Document Of The Month: Milk Memories Kept Fresh In The Archives

Document Of The Month: Milk Memories Kept Fresh In The Archives Document Of The Month: Milk Memories Kept Fresh In The Archives Document Of The Month: Milk Memories Kept Fresh In The Archives

The day of the milkman is long gone. Doorstep deliveries of fresh pints of milk in glass bottles are virtually a thing in history, but for a few hardy souls who strive to keep the work of the milkman alive.

For a lot of people though, it’s a sad fact, caused by increased accessibility to milk in the supermarkets, and changes to our lifestyle, that the need for the milkman delivering to our door is no more.

So how do we preserve the cherished memory of our friendly milkman? The answer lies at the East Riding Archives & Local Studies Service in Beverley, where records from a local dairy have just been made available to the public.

The archives of Thompsons Dairies of Beverley document the activities of the dairy in the 1940s to the early 1990s including photographs of old milk floats, and a daily log of deliveries made to schools within the East Riding. Sam Bartle, collections officer, said:

“As generations come and go, these archives will act as an indication of the times of the milkman, and teach us about what was once a way of life for millions.”

Sales records reveal exactly what was sold by the business every week, including non-dairy produce like juice and bread. Thompsons Dairies was first established in 1882 as a small-scale operation in the yard of 97 , Beverley.

It later grew to be the chief supplier of milk and other milk products within the Beverley area and was obviously a strong competitor to Dale Farm. A significant East Riding business; it ceased trading 1992, but its memory will survive in the archives.

The archives can be requested to view in the Research Room in the , Champney Road, Beverley.



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