nice when still warm. LP.Our bread came via the Co-op bread van. It was (if I remember correctly) green with gold lettering on the side. The delivery man (bread man) wore a brown cow gown and carried a very large basket over his arm. We always had a 'tin loaf' and I don't think it was wrapped. I just got a whiff of the bread! Funny what your memory can do.
i had a friend who drove one like that.he worked at the coop. we never bought bread.Our bread came via the Co-op bread van. It was (if I remember correctly) green with gold lettering on the side. The delivery man (bread man) wore a brown cow gown and carried a very large basket over his arm. We always had a 'tin loaf' and I don't think it was wrapped. I just got a whiff of the bread! Funny what your memory can do.
True AlanI am sure you are correct Mike, unwrapped bread . The basket carried by bakers also carried rolls and other things to tempt the housewife. Large families would usually, I believe, just have the bread delivery - no frills of fancies if they could not afford it. Bread then, after a day or so went stale, now after a few days it often goes mouldy!!
Our bread came via the Co-op bread van. It was (if I remember correctly) green with gold lettering on the side. The delivery man (bread man) wore a brown cow gown and carried a very large basket over his arm. We always had a 'tin loaf' and I don't think it was wrapped. I just got a whiff of the bread! Funny what your memory can do.
View attachment 146133 i had a friend who drove one like that.he worked at the coop. we never bought bread.
Yes, Lady P, horses did stay longer and were missed by keen gardeners.I'm fairly sure that my early memories of the Co-op bread delivery was by a horse drawn vehicle. This would be around 1950 but was replaced by the sort of van in the picture fairly early on. The milk cart and horse stayed for much longer as did the coal wagon.
Most certainly the bread delivered by our co-op rounds man was wrapped in a greaseproof paper. Ironically it was called Golden Crust, but in reality, the crust was soft and stodgy. Mum would use the wrapper to wrap our sandwiched for work.
Pen: the man in the brown cow gown and who a very large basket over his arm was called Les. He worked the round with a younger chap with curly hair.
I do recall Les saying he had worked at the co-op bakery for over 30 years.
true. i am sure the stables were in Belmont row....I'm fairly sure that my early memories of the Co-op bread delivery was by a horse drawn vehicle. This would be around 1950 but was replaced by the sort of van in the picture fairly early on. The milk cart and horse stayed for much longer as did the coal wagon.
Interesting vehicle. I think these were electric vehicles (battery driven). Were these vans made by the same company that made the battery driven 'dustcarts' that Birmingham used in the fifties. I like the colour scheme. I am too young to remember these being used. I presume this van was used by the 'Birmingham co-op'. Looks like the registration is - NVP 144.View attachment 146133 i had a friend who drove one like that.he worked at the coop. we never bought bread.
You are right, into the early fifties, Co-Op milk, Bread and coal came horse drawn as did Scribbans bread, Handsworth Dairies milk and the railways deliveries, all pulled by great cart horses who when they got to the top of Court Lane used to mount the grass verge and start to graze, much to my mother's annoyance.Well remembered Morturn.
Our bread was crusty because it wasn't wrapped. I think we discovered that you are slightly younger than me so that's probably why I remember the unwrapped bread. Sooner or later 'they' decided that housewives preferred softer bread and started to do things to it like steaming it to keep it soft. I wonder if anyone has a picture of the type of Co-op cart pulled by a horse? It'll probably turn out that my memory is playing tricks - do hope not!
As an aside, on the Witton thread, there is a Co-op bakery shown on the map. Wonder if our bread came from there?
I can only remember the bread man not his van. I was tiny he towered above me. A big strong chap with massive arms and a smiley face. " Bread missus" he said. A brown apron. He had rolled up sleeves. He had a big square wicker basket full of bread and he put it in Nan's wicker hamper basket on her step. Why are cow gowns so called please.?I don't think any bread was wrapped, though I admit I am a "bit" older than you Viv