• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Midland Counties Dairy

Dave was the walls ice cream round and fitted into a cornet?. I loved those too but none of the rubbish you get these days. Mind you there was a whisky flavoured one I quite liked. Jean.
 
Not sure if the round "roll" was only Walls' Jean but they also did a brick which is what I thought was nicer the than MCD brick.
 
Hi All,
Got a feeling that the round roll was Walls, can remember my grandfather selling it in his shop.
 
HI all
yes jean was correct it was the best ice cream them days and still is today there was never comparison
between midland counties and walls , ice cream even thou i worked for the midland
i would never bring home there ice cream
and on the question of rolls yes it was good old walls with there round rolls and there square cornets
even today , walls fly the flag for me
have a nice day every body best wishes Astonian ;;
 
I'm a bit confused about the ice cream rolls wrapped in paper and open at each end. Walls may have had them but our local shop that had a Midland Counties Dairy ice cream server fridge sold them after WW2. Here's another interesting site about the company with lots of illustrations and a photo of the Midland Counties fridge just like the one in our local shop back then. https://www.kzwp.com/lyons/midland.htm
 
I worked at Moland Street from leaving school in '69 to going "on the buses" in 76. I started as a "runner" learning all the rounds. When I was 17 I took my milk float test. This was taken at Perry Pont and I think lasted around 10 mins. I then took over my own round covering Aston and Witton. Names I remember are Len Higgins my first manager then after he retired Eric Steel took over. Other names were George Williams, John Jukes, John Cartledge, Steve Cleaver. I can remember a number of other first names, but not their sur names, its an age think I think.
 
I noticed the name John Jukes and wondered if he lives in Great Barr?. The one I know used to help out at swimming club.
 
I am going back 35 years now but i think he lived somewhere in South Birmingham
 
Midland Counties main bottling plant was in Corperation St in the fifties and sixties, there was also a depot at Yardley by the Swan if you come from the cemetary towards the swan island there is a large driveway between the Yardley social club and I think the funeral people the driveway is still there I don't know if the yard is still at the back. In about 1955 as a lad of 11yrs old I used to help a milkman called George Viner who worked for Fowlers dairys in Acocks green this company was taken over by Midland counties about 1956 and the workforce was moved to the Yardley depot we had the horse and carts then. There is a Midland Counties milk float in the Coventry motor museame. John
 
I had forgotten Fowlers Dairies - did they have a cream livery for the Floats?
 
Hi Bernard I can,t remember what colour livery they had they only had one electric milk float and about six horse and carts, the dairy was up a driveway in Westley Rd Acocks Green opposite the Westley Arms, I think the driveway is still there. The bottleing plant was in Showell Green Lane Sparkhill. I well remember the name of our horse it was Snowball he had a nasty streak. When the blacksmith used to come to shoe the horses I would always help him. Oh happy days. Regards John.
 
Hi jonieo,
I was a milkman at the Midland Counties Dairy at the Swan around 1965. The manager was Ray Greatham.
Few names I remember were John Nimmons, Ray, Johnny O'Connor.
Great days.
Ray.
 
Hi paulinehorton, I am afraid I do not know any of these names as I said I was only a lad of 11yrs of age and used to help one of the milkman in those days which would be around 1955/56 you were supposed to be 13yrs old before you could work but no one used to bother except the yard manager who would not let you into the yard unless you were employed by Midland Counties so I would have to stand outside till the chap I used to help on a Sat and Sun came out of the yard his name was George Viner he came to Midland Counties from Fowlers dairy when they were taken over. As you say great days although a very long time ago I remember it well.
John
 
I learned to roller skate outside Midlands Counties on Corporation Street. I must have been about 8yrs. I suppose.
I also spent many happy hours watching the bottles going round.
Also, I had a friend Sid Williams who worked there but I think he worked in the office
Betty.
 
I loved roller skating too Betty. Loved their ice cream. Nothing like it made today I am afraid. Jean.
 
I remember the 3 wheeled Midland Counties, ice cream bike with the big box on the front, in Cannon Hill Park on Sundays in summer in the early 50's. Paul
 
hi paul ;
yes you may recall that on an old thread from a couple of years ago we did a aricle on the old midland daireis
a few years back as i worked there in the late fifties and early sixties with a new float they did not moved they flew around my round was all around the handsworth area around hamstead rd and oxhil and the grove and around the brunswick virualy most of the area and i finished up at the old red lion soho rd
along with my mates including a guy known as little taffy and my old brother inlaw whom was known as jona [ tony ] whom died many years ago sadly through the booze
all from catherine street and lived in brunswick rd it was a great job to have yes jean the good old days ; best wishes alan ASTONIAN;;
 
Hi Alan, you may have delivered to my old Nan, she lived in Vicarage Road, Handsworth, off the Soho Road.paul
 
Hi Paul
Hope You Are Well Nice To Hear From You Again ; Yes If He Had Midland Counties The I would Certainly Would Have Delivered His Milk To Him
Bcause The Only Competiter Was Wacconda,s And They Never Delivered In And Around That Quarter They Only Got White house street ND around holly rd
Section And Hamstead RD It Was New Ground to Them to Try And Break Into The Market
On White hall rd Which Was A very Long rd Indeed And Holly rd They Had ABOUT twelve Customers
And The Good Old Midlands Had Virtualy The Whole Of Handsworth In Those Days
Started On The TOP of Soho RD And Done The Complete Circle Of Handsworth And Back Delivering the famous Gold Top Bottled Milk
Have A Nice Day Paul Best Wishes Alan; ASTONIAN;;;
 
I started work in 1969 on leaving school at 15. I worked for Midland Counties Dairies at Moland Street, just off Corporation St. I started as a 'runner' learning all the rounds. I was used to help reliefs cover days off for the roundsmen. Len Higgins was the manager then, Ray Steel took over when Len retired and moved to Tamworth. We covered the City, Deriend, Bordesley, Aston, Shockley, Wilson Green, Handsworth and surrounding areas. As soon as I was old enough to drive I had my own round. My round started in Park Lane and worked across to Witton. I met my wife on my round, sister of one of my customers, been married to her for 39 years now. I stayed on 'the milk' until I was 21 and passed my PSV licence and started 'on the buses'. Names I remember, George Williams, John Dukes, John Cartledge, Alan Davis (Co-op) and Steve Cleaver,
 
Just had a telephone conversation with my lovely grand daughter. She said to me "it's very cold today, grand dad" I replied "No it is not" . I tried to explain to her that we used to call it cold when the M.C.D doorstep deliveries, had the top of the milk bottle pushed off, by the frozen milk. We would have an 'iced milk lolly'.

Eddie
 
I used to maintain their telephone system in the early 60's during my time with PO telephones, still remember one of the 2 telephonists names Hilda Tims lived Priory Road Aston. Eric
 
Exactly how I remember it Pedro, was still like that in the early 1970s - no longer produced milk by then, just ice-cream. The factory backed onto the canal. Alongside the canal were dustbins of waste ice-cream. During the hot summer months that I worked there on the night shift, the bins became infested with with insects. And yes, you've guessed it, it was all put back through the process ! Put me off cheap ice-cream for life.

One consolation, they paid good money for student labour and you were given lots of fag breaks throughout the night. And a very good subsidised canteen. Goes without saying, didn't eat much of their ice-cream. Viv.
 
This photograph, uncredited, is of Kingstanding. However it could easily represent any milk delivery people and their horses in much of the towns in the UK.
iu
 
The milk horse and cart looks exactly how I remember it in Kingstanding - I'm talking about the mid- 1950s. I would have still been very small at that time and remember how massive the horse and cart seemed. This as still in the days when householders would rush out with a shovel - great garden manure I believe. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
The milk horse and cart looks exactly how I remember it in Kingstanding - I'm talking about the mid- 1950s. I would have still been very small at that time and remember how massive the horse and cart seemed. This as still in the days when householders would rush out with a shovel - great garden manure I believe. Viv.
Click to expand...
I used to work Midland Counties at Kingstanding as a milkman with an electric float 500 customers a day it was good money l was 18yks before l went into the Police.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top