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John's Last Milk Round in Shropshire
Story from Pontesbury (near Minsterley) in Shropshire about John Lakelin who retired as a milkman (and bottled milk buyer) from 'The Poplars Dairy' after 50 years in 2010. (17:57)
Villagers arrange a party, John shows his father's milk book, mentions colostrum milk (from freshly calved cows), social activities and conversations in the village
Steve Wheeler's milk bottle collection
Featured on Bargain Hunt in December 2023. Steve explains how his collection started and expanded, and shows the first glass milk bottle from Express Dairy in the 1880's. You can watch the full BBC programme on this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001tcbh
Paul Luke's 'Ecofresh' milk round and bottle collection
Paul re-started a new milk round in Essex in 2024 and this BBC News report explains
'Use your Milkman'
Advert from 1984 - Brian Glover says "use your milkman, don't let him become a thing of the past"
Wake Up To Milk (Dancing Milk Bottles)
Amusing advert from 1992, filmed in Pendragon Walk/ St Alphage Walk in Colindale, North London. Features Ben Forster.
Humorous TV outtake
From Austria, demonstrating how (not) to open a milk carton.
(Commentary in German, but not needed to understand the joke!)
(Commentary in German, but not needed to understand the joke!)
'On the Rails'
Dr David Turner's fascinating and detailed account of milk transport by rail from his 'Tracks Through Time' series - (5) - The development of London's rail-based milk supply from c.1840-1914.
‘The Milk Train – United Dairies’
From the ‘Doncaster Drawn’ FB Group, charts the history of the transport of milk from the 19th Century onwards with particular emphasis on the LMS 6-wheel milk tanker, as preserved at the National Railway Museum in York. (2023, 8 minutes)
‘Spectacular! Milk for London: A History of Milk Trains in the UK'
From Model Railways Unlimited. Fascinating video about the history of milk transport, illustrated with model railway operations of a very high standard. Really enjoyable. (2020, 33 minutes)
Job's Dairy Hanworth in the 1920's
Highlights and AI-enhanced extracts from 'The Cow's Tail' video, showing the Job's Dairy Hanworth plant in very early days, with batch pasteurisation, wide-necked bottles and hand-filled crates. The dairy operated for over 100 years from 1920 and only closed in 2024.
JOB'S DAIRY HANWORTH IN THE 1960'S
AI Enhanced and edited version of 'A Better Milk Story', about the Roberts family and history of Job's Dairy from the end of the 19th Century to the 1960's, when this film was made.
Milk Production Story (1920-1930)
From the cow to the baby's bottle. British Pathé. From milkmaids, milking cows to a baby drinking the milk. Short clip with no sound, but nice images.
Bottling plant at A1 Dairies - Whetstone (Early 1960's)
Evocative images of milk bottling at A1 Dairies, who were purchased by Express in July 1967. Video uploaded by John de Rivaz, his family ran the Company, whose chairman at the time was Gerald de Rivaz.
The Milk Float (2020)
Comprehensive history of electric delivery vehicles and floats. Smiths and Wales & Edwards staff are interviewed, the adoption by dairy companies in place of the horse is covered, and the eventual decline of the milk float with the reduction of doorstep delivery is discussed. Express Dairy floats can be seen at 6:55, 11:52 and 13:34
A BBC Perpetual Motion Documentary, Classic Vehicle Channel (25 minutes)
Somersetshire Dairy Farming (1937)
Shows hand milking in the field, and machine milking into buckets. 17 gallon conical churns are in use. Interesting and detailed sequence about cheesemaking at the Rooksbridge cheese factory, which did not close until 1993, after 123 years. (12 minutes)
Harpenden's Wonderful Milk Supply (1930)
Harpenden Dairies Ltd was located at 15 Station Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire. The film shows a herd of ‘Lincoln Red’ cattle grazing and semi-mechanised bottle filling and sterilising, with delivery using hand carts. Egg grading, and the Company’s local shop are also featured. (2 minutes, silent)
Tower Creameries, Mitcham - Manufacture of Margarine (1940's)
Express purchased Mitcham Foods in 1960, which sold a range of canned and packaged products including margarine, cheese spreads, jellies, soups and stews. Its predecessor on the same site was Tower Creameries, which produced margarine in the 1940's and after.
This video shows the manufacturing process, from an edible oil tanker 'Towers Creameries' pulling into the factory on Commonside East, Mitcham, Surrey through weighing, blending, emulsifying, mixing, kneading, extrusion, packing and boxing.
(From British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
(From British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
War Rationing Milk (1941)
“Don't be a milk snatcher! A stern admonishment not to keep rationed milk from children is the message of this short information film, in which young Jimmy cheekily peels back the foil from the bottle and sticks his tongue out in anticipation.” (1 minute)
WARTIME MILK COLLECTION (1950's)
Charming and very dated short 1950's film from the Huntley Film Archives about creamery rationalisation during the Second World War.
"Before the war the bulk of the milk produced was carted to roughly a hundred different creameries scattered throughout the country, for butter or cream manufacture. In 1942 there was a great need for increased supplies of liquid milk so the government took over the job of collecting the milk from the farmers. Many of the smaller creameries were closed down and several central depots were opened by the Ministry of Agriculture. Every farmers milk isn't everybody's cup of tea, but it's the inspectors job to see that it is, and they are very particular. Among other things the milk is examined for cleanliness and afterwards a sample is taken to be tested for fat content. If for any reason the milk doesn't come up to the standard set for liquid milk - well it's not thrown away, no its processed or else salvaged or possibly sent back to the farm to be used for feeding the young livestock. Nothing is wasted."
A Bottle of Milk (1946)
Silent film made by A.C. Barnden, headmaster of a local school at Burgess Hill, Sussex. Shows cows grazing and afternoon machine milking into pails. Glass bottles are washed, filled and capped by hand and then loaded onto a van for delivery. (5 minutes)
Short TV news item about the latest MMB milk price increase (1965)
1p a gallon being inadequate to support small dairy farmers in Devon. Interesting farmyard pictures from the churn days. (2 minutes). The attached description mentions the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), which was founded in 1876, and was based at Express Dairy’s offices in Rossmore Road.
Grand Metropolitan Foods Europe - 'Caring for the Environment'
This 1990 video discusses the management of industrial waste with particular emphasis on effluent treatment and water use and its related energy costs. The Ozone layer is then explained, and the effects of refrigerants that include CFC's, as well as the hazards associated with ammonia refrigeration. Work that is planned to reduce the use of CFC12, particularly in transport and distribution is outlined.
Tuxford & Tebbutt news item - August 2024
Interesting news video about Tuxford and Tebbutt in Melton Mowbray, and possible closure by Arla.