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)
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 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 helping his Dad John, with A1 Dairies float. Paul comments "Delivering milk to my mum's house - my mum cut down a jacket to fit me!" (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)
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
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)
1968 Letter from Harold Burfield, artist of this drawing
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 bottle. (Courtesy Mark Amies)
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)
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)
