Handsworth Dairies

[jon white]

Thanks Paul.I will pass on your kind words. The garage/transport department where my Dad worked was down Colliery Road and is now a catering business.I park down there when watching the Albion play sometimes. Cheers Jon

 

[Billy B]

Thanks Paul.I will pass on your kind words. The garage/transport department where my Dad worked was down Colliery Road and is now a catering business.I park down there when watching the Albion play sometimes. Cheers Jon

That's nice to know Jon, long may he prosper, it was a bit of an institution in Hands worth. Regards Paul

H[ Jon ,I wish to be remembered to your father, my name is billy baker [junior] my father was the blacksmith farrier at island road up till the mid 1950s his name was bill baker also he also showed the horses in most of the local shows around the midlands we lived in the cottage at grove vale next to where your father lived with his mom dad David Richard and Elizabeth when he came back from Canada .I often wonder how your family are as you can see with my correspondents to Elizabeth son Rupert over the last few months hope you will pass on my regards thanks bill b

 

[jon white]

H[ Jon ,I wish to be remembered to your father, my name is billy baker [junior] my father was the blacksmith farrier at island road up till the mid 1950s his name was bill baker also he also showed the horses in most of the local shows around the midlands we lived in the cottage at grove vale next to where your father lived with his mom dad David Richard and Elizabeth when he came back from Canada .I often wonder how your family are as you can see with my correspondents to Elizabeth son Rupert over the last few months hope you will pass on my regards thanks bill b

Hi Bill. Yes my Dad remembered you and your Father and passes on his regards. He is in his late 80s but his memory is still good and he enjoyed the trip down memory lane. All the best Jon White

 

[Apprentice1970]

Hi John White is my dad.He is alive and well and living in Hagley.
He retired in the early 1990's following the sale of the business to Avonmore. He has four children Sue ,Rob, Vanessa and me , we all live nearby.
All the best Jon White

Please say "Hi" to your dad for me, I always liked working for him and he was a very good transport manager.
He will also remember my brother "Tony". Ask him if he remembers 2 brothers, Tony and Chris, I started as an apprentice and always worked with an engineer called Mr Cook, please ask your dad if he remembers where Mr cook is buried... somewhere in Wales, I also now live in Wales, on a mountain!

 

[jon white]

Please say "Hi" to your dad for me, I always liked working for him and he was a very good transport manager.
He will also remember my brother "Tony". Ask him if he remembers 2 brothers, Tony and Chris, I started as an apprentice and always worked with an engineer called Mr Cook, please ask your dad if he remembers where Mr cook is buried... somewhere in Wales, I also now live in Wales, on a mountain!

Hi Chris, my dad remembered you and Tony . He said to pass on his best. He said he went to Mr Cook's funeral but cannot recall where it was as it was a long time ago. He was also struggling to remember your surname and said to ask you.

 

[Vivienne14]

I don’t have a location for this 1952 image. But given there’s a Handsworth Dairies van and a #78 tram in view maybe someone can narrow it down ? Viv.

 

[Morturn]

Viv, I think its Walford Road, by the post office and junction of Medlecote Road

 

[paul stacey]

What a great photo, from a time long gone, of no car traffic, and a certain serenity, to a typical Birmingham scene, how many times as a boy did I ride on those iconic Trams, up to the Lickys with my dear old dad, looks clean and tidy too, would not have been to faraway from my Nan's house thanks for posting Viv. Paul

 

[RobT]

Didn't the 78 route go to Slade Road and Short Heath, Gravelly Hill and Stockland Green?

 

[Radiorails]

yes, but it shows that Handsworth Dairies covered a large area.
s

 

[RobT]

I don’t have a location for this 1952 image. But given there’s a Handsworth Dairies van and a #78 tram in view maybe someone can narrow it down ? Viv.

View attachment 153596

Could it be Slade road Erdington seen here now?
Post office still there on left 272 Slade Road

 

[Morturn]

I think you could well be right

 

[Johnhuk]

I



I worked at Handsworth Dairies at the age of 17 at the end of ‘73 until ‘86 in the maintenance dept,

Not long after I started the country went onto a 3 day week, whereas we were working a 6 day week with every other weekend off.

I remember the old man Jack who even tho’ was retired was still there most days and David & Richard, one lived on Thornhill Rd in Sutton the other had a farm near Worcester. It was very much a family business as whole families were employed there. When I left in ‘86 aged 30 I was still ‘young John’.

 

[Dykie]

I



I worked at Handsworth Dairies at the age of 17 at the end of ‘73 until ‘86 in the maintenance dept,

Not long after I started the country went onto a 3 day week, whereas we were working a 6 day week with every other weekend off.

I remember the old man Jack who even tho’ was retired was still there most days and David & Richard, one lived on Thornhill Rd in Sutton the other had a farm near Worcester. It was very much a family business as whole families were employed there. When I left in ‘86 aged 30 I was still ‘young John’.

Hi, I worked at Island Rd from 1973 till it closed in 1999. I remember David popping in a few weeks before he passed. Anyone know how Nick is. Got loads of great memories from the dairy and have the farriers anvil and stand in my garden. Loads of great people remembered as well.

 

[apprentice1970chris]

Hi Chris, my dad remembered you and Tony . He said to pass on his best. He said he went to Mr Cook's funeral but cannot recall where it was as it was a long time ago. He was also struggling to remember your surname and said to ask you.

Hi. you look like your dad, cheeky smile. Tell your dad the surname is "Martin" my brother "Tony" went into property development in Somerset. Sold the business for just over one-million-£s and retired to Spain. I went to work for W&E Vehicles as rep. for the South West after returning from Ireland. Later, I bought, renovated and sold property in the West Country for many years before retiring to my mountain in Wales, aged-62.... now 69!!!
I really loved working for the dairy, it was like an extended family for me.
Chris.

 

[Cookie55]

Hi. you look like your dad, cheeky smile. Tell your dad the surname is "Martin" my brother "Tony" went into property development in Somerset. Sold the business for just over one-million-£s and retired to Spain. I went to work for W&E Vehicles as rep. for the South West after returning from Ireland. Later, I bought, renovated and sold property in the West Country for many years before retiring to my mountain in Wales, aged-62.... now 69!!!
I really loved working for the dairy, it was like an extended family for me.
Chris.

 

[apprentice1970chris]

Interesting photo's, how things had changed from when I started there.
I remember the yard couldn't be seen from the road, many tall trees and a tall wooden fence.
The electric floats were kept in the old stable and the names of the horses were painted on the walls.
The stable boy... young man actually, was working in the paint shop.... everyone called him "stinky" which really annoyed him!!! I think he was called Dennis, not sure.
Some time later the floats were moved to a new depot at middlemore, ( not sure of the spelling) about one mile away.

 

[Billy B]

Hi, I worked at Island Rd from 1973 till it closed in 1999. I remember David popping in a few weeks before he passed. Anyone know how Nick is. Got loads of great memories from the dairy and have the farriers anvil and stand in my garden. Loads of great people remembered as well.

Hi there my name is BILL BAKER,my father was blacksmith farrier same name with SID ROBERTS,whose son JEFF ROBERTS,worked in the paint shop,I would love to see a photo of the anvil on your lawn,would bring back a lot of memories post one online when you have time cheers BILL B

 

[Billy B]

Hi there my name is BILL BAKER,my father was blacksmith farrier same name with SID ROBERTS,whose son JEFF ROBERTS,worked in the paint shop,I would love to see a photo of the anvil on your lawn,would bring back a lot of memories post one online when you have time cheers BILL B

 

[Dykie]

Hi there my name is BILL BAKER,my father was blacksmith farrier same name with SID ROBERTS,whose son JEFF ROBERTS,worked in the paint shop,I would love to see a photo of the anvil on your lawn,would bring back a lot of memories post one online when you have time cheers BILL B

Hi Billy , here is a photo of the anvil and base from Island Road.

Hi. I have just joined this forum and found this particular topic very relevant as my grandfathers cousins Carleton and Percy White founded Handsworth Dairies sometime between 1901 and 1911 when they moved from Charlton Kings, near Cheltenham to Handsworth with their older sister Jane.

Does anyone know the history of Handsworth Dairies, or if any of the family are still alive, such as Elizabeth White that Valerie mentioned? I have only managed to work down one more generation from from Carleton and Percy.

Looking forward to your replies

Chas

 

[Janet Hunt]

Great reading everyone's account's of the dairy really enjoyed it . I lived off Friary Road for 17 years and only remember the dairy as a derelict building. Some more Photograph's for you all to enjoy

 

[Simon88]

Hi, im new to this forum, im doing research on birmingham dairies, and im keen to speak with anybody that may have photos of the dairy and milk floats and any information anybody can give me

Many thanks

 

[Cookie55]

Vehicle based at Perry Barr

 

[TimQ]

In the guardian yesterday was a photograph of a Handsworth dairies milkman, father of Wendy harper, with memories.
at https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeands...vourite-photographs-songs-recipes?INTCMP=SRCH

Hello all, I've just found this forum as my great grandmother was a dairymaid and she lived in Handsworth around 1910. I'm wondering whether the dairy when it was set up employed dairymaids and was it automated milking back then? If she wasn't actually milking the cows she might have been involved in their care. Or was the dairy just where the milk was processed and bottled and the milk was collected from farms in the area? If so, does anyone know of farms in Handsworth. Her name was Ellen O'Shea, she lived in Fentham Road and was from County Cork originally. Thanks for reading this

 

[Astoness]

hi tim and welcome..what year was your gt nan born? and did you find her on the 1911 census as a dairymaid? i think at that time there would have been a few farms around handsworth so she could have worked at any of them..

lyn

 

[TimQ]

hi tim and welcome..what year was your gt nan born? and did you find her on the 1911 census as a dairymaid? i think at that time there would have been a few farms around handsworth so she could have worked at any of them..

lyn

Thanks for the information Lyn. She was born in 1880ish and I have her on the Irish census at the Munster Dairy School in Cork. But by the time of the 1911 census she's already married - she married in February from her Handsworth address with her landlord and landlady as her witnesses. I'm just guessing she came to England to work as a dairywoman

 

[brommas]

Good evening to everyone,

I am a new member here and wondered if anyone was still following this old thread?.

The reason I ask is that I have a dog that is very good at finding old bottles and today whilst on a jaunt through the woods at earlswood lakes he bought me back a perfect handsworth dairies very old looking bottle, there are some markings on the bottle base and wondered if anyone was familiar with timescales of designs perhaps for these bottles?.

I have scoured the internet(which is what led me here) and I have not been able to find another image or bottle the same for sale. I would put it at around 1940-50 I would think(my dog has collected many old bottles from the same location and I've always tried to date them through bottle forums, local knowledge etc).

I will try and post an image if there is any interest from here.

 

[Astoness]

welcome brommas and yes please we would love to see a photo of your bottle..and well done that dog i wonder why earlswood lakes seems to be a good spot for finding old bottles

lyn

 

[brommas]

Hi,

I will try and get one up shortly(edit this post) , earlswood has been a popular place since the 1850's I believe, it would appear that people have always discarded items that they have finished with. We have probably around 10 or so dating from the 1920-1960 period. I wouldn't imagine there are many of these old milk bottle types left now.

Image 3

Image 1
Image2

 

[brommas]

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I hope that is ok, I will try and get better images tomorrow of them, the bottle is like new really.