life
ADMIRAL OF THE FUEL PUMPS MALCOLM BLAGG
Pump boss with the personal touch retires at 75: Spring, summer, autumn and even winter he’d be sporting a T-shirt or short sleeves and shorts to ‘fill you up’ - not just with petrol but information, points of view and comments about anything and everything all rolled into one. You stayed.. .and listened! BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT
T
he frontier was about to close when Malcolm arrived on the Rock in 1969. Since then, it’s been the outdoors and the forever, lightweight rig-out come rain or shine. “I’ve always worked outdoors in construction and petrol station courtyards on the Rock and I love the fresh air,” Malcolm swears. To boot, he’s been involved in athletics, played football, squash, badminton, tennis and also taken on motorcycling trials, and cycling. The man is a keep-fit junkie! He also spent 30 years in the Gibraltar Regiment (as it was known then) making it to Colour Sergeant where he managed to marry two of his main interests: fitness and the Army (the infantry and ceremonial duties being his love) whilst for good measure, not completely getting away from uniforms right up to the present day, as you may GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE APRIL 2020
have seen him in his Lord Nelson regalia walking up and down Main Street on important occasions. And throughout all this time, now 75 years old, still going for early morning swims and frequent jogs. At work, chatty Malcolm has
also kept up his forever long and interesting chats at the petrol station ranging from family values, “always in danger of being eroded” he says, supporting youngsters who are our future not by throwing money at them but by getting the right messages 45
