1920's Minsterley. Creamery/ butter packing site. June Pinches comments "I think this may be the Old Creamery which became the egg packing station and is now Willow Scott Park" (Courtesy Mark Farmer, Pontesbury past and present FB Group)
1930's? GWR Churn Collection (Courtesy Don Reid)
1926 The General Strike. The railways have packed it in and we're offloading milk in Hyde Park. (1960 Picture Set from Express News Christmas edition)
1926 Seventeen-gallon churns being loaded onto specially designed low-loaders, like this Sheldrake and Drury van, with solid tyres and oil lamps. (Courtesy Craig Wells)
1933 Express exhibition vehicle outside Cricklewood Dairy in Claremont Road. (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1933 Express Vehicles on display (Courtesy Paul Smith)
1936 Taken at the Appleby Creamery in June 1936, this image shows two Bedfords in company with a Leyland Cub. The Bedford WTL, fleet no 218, BXN 873, chassis no 874533, was supplied by Spurlings, and registered in April 1935. The cost, including the ‘in-house’ body, amounted to £300. On its final visit to the workshop in June 1943, chassis and body overhaul costs totalled £459. Remaining in the north, MOWT instructions to scrap the vehicle led to a visit to F Adams in Northallerton, on 26/6/45, with £35 changing hands. (Courtesy The Express Dairy Motorised Fleet, Allan Bedford, Heritage Machines)
1940's Minsterley. Lorraine Fletcher comments "My grandad Fred Ruff far right. (Courtesy Lorraine Fletcher)
1940's Churn Collection BUC 896
1930's? GWR Churn Collection (Courtesy Don Reid)
1925 First seen at the Commercial Motor Show held at Olympia in 1925, Super Sentinel six-tonner no 6029 became Express fleet no 3, YL 29. During its seven-year stay, the recorded expenditure on renovations and repainting amounted to £48, with an engine and chassis overhaul on the second major ‘docking’ in March 1932, recorded at £23 3s 8d. It was traded into Leyland Motors eight months later, realising £30, and it would appear from surviving records that it enjoyed quite a long second life in the Liverpool area. (Courtesy The Express Dairy Motorised Fleet, Allan Bedford, Heritage Machines)
1930's Dobson's Dairy. Martin Billing comments "My grandad's Seddon delivered milk into Dobson's dairy." (Courtesy Martin Billing)
Patrick Taylor comments "The photo is of my uncle, Stephen Jones. He was employed at the Minsterley Dairy, which as you can see was owned by Wathes, Cattell and Gurden. Steve completed fifty years service, later the Company was sold and Mr Michael Gurden became sole manager. (Courtesy Patrick Taylor)
1950's? Minsterley. Daimler Truck - Wathes, Cattell and Gurden Ltd (Courtesy Derek Evans, Pontesbury past and present FB Group)
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)
1937 Leyburn Creamery opemed in 1937-Article from 'The Milk Train in Wensleydale' by Karen Griffiths (Yorkshiredales.org.uk)
1946 Seen on the loading bank at the Seaton Junction Dairy in East Devon, with the typical Avery scales to hand, this example of the updated Bedford ‘WTL’, fleet no 373, EYW 115, was purchased from Spurlings in August 1938, and carried a classic chain-sided churn body. Now looking rather tired and still missing the offside headlight (no doubt a wartime removal) it gave 11 hard year’s graft, before sale to T&F Motors of Finchley in November 1949, for £35 plus purchase tax (7¾%) of £2 14s 2d. (Courtesy The Express Dairy Motorised Fleet, Allan Bedford, Heritage Machines)
1946 Morris Commercial Milk Lorry 'Henry Edwards & Son' Reg CSU 620 (Courtesy Mike S, Flickr)
1950's Horam Country Dairy, Billingshurst, East Sussex (Courtesy Dave Fane)
1950's? HC (Harold) Brooks out on his churn collection round, probably somewhere in the Wylye Valley [near Longleat], taking milk to Frome station depot before "mooving" to Staplemead. (Courtesy James Parsons)
1950's? 'Milk to Market' Illustrations by Stanley Baker - Dust Jacket
1950's? Appleby (Courtesy David Rooke)
1950's? Appleby (Courtesy David Rooke)
Express Seddon Churn Truck Reg: GXY 450 Fleet No 708 at Rowsley (Courtesy Michael Aldread)
1950's Appleby-Arthur Dargue beside a Bedford Churn Collection truck. (Courtesy Iain Dargue, his son)
1957 Farm Collection KYE 363. Heritage Machines comments"This Bedford, chassis no OLAC13209, fleet no 1107, KYE 362, was supplied by Spurlings, with the body costing €120. It was allocated new to the Leyburn Dairy in March 1950, and was disposed of in May 1958 to T&F Motors, for E50. (Courtesy Richard Gaylard)
1950's Appleby. Iain Dargue comments "On the back of this one is written “Arthur Dargue and Billy”. Arthur is my late father, but I can only assume that the Appleby based Bedford was Billy... unless the eagle eyed amongst you can see something/someone I can’t. Dad looks very young on this, so I reckon it was taken in the early 1950’s." (Courtesy Iain Dargue)
1950's? Rowsley. William Gee's churn lorry, used to take milk to Express Dairy at Rowsley (Courtesy Alan Salt, Cheese making villages in Derbyshire and Staffordshire)
1950's Minsterley-Margaret Waters, nee Pugh. Norma Waters comments "Dad tells me it's the love of his life...his ERF he drove for Horace Edwards" (Courtesy Monica Corfield, Pontesbury past and present FB Group)
1950's Seaton Junction, Churn Collection(Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction. A typical example of a chain-sided churn lorry, finished in ‘shop grey’. This Bedford, on chassis no OLAC216296, with engine no 216167, fleet no 1256, MUL 449, was supplied by SMT Sales of Carlisle, but was then allocated to Seaton Junction. Disposal to T&F Motors came in March 1959, when it fetched £110. (Courtesy The Express Dairy Motorised Fleet, Allan Bedford, Heritage Machines)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection(Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection(Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's? Minsterley, outside Stables pub. Lorraine Fletcher comments "My grandad Fred Ruff far right. Ben Samuels adds "That's me on the left in the trilby hat." (Courtesy Lorraine Fletcher)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection(Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Churn Lorries line up at Seaton Junction. John Corah comments "A big fleet of Bedford OL lorries there..." Christopher Bennett adds "Just petrol driven- about 12mpg with the loads they were carrying." (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Graham Sweetland and Ken Davey, Seaton Junction (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Graham Sweetland, Seaton Junction (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Churn Lorries line up at Seaton Junction (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Churn Lorries line up at Seaton Junction (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Churn Lorries line up at Seaton Junction (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction. Keith Sweetland comments "My father, and Ken Davey". Linda Boyland adds "Great photo of our Uncle Graham and Andrew Davey" (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction churn collection (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's, Rowsley. Bill Conquest comments "My father collecting in early 50's at Aldwark (Hambleton District, near BoroughBridge, North Yorkshire) ". Roger Broughton adds "London registration, Bedford O Series truck" (Courtesy Bill Conquest)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection. Janet Coles comments "Worked in the Lab there it was a great place to work. Mr Clarke the Manager used to call his secretary into his office to fill his fountain pen. Real old school!" (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1954 Seen when new, this attractive Bedford ‘A’ Series, chassis no A5LCG28490, engine no A4/A525797, was registered on March 8th, 1954, as OXT 252. Just 17 days later, it received a diesel transplant at an additional cost of £310. Sold in October 1961 to T&F Motors, it raised just £58. (Courtesy The Express Dairy Motorised Fleet, Allan Bedford, Heritage Machines)
1950's Seaton Junction Churn Collection (Courtesy Keith Sweetland)
1960's Ambrosia Lifton, with Lapford 'Thames Trader' truck. Matthew Pinto comments "... based on the general cleanness it is probably around the opening of the "new" factory in 1959." (Courtesy Bernie Robbins, from Britishtransportnostalgia, Devon Hauliers FB Group)
1950's? Minsterley Creamery courtesy of Lorraine Fletcher on Facebook
1952 Churn collection, Appleby, OLL 749, Co: 1475. Robert Knowles comments "This is my uncle, Jim Davidson". (Courtesy Robert Knowles)
1952 Collecting milk churns in Devon. (Courtesy Museum of English Rural Life)
1953 Churn Deck. Jackie Bebb comments "I remember the deck, Dad drove a lorry with churns, then a tanker later on." (Joe Lyons Collection)
1953 (Courtesy Joe Lyons)
1955 approx, Minsterley. Matthew Taylor comments "My Great Uncle Steve Jones, drove for Wathes Cattell and Gurden, which went on to become Minsterley Creamery." Patrick Taylor comments "I remember these lorrys as my Uncle Steve used to occasionally take me with him on the milk collection round, happy days. Steve completed 50 years service. (Courtesy Matthew Taylor)
1956 Horam Creamery in Sussex
1950's Bollo Lane (Courtesy Dave Fane)
1960's Churn Collection. Thames Trader WUU 852 (Courtesy Richard Gaylard)
1950's ? Possibly old Bloomsbury Depot (Courtesy Dave Fane)
Collection of churns, old and new. Chris Farnham comments "The Ruislip based bulk cream department used to sell churns of cream to bakeries, dairies etc at Christmas in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Nightmare procuring, distributing and then returning to the companies they were hired/leased from." (Express News Spring)
1958 Winter in Swaledale. Heritage Machines comments "Seen during the winter of 1957-'58 in the Dales, in company with some 1957 Fordson 'Costcutters', in very wintry conditions, this Bedford, chassis no OLAC13209, fleet no 1107, KYE 362, was again supplied by Spurlings, with the body costing €120. It was allocated new to the Leyburn Dairy in March 1950, and was disposed of in May 1958 to T&F Motors, for E50." (From North Yorkshire Weather Update FB Group)
1960's? Leyburn Creamery. Keith Johnson comments "I took this when I was with my Dad, who was a driver at Northern Dairies, Holme Moor. We were leaving Leyburn after collecting a tanker load and I took this from the truck which is why it is a bit shakey. (Courtesy Keith Johnson)
1960's MMB Churn bank unloading, Felin Fach (Courtesy Peoples Collection Wales - Michael Morgan)
1960 - Express Appleby Vehicle Accident Book Iain Dargue comments "If anyone had relatives who drove for Express Dairy Appleby, I have the accident book which features dozens of names and accident details from 01/01/1959 to 1980. The picture is my Dad’s only entry.... 21/09/1960 reversed into a plant pot 😂😂." (Courtesy Iain Dargue)
1962 Minsterley winter. Also published in 1962 Spring Express News (Courtesy Joe Lyons)
1962 Picking up milk churns in Devon. (Courtesy Chris Beer, British Roadscene 1955-1995 FB Group)
1963 Joe Dakin with churn collection lorry at Rowsley in the harsh winter of 1963/64
1965 "A bird's-eye view of incoming churns at Seaton Junction." Express News Summer/Autumn Back Cover
1962 - Churn collection near Penrith
1964 - Appleby from Express Story 1864 - 1964. John-Pauline Parkin comments "Pre 1963 before press room and wrapping room was built"
'Happy New Year' by Trevor Mitchell. (See Trevor's work on https://www.trevormitchellartist.com/)
1970's Crediton - the end of churn collection. Leslie Cheriton commented "Started my time on milk collection for the MMB based in Crediton. First on churns with a Ford D Series, then on bulk with an Albion Clydesdale. Some routes would have 22/23 farms for a total of 8500 ltrs. Good days." (Courtesy Kym Moore)
1970's Crediton - the end of churn collection. Kym Moore comments "Me (Kym Moore) and Heather Noble (nee Parker) who was Milk reception lab supervisor". Phillip Budd comments "Heather Noble were you there when I was there, as I knew Carol Preston, Eric Halsey and a Maureen Butt back in the day." (Courtesy Kym Moore)