Milk Boys and Girls
Here is the opportunity of adding your experiences working for the `Store`
or others
Graham Whyte:
This picture reminds me of the winter days when we still had to get our rounds done.How many of us used to shake the bottles hard, to make sure no-one got the cream?. All for 10/6 a week, try it today..You wouldn't get out of bed for that money.
Bob Cowe: Store Branch - Henderson Street: 1955 - 1959
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!
John Stewart: Store Branch - Henderson Street: 1946-1949
I took a job with the local co-op in Henderson Street delivering milk in the mornings and messages in the afternoon. The milk job was a seven day week affair, requiring me to begin at 5.45am. I was earning between them, 19/- (95p) per week.
Each morning I would collect my two-wheeled cart from the yard (often my cart was on its back, turned over by some of the other guys as a lark) and wheel it down to the store front. Here the milk crates were awaiting us having been offloaded by the delivery lorry. The assistant manager and another male assistant were on hand to supervise the loading and issue us with our round books
There I would load my cart with quart, pint, and half-pint bottles full of milk. Collecting my round book that told me of any changes in deliveries, I then set off pushing the load towards Pirrie Street making delivered to the six tenement stairs there, all of four flights. As well as this, I had to make deliveries to No 58 Great Junction Street as well as some in Junction Place (FireBrigade Street).
With a steel milk basket nestling in both my arms I would race up and down depositing full bottles and collecting empties. Most times these empty bottles had been washed but there were one or two customers who didn`t comply. These bottles smelt terribly of sour milk. One was the shoe repair man who stayed in the rooms behind his shop.
In the dark winter mornings, I would have attached to the side of the cart a paraffin lamp to warn off any overtaking cars, and should say horses as well. My delivery area was next to the cleansing depot and this still depended on horse-drawn carts. Always met up with the guy who delivered for the Edinburgh and Dumfrieshire Dairy in Henderson Street.
It was heavy going pushing the cart with its two large metal girded wooden spoke wheels over the granite setts. No tarmac roads then. Wonder how Health and Safety would look upon a boy barely in his teens dong all this.
In the summer, the co-op used to organise a milk boys` and roll girls` trip to Dunbar. We would all congregate at the Leith Central Station for the steam train journey to the coast. It was the highlight of our year.
Frank Ferri: Store Branch - Bangor Road: 1947-1948
Earning a few bob at the tender age of twelve for yourself and your mother was very common in these days. We would get up very early in the morning and prior going to school, delivering milk for the Co-op.
In Bowling Green St., you collected your large wheeled bar off a pend at the collecting point; collected your deliver book and load of milk, usually about four crates containing a dozen pint bottles in each crate. It was a heavy load for a wee skinny laddy like me.
My run started at the top of Bangor Rd, then Burlington St. and Breadalbane St., then the route back to base was Bangor Lane, which had a pillar in the centre of it to stop vehicles accessing. The gap between the wall and this pillar was barely enough to get the barrow through and you had to take a run at it because it was up a hill and after a day`s work tired and weak, you might have to take a couple of runs at it.. On many occasions I would skin my knuckles the wall trying to get through this narrow gap.
The other hazard with the barrow (which was, when loaded, very heavy) it had long piece of metal suspended from the front of it that acted as a break or stop, Bangor Rd is a steep hill, and if the barrow got away from you and you let the front down too suddenly to stop, the barrow would tip over, scattering the whole load of milk all over the street.
At Christmas, you would pay greater attention to collecting your empty milk bottles, expectantly looking for your Christmas tip. In the darkness of the common stair, you would stick two fingers into the empty bottle lift it up hoping to find a note or hear the rattle of coinage, On most occasions your fingers were coated with the thick, smelly and slimy dregs of green sour milk, clinging to the inside of the bottle, where nobody bothered to wash them out or they smelled of urine, having been used as a night bottle ... the empties were always a wee surprises.
Some of my customers were comedians. One would give me a right telling off if I was late, or failed to knock on the door. Not because he was waiting for his milk... No .. I was his alarm clock for him to get up for work. Needless to say, that when I delivered his milk after this, I laid the milk down very quietly and tiptoed away .. Don’t mess with this kid.
The winter time was the worst, no anoraks or parkas or suitable warm clothing on those days, at best a balaclava, woolly gloves and a warm jersey. Bitter cold and as a kid with a vivid imagination climbing these dark stairs was quite frightening.
Robert Jamieson: Store Branch: did not work for the store but did deliver for Miss Pearson, Dairy 1938
Had run from shop to places around Restalrig district and one customer up Ferry Road why i don,t know.
Used to meet up with my pal Archie Killen. He delivered bread and rolls for who I can`t recall. We used to swap milk for rolls; they tasted nice on a cold morning.
Rab Wallace: Store Branch: Bangor Road: 1953 - 1959
I remember being a milk boy for the central store in Bangor Road with access to the yard from Bowling Green Street.
Starting as the “spare boy” when I was about 11 and finishing with Run #6 (Burlington Street) when I was 17 (1959). The big “barra’s” with 4 ft diameter steel rimmed wheels. What a clatter they made on cobbled streets. I’m sure we were the equivalent of an alarm clock for many folk when we started our delivery at 6 am.
Not being able to push the full milk barra when there was snow on the ground; unclean empty bottles with thick greasy tops
Cheery folks as they greeted you in the morning, especially if you were early and they could get their first cuppa tea (and the scowls if you were late); tips at Christmas time; a bob here and half-a-crown there
Going on strike. We didn’t show up for the Saturday afternoon delivery. We got hell when we showed up on Monday morning but a few months later we got a raise from 10/6d to 12/6d a week.
I remember running at full speed down Bangor Lane with a full barra of milk and just squeezing by the wall and granite pole in the middle. Occasionally someone would misjudge it and there would be a whole lot of milk and broken bottles in Bangor Lane.
Alex Sandie: Store Branch: Bridge Street: 1946 - 1949
I delivered milk and rolls for the 'Big Store' in Bridge Street (the wee yin wis at the top o' Johnstone Street). I had two barries one to deliver to Coal Hill and Sheriff Brae. Then come back get the big barry loaded up to cross the bridge again and deliver to the Tolbooth Wynd.13 bottles to the Sally Ann Hostel made the load a lot lighter.
I thought it was fun getting up and doon the stairs but hated when some folks did not clean oot their bottles and when you picked them up ...oooh it wis kinda gooey. I did this in all weathers of course and when it was icy or snowing some of the workers on their way to the docks would help me push the big barry up the hill at Tolbooth Wynd.
But it was great fun running doon the hill with a pal in the barry and somebody else watching shoat for any buses coming along Henderson St. so that we just tooted over the bridge and then got home and ready for school.
Murdo Stewart: Store Branch: Tennant Street: c 1936
I went with rolls in Tennant Street and then came back and did a milk round. My roll round was from the store in Tennant Street to number 3. My milk round again was from the provy to Anderson Place. I sometimes finished a quart short; I think it was pinched in Tennant Street.
Ian Ross: Store Branch: Bangor Road:
Spare a thought for the Roll Boys! To be honest, much easier than trying to manoeuvre a large barrow full of milk bottles. I used to enjoy the summer mornings, up with the lark, not a soul around, sun already hot.
Winter was a different story as most of the stair lights didn't work. I remember literally feeling my way up one of the Bangor Road stairs and falling over a drunk who had been lying there all night. Scary!
Jim `Gibby` Gibson: Store Branch: Restalrig Road:
I don`t remember how old I was when I first started delivering for the Provy on Restalrig Road. I remember they thought I was too sma, so the first year my job was to get the empty barries from Mackies Lock ups (Garages). I then had to make sure aw the lights were workin on the barries, a dinni ken what for ,as they were only candles .You could nae see anything wi them and there was no much traffic on the road back then.
The next year I got a run, but only delivering Rolls, Baps and Broon Scones as they were no as heavy as milk. When I finally got a milk run it didn`t make much sense to me as I ended up delivering to Links Place and Johns Place with one of the big barries that needed a wee pony to pull it back up Restalrig Brae, even when it was only full of empties. So I had to run up to the store to get someone to gie me a hand getting it back up the Brae.
The worst part was the Tenements in Links Place 3 or 4 flights of dark stairs only lit with gas lights. Thank God the world was safer back then your mother didn`t have to worry about child molesters when you were out there on your own in these dark entries, other wise they would never have let you deliver even though you needed the nine and a tanner a week.
Jean Durie nee McFarlane:
We stayed next door to the store in Restalrig Road and the racket early in the morning when the lorries delivered the crates of milk and just dumped them on the pavement from what seemed like a great height, was unbelievable, but we were so used to it we just turned over and went back to sleep.
Bill Elliot: Store Branch: Easter Road 2. Approximate Date:1951-1954
Easter 2 was on Easter Road between Albert St and Iona. St. My run was Easter Rd along Iona St up Dickson St and back along Albert St.
The stairs were lit with gas lamps and sometimes they were out and you had to go by instinct putting your fingers in the empties and recognising the Dummies (Edinburgh & Dumfries-Shire) empties by there narrower necks.
On a Saturday afternoon when there was a match on at Easter Road you had to get someone to watch shot on the barrow as you went up the stair as some supporters must have had a drouth and thought that the milk was fair game but some would give you a tanner.
One of the stairs in Albert St had a resident dosser in the back passage who originaly gave me a scare but I soon got used to him. It was a cold miserable job in the winter but great when I went home to a big plate of porridge before school in the summer. Wages 10/6d wee barrow 60 pints 11/9d big barrow 80+ pints. Happy Days
John Cavanagh: Store Branch: George Street ( now Fort Street?) Approximate Date: 1966-68
Soon as I was 13 I got a milk round - like most lads I had had my name down for at least a year
Recollections of my first morning, a Saturday - I was given the round at Anchorfield Newhaven -New Lane etc. I reported for work - was given my round book/list and a huge two wheeled cart, when fully loaded I couldn`t get started! The shafts were vertical and I did not have the strength or weight to pull them down! One of the men had to get me started.
I gingerly made my way to Newhaven down hill - when I got to Anchorfield I couldn't push the barrow up the hill it was too heavy for me. - I had to leave it at the bottom of the hill and run up and down with a small wire basket - it took me hours to complete the round, I did not get back to the shop until about 11:30 totally exhausted - the manager told me not too worry at least everyone got their milk.
I was given a smaller barrow with rubber tyres after that. I also had a paper round with the newsagents in Hamilton Street ( Robinsons) my round was Leith Fort including the two tower blocks Cairngorm & Grampian Houses 21 storeys and I never used the lift. I was certainly fit then - was good training for when I joined the Army at 17.
Will Hood: Store Branch: George Street Approximate Date: 1965-67
I had various rounds....Hawthornvale etc....14/6 a week if I remember correctly .....2 deliveries on a Saturday....no Sunday delivery....Think I remember JC....stayed in Hamilton St/Fort Place?......Like John I also had paper runs for newspaper shop next to Fort Primary which I attended....hahh seems so long ago!......All the best with site....its a goodie....Will Hood.
George Laurenson: Store Branch:Fort Place Approximate Date:1951--1953
My round was Fort Place only 9 stairs. When organized I could do the whole run without using the barrow. Using one of the large wicker baskets and a small metal one you could carry enough for three stairs then back to the store to refill. Does anybody remember the Milkboys strike,one Saturday afternoon? Bangor Road led it, if I remember right we got an exra shilling per week.
