We are saddened to report that the 44 Club is closing.
In 1931 BP’s predecessor, Anglo-Persian Oil Company, together with its UK marketing subsidiary British Petroleum, merged its British marketing operations with those of Royal Dutch Shell, to create Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd (SMBP). The merger was mainly cost-driven but also sought to develop an effective and highly profitable monopoly in many UK oil markets. By the 1970s the political and economic climate was one of greater competition. Shell and BP acknowledged this and decided to separate the two brands and their people and assets into two separate and independent branded businesses – BP Oil and Shell UK Oil. The SMBP partnership ended at the stroke of midnight on 31 December 1975. SMBP had been one of Britain’s most successful companies for forty-four years.
In the first couple of years after brand separation senior former employees of SMBP decided that it would be good to create a club, named ‘The SMBP 44 Association’ (colloquially the ‘44 Club’) to “sustain the family spirit of Shell-Mex & B.P. Ltd” for retirees. It was open to anyone who had worked for Shell-Mex and B.P. It was thought that the Club would perhaps last for fifteen or so years. In fact, it has recently celebrated its 48th birthday! But all good things must come to an end. The membership, with an average age of about 85, has dropped to below 1,800 and branches are struggling to be as active as they once were. The Club has been generously supported by Shell since its foundation but that has had to come to an end in today’s different times.
At the SMBP 44 Association’s Annual General Meeting on 16 May 2024, it was agreed that the Club would be dissolved at the end of 2025, effectively and appropriately marking 50 years since brand separation. The bp society has always welcomed ex-SMBP employees and will continue to do so – even if they went to Shell on brand separation. Elaine Bush has written to the Club’s secretary to inform him that members are welcome to join the bp society. It is expected that the Shell Pensioners’ Association will be doing the same.