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Every Sunday morning my grandma did bacon sandwiches (with the bread dipped in a frying pan of tinned tomatoes) and a pot of tea for the 2 Co-op milkmen who did the deliveries round our way. As a kid I would wake up to the smell of frying bacon and go downstairs to chat to Mac and Alf (and later Joe). Years later after she died I bumped into Mac (still a Coop milkman) who remembered her fondly. I remember they sent a wreath to her funeral. When she sent me to buy anything from the local Coop store she always made me remember her Coop number so she didn't miss out on the divi! I'm 65 now and can still remember it! Simple, happy days!

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I remember as a kid watching the milk floats coming out of the Coop Dairy at the bottom of Westdale Lane. They were eagerly awaited by the local residents within fifty yards of the Dairy, all waiting

Every Sunday morning my grandma did bacon sandwiches (with the bread dipped in a frying pan of tinned tomatoes) and a pot of tea for the 2 Co-op milkmen who did the deliveries round our way. As a kid

I did 5 years nearly for Co-op. I started in 1974 at Beechdale Dairy. I did two rounds at Sherwood to start with and another one around Alfreton Road through to the Arboretum and beyond. The latter w

Not quite dead yet. My mum has a delivery every other day, and they supply other stuff too. She gets cheese at a much better price than the supermarket, delivered with her milk.

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My late Dad was a milk man for Co-op in the early to mid fifties, he was also a bread delivery man for Co-op after that...Loved the bread he brought home straight from the ovens.

He'd drop by home with his float most lunchtimes to "do his books" as he put it, ready reckoner, Co-op book and a satchel full of coins.

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I did 5 years nearly for Co-op. I started in 1974 at Beechdale Dairy. I did two rounds at Sherwood to start with and another one around Alfreton Road through to the Arboretum and beyond. The latter was remarkable. I remember walking around the machines in textiles factories looking for whoever paid me. There were even women who thought they could pay me in kind. Not a chance! I later progressed to Bestwood Park Estate before transferring to the Co-op dairy at Long Eaton. From there I did rounds at Wollaton including Balloon Wood flats, Stapleford, Sandiacre and country rounds at East Leake and Rempstone. A lot of the customers were like family. For some elderly people, it was the only contact with the outside world they saw.

I delivered around Nidderdale estate at Wollaton when I lived there. My youngest son was both conceived and born when I was delivering around there. To this day we always joke that his dad is the milkman.

On that same round, on a cold morning, 5 old ladies in a row would offer you a huge glass of sherry to keep warm. What a dilemma. They got upset when you said no. Then there was the Scotsman who, on New Years morning, stood at the door with a half pint glass of whisky for you. Not good!

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we had two milk men when we lived in netherfield charlie was our milk man all the time then when we moved up tocarltonfrank came in his little white van .

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:biggrin: Lovely Memories of the Co-op Milkman delivering: the one I had was named Pete and he not only delivered milk but fresh orange, butter, eggs, potatoes and even knitting wool to make my children their woollens - his wife Marjorie owned a Wool Shop on Bentinck Road. Lovely Days.............. :biggrin:

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We had the Co op too, "28944" we used shout at him at bill time. I never knew his name , but I can still see his face in my minds eye, he always had a fag hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Mum says he's still alive and she sees him occasionally

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When I was a kid, we had a milk man who would deliver our milk every couple of days, mum would leave a note & the owed money in an empty, washed milk bottle for him to collect when he delivered to us. He also delivered us pop in glass bottles too! I still remember the taste of the dandelion and burdock and the limeade. Nothing tastes like that stuff.

I grew up having a milk man, but since moving out & a couple of years previous, it sort of fizzled out. Now I don't even hear the motor of the milk float as it drives past in the early hours. I'd love a milk man to deliver every couple of days, it'd save me a trip to the shops.. but the ones Iv found you seem to have to order it online the night before.

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Most of the rounds I worked on were simple. We d deliver milk all week as per customers instructions and collect money Thursday Friday or Saturday. But there was a round in Breaston near Long Eaton where they left the money out daily. I think at the time it was 5p a pint so if they left 10p out they wanted two pints. I remember nearly falling into an outdoor swimming pool on that round.

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Does anyone know if we still have any 'traditional' milk men about? Without having to place an order online every night?

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Bubblewrap, it deepends which way you looked at it.

We had another round where everyone left a cheque out on a Thursday. Along with the little milk card, it was always left in a little plastic bag. You know. The sort that tights used to come in. It was before all cheques had to be crossed. And none of them ever were. One day someone went round and swiped the lot.

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I can still remember the milkman in the Carlton area in the late 50s & early 60s a Frank Hickman

He's mentioned on here a couple of times, and believe it or not , he was still delivering milk in the early 90's !!!

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Which just proves that great milkmen never die. They just disappear into that great milk crate in the sky.

Did you know that in the 1970s some of the milk being delivered to co-op dairy on Beechdale road was still coming from farms in milk churns, and its freshness was tested by a bloke opening every churn and sniffing the milk.

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when we were growing up we had a independent milkman named garry boggs who was helped by his son steve delivering our milk - on Saturdays though we used to look forward to him coming round as when we answered the door if he had some spare 1pences  and 2pences   he used to do heads or tails and toss the coins if you got it right you got to keep the money then go down to the paper or sweet shop and ask them for the 1/2 pence - 1 pence trays and spend your winnings - happy days

 

 

heres what garry and steve used to drive around in for years and then later on upgraded their milk float lol - i prefer the first one  photo 2891343401_d3893252b0_z_zps2403d00d.jpg  photo tn_ford_P100_zps88e96cfb.jpg

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yes bublewrap frank hiickman was our milkman from when we moved up cavendish rd in 1963 till my mum went into her care home in the eighties he drove a litle white van by then but he always said he started with a horse and cart he kept his horse on colwick farm he said that at that time she was nearly 40 her name was kit. he used to call at our house on a sunday for his money and a cuppa as dad was always up early on that day and dad always paid the bill as did charlie when we lived in netherfield.

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