Captain Colonial Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Got our last pints of milk delivered yesterday morning, quite a melancholy moment, really. Our milkman has been doing the round for 40 years, six months longer than he's been married. 6 days a week, 2 AM start, in all weathers and all states of health, he's been there, and we've known him 26 years. Never once made a noise that woke us up when he delivered at 3:30 AM, never made a mistake, always been friendly and outgoing, a real local hero. He was going to retire in about 3 years from now, even though he's going in for a triple bypass this month and would have continued after he recovered. Dairy Crest, in their infinite cost-cutting wisdom, decided to shut the dairy here in Leamington - and in Coventry, Redditch, Wolverhampton, and several other places, and create a huge super dairy in Yardley, (south east) Birmingham instead. Out go electric milk floats, in come Transits. Now all the milk delivery people who used to work from local dairies have to drive there (45 minutes to an hour each way) from home in their own cars to collect their milk and Transits before they start their round, adding 1.5 - 2 hours to their work day, as well as queueing up with a vast number of other milk delivery people to load their Transits (add another 30-60 minutes). And if they want to keep their Transits at home instead of returning them to Yardley each night (another 1.5 - 2 hours on the day), that'll be an extra £30 a week fee, thanks. It may be more cost effective for Dairy Crest, but it is utterly soul-destroying for the milk delivery people, adding about 15 hours to their work week locally. So Paul the Milkman came by Thursday night to settle up and say goodbye, as he can't face it, so he's retiring early. He was very emotional from all the responses he'd had, very close to tears, lots of cards and gifts he hadn't expected. Hard for him to walk away. We knew the milk was expensive compared to a supermarket, but that wasn't the point - it was Paul we were buying from, not the dairy. Well, he's delivered his last pint, and we've stopped our deliveries too now - not about to reward Dairy Crest for such short-sighted stuff. They, like many other businesses, always seem to forget the most valuable assets they have are their employees - in the pursuit of profit on milk, they pour the cream down the drain. End of a lovely tradition. End of an era. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Too true, we lost our milk delivery (In South Yorkshire) some years ago when Terry retired. The root of the problem is the Supermarkets. I suspect that when they have a monopoly their prices will rise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain m Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Personal service is not to be tolerated in and is no longer "cool". From Ikea to Easyjet where folk queue up for humiliation and abuse are now equal partners with price and with modern day working conditions in these industries every day is a working day usually on minimum wage and now zero hours. I am so thankful to be retired able to go out of my way to support local traders and businesses while they still exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Still get ours :D, but we are a few years behind you southern guys Thankfully :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Yes still get mine too. But I can't see it being for much longer. Retirement is definitely on the horizon for our Milkie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammy Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Haven't seen a milkman around for ages , went the sameway as the mobile fruit and veg, the baker and the man who used to come around On a push bike ( with ladder) to check the street lamps worked, change the clocks for winter time and polish the lamp bowl housing. There also used to be a walls ice cream man on a three wheeled bike with a hand bell. What happened to the rag and bone man who had a horse and gave out balloons in exchange for scrap .? Am I getting on a bit ? What about when "new" buses came out and on the way back from the Saturday morning pictures ( where a man had a starting pistol to keep order), all the kids stepped back if an old type bus ( with rear steps) pulled up and waited for a new one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Stopped our milk delivery about 8 years ago. When the local depots merged into the large depot we did not get our pintas till about 11 in the morning so in the summer the pinta was sitting sun bathing until one of the family came home, milk was often "Off" by the time we came home. We go buy our pintas at the local shop now, it's only 100m. from our house so still supporting the local trader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Unfortunately we had to stop using our local milkman years ago because he never got to us before 0730 which was when we both left for work. Consequently the milk was left outside all day. I think he disappeared from the village not long thereafter - I haven't seen a milkman here for many years. When I was a lad there was the 'pikelet man' with his hand bell and wicker basket full of scrumptious pikelets (crumpets), oat cakes, milk cakes etc. Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SootySport Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Unfortunately we had to stop using our local milkman years ago because he never got to us before 0730 which was when we both left for work. Consequently the milk was left outside all day. I think he disappeared from the village not long thereafter - I haven't seen a milkman here for many years. When I was a lad there was the 'pikelet man' with his hand bell and wicker basket full of scrumptious pikelets (crumpets), oat cakes, milk cakes etc. Happy days. No one used to bring my crumpet to the door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rory's Dad Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 There used to be a milkman in Leeds who had 'Dan Dairies' on his float. Always made me smile. Rory's Dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wile E. Coyote Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Personal service is not to be tolerated in and is no longer "cool". I'm not sure I agree with that... the issue seems to be more that people just aren't prepared to pay for service and instead demand cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I'm not sure I agree with that... the issue seems to be more that people just aren't prepared to pay for service and instead demand cheap. I am not sure I agree, people will pay for a good service, home delivery is a growth business for example. This is just a set of accountants who have figured out that they will make more money by doing this. And if it doesn't work then people will buy from the supermarket supplied by Dairy Crest as they will have no choice. Wherever we can we buy local, yes it is slightly more expensive but the meat we buy is fantastic not just any old crap. People buy from supermarkets because they are there and are given no choice. Yes people want goods cheap because many know no better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammy Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 There used to be a milkman in Leeds who had 'Dan Dairies' on his float. Always made me smile. Rory's Dad In Leicester they have the "Beaver bus", make of that what I will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pistonbroke Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Our "Ernie" still delivers , always on time and in any weather , faultless service , we like to reward him evry xmas with a big tip to show our appreciation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wile E. Coyote Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I am not sure I agree, people will pay for a good service, home delivery is a growth business for example. This is just a set of accountants who have figured out that they will make more money by doing this. And if it doesn't work then people will buy from the supermarket supplied by Dairy Crest as they will have no choice. Wherever we can we buy local, yes it is slightly more expensive but the meat we buy is fantastic not just any old crap. People buy from supermarkets because they are there and are given no choice. Yes people want goods cheap because many know no better. Our home delivery costs less than we'd pay in extra cost vs the supermarket to have just milk delivered by the milkman... it is absolutely a cost equation as if we had a milkman we'd still need the supermarket home delivery, so why pay twice? In fact, the home delivery probably costs about the same as the fuel to drive to the supermarket and back, which makes it something of a "no brainer". I agree that some people will pay for good products/service - I can't remember the last time I bought meat from the supermarket, and drive ~10-15 miles each way to the butcher, but when it's the same product it's difficult to justify paying more for the same product and broadly equivalent service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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