Click around the world again with ABC Wednesday, this week starring the letter "F".
Milk floats from the diary used be a regular part of everyone's morning ritual. Growing up in the London suburbs in the 1970s I remember milkmen (and sometimes milkwomen) dropping off pints of milk and sometimes products such as yoghurts (which were considered quite exotic back then), on your doorstep. They would collect and reuse the empty glass milk bottles too.
Even in the Manchester suburbs in the 1980s and 1990s when I lived near a dairy, the sound of the battery powered floats all loading up and trundling off from the dairy at dawn, bottles rattling, was a daily dawn chorus.
These days, thanks to the all powerful monopoly of supermarket chains' reduced prices, most people buy their milk in plastic bottles at the store. But there are a few dairies still around, such as Creamline (above), who whirr around England making a distinctive sound before the rush hour begins. Check a 1970’s float in action.
Creamline are a local and independent company founded by the Roe family in 1945 who started by delivering around Worsley and Trafford Park. They now have a production and bottling plant in Eccles and deliver to homes and businesses across a vast region from Cheshire to the south Lakes.
Of course, there is also an argument for consuming soya milk instead of dairy milk, but that's another post for another time...
Interesting!It reminds me some movies and TV series that I used to watch when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried soya milk, but I would like to taste, as I've already try juices with soya and I like it a lot!
You prepared a great article for the day!Well done!
Léia
Perfect shot for today! I, too, remember the old-time milk deliveries. During the winter, I would hustle downstairs to get the milk bottle because the frozen cream would pop the paper cap and be wonderful to top off and eat!. Memories, esp pleasant ones are so much fun to recall. Kate, ABC Team
ReplyDeleteI remember scenes like this from TV shows in my youth as well:) There is a slight milk float comeback for small dairies in the area, as there are a number working farms here. I've tried soya milk and it's so abundant here now it's an easy substitute for dairy milk.
ReplyDeleteI still hear a milk van going up our street these days. Good choice for today, Chrissy. It is fun to see the comments here!
ReplyDeleteWow - I can't remember the last time I saw a milk float - how wonderful they still exist in Manchester! Reminds me of our friendly milkman Dougie when I was growing up in Wythenshawe :) Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteAlways makes me think of Bennie Hill when I see a milk float. Now there is an idea for E the next time around... Ernie!
ReplyDeleteAmazing !
ReplyDeletePlease have a good Thursday.
An interesting post, Chrissy. And thanks for including the link to the video. I don't remember the name "float" used in the USA. To us, I think they were just milk trucks. But, I don't remember seeing one in a very long time.
ReplyDeleteWe get milk delivery from a dairy; surprises some folks who didn't know that still happened!
ReplyDelete