr. (Ian) Fulton told my wife to drive me to (King Edward VII Memorial Hospital). My boss took me to the doctor and then home, my wife took me to the hospital. I didn't get out of there until after midnight. Other people were (in the Emergency Department) waiting, I told them to go along, I didn't feel any pain so I let them go before me.

Q: And that's the most dramatic thing that ever happened?

A: Yes.

Q: How far did you go up?

A: Quite a ways up in the air and I never found the tools (that went up in the explosion with me).

Q: Are customers generally friendly?

A: You find some of 'em with attitudes but it takes two to make an argument so¿¿

Q: What about tourists? Have you noticed the ebb and flow of tourism?

A: (Repeat) guests come from Grotto Bay and always stop by and say, 'You're still here', and I say, 'Yeah'. And I meet other Brothers as well (identified by their Freemasons' ring).

Q: You're with which lodge?

A: Hannibal Lodge, St. George's.

Q: You joined because ,,?

A: I was asked to join about 50 years ago and I was scared, I'd heard so many different things about (the Freemasons) and then I decided to make up my own mind, find out what it was about for myself. At that time I was playing soccer and involved in coaching the boys and everything and then we broke up so I just found something else to do. And I joined them and I'm very pleased for doing that. It showed me a whole new (way of) life.

I respect people. I've been all over - to different lodges (here and in the United States), made different friends, seen places where white (people) and coloured (people) get together. It's magnificent.

I haven't told my boss yet but I will be leaving on Friday, June 6 for one week in New Jersey with the Shriners (of North America). It's beautiful.

Q: Your birthday is May 23. How has that worked out? Every year you get a holiday the day after? A double celebration?

A: It's funny, but every holiday I work.

Q: So you've never enjoyed the May 24 holiday as an adult?

A: I always say I work during the day, by the time I come out everybody's going to be hot and sweaty and all intoxicated and by the time they've gone home I can sit on a barstool and it's very peaceful. I enjoy that.

Q: Have you seen many changes in the St. George's area? Noticed any changes in the landscape?

A: Yeah. I work here but every evening when I knock off, I drive St. George's. I go (along) Mullet Bay, Fort. St. Catherine's, Cut Road, come back the same way, and home. I get rid of all the frustrations out of my system before I go deal with my grandchildren.

Q: What about some of the hazards? I notice your hands are stained. What's that from?

A: From cleaning the windshield wipers.

Q: I guess that's one of the downsides?

A: Yes. But people like it done. If you want to make a little extra, you do what you got to do. I like to do it. Keeps me in sales. People come back and it keeps me employed.

Q: Since I've been here a few people have called out to you. Are they your regulars? Do the same people tend to come here?

A: Those boys in the car were friends of my son's. They're always around the house.

Q: But generally, aside from tourists you see the same faces all the time?

A: Yeah. And I enjoy that.

Q: Do they seek you out?

A: Just a couple of them will come in on Monday, or on the weekend and some will wait on the side and say, "Mr. Brown, Mr. Brown". There are people who come and only want me to serve them. The other fellas might not be doing (anything) but they'll wait for me.

Q: In the years you've worked how have gas stations changed?

A: Sodas came first but now, all sorts of food and stuff like that. It's more like a variety store - detergents, women's needs, stuff like that there.

Q: What about the actual pumps, have they changed?

A: Yeah. Some of them (accept) credit card (payments). Before you used to pull the handle up, put the nozzle in and gas would come out. Now, you have to (punch the information) into the computers. It's changed.

Q: Are there some people who do it themselves?

A: Yeah. There's a couple of taxi drivers and ladies, who like to do it themselves. They're responsible for it if they put in diesel instead of gas in their cars.

Q: Does that happen often?

A: If we know you're going to do it yourself or see you're going to do it yourself we (stand by in case you need help) and watch you finish it.

Q: What cars were popular in Bermuda when you first started?

A: The Rootes Group.

Q: Rootes Group?

A: It's British. (They made) Hillmans. (But we also saw) Austins, Morris Minors, Volkswagens, Beetles, those were the popular ones. They were very easy to work on. Nowadays there's a lot of work to do. A car breaks down or something like that there, if the fuse is gone, to put a fuse in, now they have chips in the car so it has to go to a technician to get that done.

Q: What about retirement?

A: I'm not old enough to do that yet. I enjoy myself. On the days I'm off, I go (searching) for antique bottles, coins and stuff like that there.

Q: You find them where?

A: In all sorts of trees.

Q: How big is your collection?

A: Very big. A lot are (duplicates). Everybody's looking for marble bottles, blue bottles, if you're diving you'll see them.

Q: Do you have them on display at home?

A: Just a couple.

Q: When do you think you might retire?

A: I haven't even given it a thought.

Q: You enjoy working?

A: Yeah. Now and then I walk to work in the mornings, just a little after six. I'm the one who opens up (the station) in the mornings.

Q: How many days a week do you work?

A: I guess about five. Friday's I come in at six. I leave around about 12 just to pay the bills and go around town. Sundays I knock off at two, go out to the dump and show my face out there, look for coins and bottles out there.

Q: What are your regular hours?

A: I work six til 12 on Fridays and eight til 2 on Sundays. Saturdays I have off, that's clean up day 'round the house.

Q: What about Mondays through Thursdays, when can people find you here?

A: Six, until 6.30 or 7.

Q: That's a long day, no?

A: I don't think so. You see so many people you don't even notice time. But you get the younger fellas, after ten o'clock some mornings. At 1 it seems like a race track, everybody comes in saying "Hi, how are you"? But you just cope with it, you get along.

Q: What are you doing to celebrate your birthday?

A: What I do every year. Just go home. I'll see the children, yes. They'll have made a cake and everything, we'll turn the light off, blow out the candles. Then I'll go off on my own, sit outside with a cigar, a beer. I'm satisfied. It's better than a million dollars to me.

Q: What about your 57th anniversary? Will they celebrate that?

A: If somebody wants to give me something I'll take it (laughs).

Q: Did you ever consider changing jobs?

A: No.

Q: Just been perfectly happy doing what you do?

A: Yeah. There are people who come from way up Warwick just to get their tyres done (by me). There's a sports car in Warwick, an MGB with spoke wheels, no one will touch it. But I've got my tools. Take it off with my hands. Mechanics today don't use manual labour. Everything's computerised. But I like it, keeps me fit.