Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[CWhaley1]

[bjacko]

When I was about 12 I used to deliver milk by walking with cans for about an hour close to the farm and then by horse and cart. They were chariot type carts with two wheels. I started at 7am and finished about midday on Sat and Sun and got the princely wage of 20 pence for each morning.

[Ray White]

How we got onto electric milk floats, I don't know but it has brought back memories of my childhood. Back then what I wanted more than anything was a racing bike ...so I became a Milkman's assistant (before school) for which I was paid two shillings a day (or10 p in new money ).

They were very early morning starts and in the dark of winter when it was freezing cold the glass bottles would numb your fingers. At least I got paid more than doing a Paper Round - which I did in the evenings.

My Dad used to tell stories about how different life was in the 'thirties. He remembered the milk being delivered by horse and cart. The horse didn't like standing about waiting for the Milkman and would sometimes trot off back towards the depot; Dad remembered the guy running down the street after the float shouting obscenities at the wayward horse!!

As soon as they became available United Dairies in Woking bought a fleet of electric milk floats. The problem was that they came without any lights. My Dad's first job was to wire up lighting to the milk floats.

They may not have had much in the way of character but they at least they had the advantage of staying exactly where they were left!