Graham’s last milk round in North Abingdon

Graham the Milkman's last round

Thanks to Tim who got up at 03:00 am to get a picture of his milkman who retires today. He says that Graham (Williams) always came at this time, rain or shine. Graham has been doing milk rounds in North Abingdon man and boy for over 38 years.
Graham the Milkman's last round

Tim has not found anyone who can remember the milkman before Graham, and he wanted to do a report to thank Graham for his many years of service and to wish him a happy retirement and a nice lie-in in future – if that is possible.

Graham the Milkman's last round

I learned from the web site of Milk and More that the great British milkman first appeared in the 1860s when the new railway network began to bring fresh milk cheaply and quickly to the towns. Loaded into churns, the milk was carted around and measured out into the customer’s own jug.

In the 1890s pasteurisation was introduced and allowed milk to be kept longer. This took off with the arrival of mass-produced bottles. The mechanisation of the milk cart followed.

In recent years milk deliveries have gone digital and you can order milk and many other products up to 9 PM the night before at  milk and more. So there could still be a future for Graham’s successor – the great British milkman & more.

10 thoughts on “Graham’s last milk round in North Abingdon

  1. Angela

    We never see who are milkman is any more because he delivers so early and we pay on line so he never has any reason to call. It could well be Graham as I live at the Peachcroft end of Radley Road. if so, thanks, Graham, for your reliable delivery service and all the best for an enjoyable and happy retirement

    If you are not my milkman, all the best anyway, I have a great admiration for you all and appreciate that the milk round service still exiists.

    Reply
  2. Peter, Minneapolis MN USA

    Lovely story, I recall the milkman and his horse would come to the house to fill the milk jug on our kitchen table with rich, non-homogenized Jersey milk while we were all still fast asleep in our beds.

    Reply
  3. Abingdonian

    I remember Queenie Cox coming round with small churns on her bike, dispensing Guernsey ( I think) milk into our jug. Years later in school holidays I delivered several varieties from one of Candy’s milk floats; anyone remember TT milk?
    This was from the ancient barn, now the home of Christ Church Abingdon on Northcourt Road

    Reply
  4. Old Ghost

    I remember Candy’s milk floats around Dunmore in the 70’s – we had an old Polish milkman called Gus who’d fought in WW2. He had a heart attack on his round bless and retired shortly after. I was very young at the time but I bet he had some tales to tell.

    I think Graham deserves to have breakfast in bed everyday as part of his state pension.

    Reply
  5. Caroline Bullock

    Graham has been our milkman all his working life, delivering around Appleford Drive area. Never let us down. When his predecessor was our milkman at Brookside, we paid at the Argyll and Candy dairy.
    Can also remember a strong milkman who lived in Buscot Drive. He would greet you by waving a full milk crate in the air.

    Reply
  6. Isabel

    I lived in Welford Gardens, and remember Graham well. Have a good retirement and enjoy your lie-ins in the mornings.

    Reply
  7. Tim

    I can just about remeber Graham from when I lived in Abingdon many years ago. 38 years!! Blimely thats a long time. All the best and have a lovely retirement

    Reply
  8. Julian

    It was Argyll & Candy’s a long time ago. then it became Elm Farm dairies. I helped out there on many of the rounds, starting when i was 11 and helping my Dad, who went from running a mensware shop to becoming a milkman! He then went on from being a roundsman to become a foreman, taking over other rounds in times of holidays and sickness. He then went to Elm Farm Pangbourne to become the manager. The barn at Christchurch that is being refurbished at the moment used to house some of the electric milkfloats, where they would be parked up and put on charge every night. I remeber helping one foreman (Tom), out many times, and almost every round we did we ran out of “juice” (battery) halfway round. What the manager didn’t realise was that whichever round we were on, where-ever we were, we would head back to Walters Cafe (remember that??) for tea and toast every morning! Sometimes almost doubling the distance we should have travelled! That was about 40 years ago that i started there. Happy days, and many funny stories.

    Reply
  9. Sandra Lewis

    Could Julian, Caroline, Old Ghost and Abingdonian who commented in June 2012 leave a new comment? I’m researching the Argyle Dairy and would love to know anything at all about it.

    Reply

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