A Leith Provident Milk Boy

By Bob Cowe

When doing some internet searching my mind went back to my milk delivery days.

I first started at Henderson Street Branch in 1955 when I was 12 years old. I’m sure you had to be 13, but as I stayed just around the corner in Speirs Place, and my Mother, who like all the locals knew the Boss, got me a start!

It was pretty hard work for a laddie, 6 mornings a week and Saturday afternoon to make up for Sunday. I recall that my Saturday was curtailed because of this and was always envious of my pals who could go off and play while I had to work on.

I can’t recall what the wage was but it must have been OK as I stayed in the job until I was 16. I worked full time as the Grocery message laddie from age 15, and at this time also worked behind the counter in the Bakery shop starting at 6 am ‘till 7 am and then on with the milk delivery. I must have been fit! I started off with biggest and longest delivery in the branch, maybe that’s why the Boss was so keen to take me on.

The delivery was made using a large wooden barrow mounted on two metal shod, cart type wheels, which carried four crates containing approx. eighty pints, but instead of a horse between the shafts there was a wee boy. A feature of the barrow was a bracket fixed on the right hand side which, in the Winter months, carried a candle lit lamp, showing white to the front and red to the rear. This also came in handy for lighting the way up a dark tenement stair.

Many’s the time I had to ask a Docker on his way to work for a shove after I was loaded up. Then it was off, past the Dumfrieshire Dairy on the corner, past Joe Muirs Paper shop on the right then left at Jack Haynes Bike Shop into Giles Street. At this time, Giles Street ran straight through to the Coppy Buildings with Wingy Robertsons scrap yard on the left.

A right turn here took me down Parliament Square, or The Broad Pavement as it was better known, to Parliament Street where one of my deliveries was to the Lodging House which is still in operation today. Across Henderson Street to St Andrews Street past the Mission Hall (Band of Hope) arriving at a small street on the left whose name escapes me. On again to Market Street on the left and up to Tollbooth Wynd, no deliveries here but turned right towards the Kirkgate.

Next Water Street and Charlotte Street then down the Kirkgate in the direction of Leith Walk. A few deliveries here then into Storries Alley back up the Kirkgate, up Brickwork Close, no deliveries here either, then back to Henderson Street. No wonder the position was free! I soon decided that this was not for me and told the Boss I was leaving.

Fortunately another run became vacant and I took that on. It was the easiest run with only Brickwork Close and the top part of the Kirkgate, A doddle with a smaller barrow and approx. forty pints. I can still remember Victor and Bert who checked us out and in, and gave us a rocket if we were short on the empties. How things change!