1924 A1 & Dollis Dairies bill. 4d a pint is 1.7p today. £100 in 1924 is worth £7,619.01 in 2024. So in today's value it would be £1.29/ pint. Courtesy Paul Smith)
1943 Ministry of Food Post Card, wartime round rationalisation between A1 Dairies and College Farm (Courtesy Paul Smith)
2024 Ministry of Food letter went to this house!
1950's Coke-burning truck from the war years at A1 Dairies, Whetstone. "Coke replaced petrol during the war years. Vehicles like this drew churns of milk from as far afield as Derbyshire and often got clinkered-up in the process." Paul Smith comments "Express demolished the old A1 Dairy and built their distribution depot on the site, rest of the site was sold to Michael Gerson Overseas Removal". (Courtesy Don Reid)
1950's A1 Dairies churn collection (Courtesy Dave Fane)
A1 Dairies bottle. (Courtesy Mark Amies)
1950's A1 Dairies leaflet promoting their farms- (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1950's A1 Dairies leaflet promoting their farms- (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1957 Home Farm, Brookmans Park location, 1957 1:25000 OS map revised:1922 to 1955 (National Library of Scotland)
Home Farm A1 Dairies, Home Farm, Bell Bar 1990s (Image from R Kingdon, part of the Images Of North Mymms Collection)
1950's A1 Dairies leaflet promoting their farms- (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1950's A1 Dairies leaflet promoting their farms- (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1960 Epping Green Farm, Little Berkhampstead location, 1957 1:25000 OS map revised 1912 to 1954 (National Library of Scotland)
2024 Epping Green Farm, Little Berkhampstead (Google Street View)
1950's A1 Dairies leaflet promoting their farms- (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1950's A1 Dairies leaflet promoting their farms- (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1956 Ellern Mede Farm, Totteridge Common location, 1957 1:25000 OS map (National Library of Scotland)
2024 Ellern Mede Farm, Totteridge Common (Google Street View)
1960's A1 Dairies, Frank Atkins, Skimpans Close (Courtesy North Mymms Collection)
A1 Dairies History (Courtesy Paul Simm)
1962 A1 Dairies-Willie Ford delivering milk to households in Hadley (Courtesy John Wiles)
1965 A1 Dairies, Whetstone (Courtesy Paul Gallagher)
1965 Paul Smith as milk boy, helping his Dad John Smith at A1 Dairy. (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1966 Paul Smith aged 8, in their garden of 40 Westbrook Crescent, New Barnet. (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1967 A1 Dairies and Braziers rounds swap correspondence. Paul Luke comments "Communication between local dairies organising rounds swaps in the early days" (Courtesy Paul Luke, Braziers Dairies FB)
1967 A1 Dairies, with 60,000 customers in North London and Herfordshire, joins Express
1967 A1 Dairies, with 60,000 customers in North London and Herfordshire, joins Express
1967 A1 Dairies, with 60,000 customers in North London and Herfordshire, joins Express
1967 A1 Dairies, with 60,000 customers in North London and Herfordshire, joins Express
1967 A1 Dairies, with 60,000 customers in North London and Herfordshire, joins Express
1967 Vehicle fleet when A1 Dairies joined Express
1950's A1 Dairies, Whetstone. Paul Smith comments "Express demolished the old A1 Dairy and built their distribution depot on the site, rest of the site was sold to Michael Gerson Overseas Removal". The 1967 comment, when Express acquired A1, was "oday A.1's wholesale delivery is centred on a fleet of artics as smart as any on the road." (Courtesy Don Reid)
1960's? Paul Smith comments "The original drawing of this is hanging in the owners office at A1 Self Storage, which is on the site of the old A1 Dairy". (Courtesy Paul Simm)
1967 A1 Dairies, with 60,000 customers in North London and Herfordshire, joins Express - Morrison Electric negotiates a ford near Welwyn Garden City.Robert Gayton comments "This photo looks suspiciously like the ford in Fulling Mill Lane, Welwyn and close-by to where I live, some 20 miles north of Whetstone. Did the A1 Dairy really have a round that came this far out? 40 miles there and back plus the round to do without the battery conking-out? I can't quite believe it. It must be a publicity picture." Robert posts a picture of how it is now: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10226057156907718&set=p.10226057156907718&type=3
1968 A1 Dairies milk float, Nash's Corner, Welham Green (Photo R. Kingdon, North Mymms Collection)
1968 Letter from Harold Burfield, artist of this drawing
1968 Stan, the Express Dairies roundsman in Skimpans Close, (Photo: Ron Kingdon, North Mymms Collection)
1960's (or early 70's) Paul Smith helping his father on his round in Westbrook Crescent, New Barnet. (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1970 A1 Dairies Tom Thurgood, based at High Barnet, will achieve 50 years with the Company. Michael Sherrington comments "Our A1 milkman in High Barnet was Mr Peglar, he raised the alarm with my mother when I fell and cracked my head, circa 1960". Express News Spring)
1975 Frank Pearton, ex-A1 Dairies and Borehamwood, writes from Australia. (Express News Spring)
1976 Bill Melrose retires after 50 years at A1 Dairies, Whetstone, Barnet and Finchley. (Express News Christmas)
A1 Dairies, Whetstone. Gary Page comments "Great memories working there as the site engineer repairing the floats, could even see my old workshop in the corner." (Courtesy Paul Simm)
A1 Dairies, Whetstone. Gary Page comments "Great memories working there as the site engineer repairing the floats, could even see my old workshop in the corner." (Courtesy Paul Simm)
A1 Dairies, Whetstone Gary Page comments "First window was the mess room, second two windows were the office, last windows and door was the servery and the windows above were two 3-bedroom flats - I was living in the far one for a year. At the far end was where the floats drove in and the artics backed in the other end. It was also a driveway which led to the Co-op Depot next door. The lorries used to come in when they were the 38ft and drive right round, but when they changed them to the 42ft lorries they couldn't swing in so they changed it to the other end where they backed in to unload". (Courtesy Paul Simm)
2024 A1 site now, occupied by A1 Self Storage and Michael Gerson Overseas Removals, with the 1950s O/S map showing the location. (Courtesy Mark Amies)
2024 A1 Dairies Farms (Express Dairy Tales publication)
2024 A1 Dairies Farms (Express Dairy Tales publication)
2024 A1 Dairies Farms (Express Dairy Tales publication)
2024 A1 Dairies Farms (Express Dairy Tales publication)
2024 A1 Dairies Farms (Express Dairy Tales publication)
