Does Anyone Remember?

[BEDROCK]

The old bakers roundsman who used to operate at Hackenthorpe up to the 1990's, he had a red and yellow van I think.

 

Also, does anyone remember around the same time the white van man who sold sweets.

 

What about Joe's Ices van that was then drove by an old man who we all loved?

 

There was also a video man who used to operate bottom of Rainbow Avenue who rented films!

 

What about the Alpine man who come round every week and sold pop in those large glass bottles, miss those days.

 

It seamed all these stopped around the 1990's and nobody knows why, did the council put stop to it?

[victormh]

I remember some of that as well. I lived at Swallownest until age 26, (1966). Old Joe was a good friend of may fathers. He always had a horse and cart, he never learned to drive. His son, also our family friend, drove the first van (built on a Ford chassis) and from then more vans were on the rounds

 

I also remember the drinks man, but not a regular service in our area. The reliable weekly company was Haighs from Rotherham - at that time run by the father of politician William Haigh - various selections of flavours and of course in the large glass "Pop Bottles"

 

I cannot ever remember any sweet vans coming round, but twice a week the fresh veg/fish man came from Sheffield by horse and cart. But in about 1950 he moved to an Austin truck when his son finished National Service having learned to drive in the army - name was Harry Fountain and Sons

 

Our local baker Mr Bealey did the rounds with fresh baked bread/teacakes etc. All delivered by his son Alan - Alan walked everywhere, until eventually he was provided with a bike - the usual type with a small wheel at the front and a large basket at the front - later they had a Bedford van because they got the contract to supply school dinners to the local school

 

Then there was Mr Berwick with a 1930's Morris car - he came round every week with a car full of books - a private lending library entrepreneur.

 

Even in the mid to late 1940's we still had the milkman coming round with the large churns of milk on his horse drawn cart. This was an alternative to the local Co-Op daily deliveries. Suppose you can remember the Milk Checks we left on the doorstep in payment. We used to buy the Milk Checks (or tokens) from the local Co-Op every week - they were made of brass and a hexagonal shape - brings back memories of course

 

How on earth did we manage to live without TV, Computers, Games Consoles etc., etc. - somehow we were never bored or became vandals !!!

 

Still the good old days though

 

Grey Eminence - Subang Jaya - Malaysia

[mike-s]

The one I remember was 'Fretwells' mobile shop. I think he came from Handsworth and visited us once a week on Basegreen. He had a big van with a proper counter and a lovely selection of choccy as I remember as a kid!.

[hillsbro]

I well remember the Alpine man. Some of the two-pint bottles never made it back on to the wagon as I used them for bottling my home-brewed beer!.

[old tup]

I well remember the Alpine man. Some of the two-pint bottles never made it back on to the wagon as I used them for bottling my home-brewed beer!.

 

What about Davenports Beer At Home he told me I was his best customer,he had to use a sack barrow each week when he delivered to our house in the 60s!.It was good beer too and a lot cheaper than the pubs,thats the one I remember and miss the most,oh well no good mopeing!

[hillsbro]

Hi old tup - yes, Davenports "Beer at Home" was good stuff - we also often had a sack barrowload delivered (when the neighbours saw this, they used to think up an excuse to pay us a visit). I wonder what happened to Davenports? I remember the TV adverts. with an elderly, well-spoken gent saying "... and beer at home means Davenports".

[PeterR]

I remember some of that as well. I lived at Swallownest until age 26, (1966). Old Joe was a good friend of may fathers. He always had a horse and cart, he never learned to drive. His son, also our family friend, drove the first van (built on a Ford chassis) and from then more vans were on the rounds

 

I also remember the drinks man, but not a regular service in our area. The reliable weekly company was Haighs from Rotherham - at that time run by the father of politician William Haigh - various selections of flavours and of course in the large glass "Pop Bottles"

 

I cannot ever remember any sweet vans coming round, but twice a week the fresh veg/fish man came from Sheffield by horse and cart. But in about 1950 he moved to an Austin truck when his son finished National Service having learned to drive in the army - name was Harry Fountain and Sons

 

Our local baker Mr Bealey did the rounds with fresh baked bread/teacakes etc. All delivered by his son Alan - Alan walked everywhere, until eventually he was provided with a bike - the usual type with a small wheel at the front and a large basket at the front - later they had a Bedford van because they got the contract to supply school dinners to the local school

 

Then there was Mr Berwick with a 1930's Morris car - he came round every week with a car full of books - a private lending library entrepreneur.

 

Even in the mid to late 1940's we still had the milkman coming round with the large churns of milk on his horse drawn cart. This was an alternative to the local Co-Op daily deliveries. Suppose you can remember the Milk Checks we left on the doorstep in payment. We used to buy the Milk Checks (or tokens) from the local Co-Op every week - they were made of brass and a hexagonal shape - brings back memories of course

 

How on earth did we manage to live without TV, Computers, Games Consoles etc., etc. - somehow we were never bored or became vandals !!!

 

Still the good old days though

 

Grey Eminence - Subang Jaya - Malaysia

 

Hi Victormh,

 

I am three years behind you! Worked for Ever Ready (batteries etc.) between 1966 (the year you left Swallownest) and 1973. I garaged my sales van at Green's garage on Wannop Street Parkgate, near Haigh's pop premises I believe.

 

Remember a milk cart at Grimesthorpe in the 1940's with milk ladled from a churn by a lady. Also remember buying milk 'checks' from the Co-op on Carlisle Road and rehearsing our 'divi' number on the way. I remember these as yellow or green round plastic/bakelite tokens, there may have been blue ones also, depending on which type of milk. The hexagonal brass tokens were bought at Banners stores at Attercliffe in order to shop at a discount. I had a Saturday job there in the early sixties to supplement my wages as a clerk at Firth Browns Steelworks.

 

Do you agree about the checks/tokens??

 

 

Regards, Peter (Near Richmond, North Yorks.)