Tuesday, January 04, 2011

the end of an era

Today, on our first delivery of 2011, the milk came in plastic cartons instead of glass bottles.

I can't help wondering how long doorstep delivery will go on for. We still have 8 pints a week delivered on two days - it used to be 4 days then 3. I stock up on extra from the shop but even though it's more expensive I like the certainty of a milk delivery. And it's been part of my life forever.

As a child I remember daily doorstep deliveries. Eric was our milkman and a grumpy old fellow he was too. Short and stout he had a gnarled face that rarely broke into a smile.

Our order for Saturday would include a pint of sterilised milk especially for the Sunday milk puddings. the sterilised milk came in different-shaped bottles which had metal tops. (I can't find a photo of one as I remember.) On ordinary milk silver tops were the norm; gold tops I think meant channel island extra creamy milk.

Top of the milk after it had settled and the cream had risen to the top - and before anyone shook it - made breakfast cereal extra special. 'Don't shake it! I want the top of the milk!' Top of the milk was horrid in tea though.

Now with our standard semi-skimmed homogeneous milk there's no 'top' to look forward to. It's just another guilty pleasure from the past.

It's strange that glass bottles have finally been replaced. I'd have thought in our recycling-mad environment glass bottles would have been easier to clean, sterilise and reuse than plastic cartons. Probably have Health & Safety executives have pointed out that glass is potentially dangerous ...

Postscript (8th January)
Good news! Our milk came in bottles today! It must have been a temporary blip.

9 comments:

James Higham said...

A sad, sad day for mankind, that is, Liz. The old glass bottles were the last ditch hope for a sane Britain.

BeeWild said...

That is terrible that plastic has replaced the glass. Maybe they finally ran out of glass bottles being returned to them.

Leslie: said...

My goodness! You still have delivery??? That ended here YEARS ago!

jams o donnell said...

Still glass here... or at least they were when I last got a delivery

CherryPie said...

I had to stop our doorstep delivery because the milkman didn't turn up until after I had left for work between 8.30 and 9.45!!!

sally in norfolk said...

I stopped having it delivered when it was cheaper to buy in Tesco :-( and as i am there working no extra petrol needed to go shopping

BUT there is something nice about having milk delivered and its so good that people that can afford it still have it delivered it keeps milkmen in a job and good for older people who cannot get to the shops :-)

Katney said...

Our friend worked as a milkman for a time and tells us stories of customers for whom he would occasionally do such things as put the roast in the oven. We've not had glass bottles much on this side of the pond for a very long time--nor delivery.

Gledwood said...

Plastic cartons! How vulgar!!

MaryB said...

Glad the glass bottles returned! I always love to hear the clinking noise when delivered. Of course, I only hear that when I'm staying with friends in England, because I cannot remember a time when we had our milk delivered here in the U.S. . . .Suddenly craving a glass of milk. . .