It's strange to think that when I was growing up in the UK it was not extraordinary for a working man to consume half an Imperial gallon of beer a night.

It is the volume of a cubic decim�tre, and contains a kilogramme of water at 4� C. in a vacuum, equal to .2200967 British imperial gallon, therefore less than a quart—4� litres being roughly equal to a gallon.

The British imperial gallon of four quarts contains 277.274 cub. in.

This increase, together with a simultaneous price hike by the oil companies, drove the retail price of gasoline as high as 92� an imperial gallon.

To meet the discounters head on, Esso slashed prices by as much as 6�� per imperial gallon, revamped its marketing so its lowest rates would be in effect in high-volume urban areas, reduced its gasoline grades from four to three, reshuffled their octane ratings.