The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
This film is part of Free
Milk Round
Dairy woman set to retire after fifty years of milk deliveries in and around Torrington.
From the collection of:
Overview
Laura Wilton of Torrington has been delivering milk to the same area for the past fifty years and this is her last milk round before retirement. Three of her customers have been regulars since the 1920s when she started. Laura’s husband Tom runs the local dairy farm and has recently been helping Laura on her rounds delivering the milk from the back of their Bedford van. At the time Laura stated that she was looking forward to retiring but that she would miss the early mornings.
By the twentieth century doorstep milk deliveries were common in many countries and in the UK electric milk floats took over from the horse-drawn carts as the embossed glass bottle took over from the milk churn. From 1933 until 1994 the Milk Marketing Board regulated milk production and distribution. A milkie kept to the same milk round prompting many a reference to the not always untrue milkman story whereby illicit affairs between delivery man and stay-at-home housewife could and even did lead to additional family members. Today large dairies continue milk rounds with diverse products but as profitability is linked to fast and efficient deliveries there is no time for anything beyond core business.
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