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Handsworth Dairies

That's a nice article, Mike. My wife was receptionist at Handsworth Dairies on Island Road, from about 1969 until we went abroad in 1977. She enjoyed her time there. It closed down maybe 15 years ago, and the last time I drove past was derelict. It's probably been demolished now.

When I was a kid the Co-Op milkman's poor old horse collapsed and died near our house - I was totally gutted.

Big Gee
 
My wife Barbara, worked in accounts around 1975-6 and is still in contact with a couple of her ex-workmates from 35-36 years ago.
 
Big Gee said:
That's a nice article, Mike. My wife was receptionist at Handsworth Dairies on Island Road, from about 1969 until we went abroad in 1977. She enjoyed her time there. It closed down maybe 15 years ago, and the last time I drove past was derelict. It's probably been demolished now.

When I was a kid the Co-Op milkman's poor old horse collapsed and died near our house - I was totally gutted.

Big Gee
Click to expand...

The site has been developed with high end housing.
 
Hi big Gee and Dave;
i worked at the handsworth dairies many years ago and not long after they introduced the long life and carton milk
and after getting first hand viewing of the milk production it put me off ever buying carton milk never ever bought carton
milk since and i never ever will ; after seing guys strolling around in the surrounding baths that catch all the milk
which is gallons of it when the carton machines jammed up and they have to stopp the machines and released the the said cartons that jammed the machine and reload it with cartons to get the machines restarted and start filling those cartons in wellingtons
and sucking it all back into the machine and putting back into cartons and into storage anddeep freeze
and there long life milk was roduced and pakaged up to nine months in advance and kept instorage for when ever
i certainly would not buy or drink it never
i had previosly worked for midland dairyies on the rounds of handsworth delivering to houses and shops
but they had none of that stuff in fact the whole dairy was abit of a mes it was a scruffy place apart fromthe offices
top of the morning to you all and do not forget to shake your cream up on top of the bottle; did any of you buy the gold top cream milk
best wishes alan ; astonian
 
Made redundant in 2001 after 10 years of what was the best Job I ever had, going to Perry Pont after doing General Haulage that job was great. Delivered to all regional depots with an Artic, not a horse.
Big Gee said:
That's a nice article, Mike. My wife was receptionist at Handsworth Dairies on Island Road, from about 1969 until we went abroad in 1977. She enjoyed her time there. It closed down maybe 15 years ago, and the last time I drove past was derelict. It's probably been demolished now.

When I was a kid the Co-Op milkman's poor old horse collapsed and died near our house - I was totally gutted.

Big Gee
Click to expand...
 
when I was a lad both the milkman and baker had a horse, we kids would feed them grass and bread an much to the drivers annoyance when older I used to help both for a small payment and would be allowed to drive for short distances. One of the horses wore a straw hat in summer and a sort of balaclava in winter.
paul
 
HI PAUL
I Found that a very intresting story and tryed to visualize the pictureof the horse standing there
with his straw hat on and it made me smile in fact i am laughing even thou about this visual in my head with you and the horse
thanks for making us smile have a good day paul ; best wishes alan ;;
 
Hi alan, glad you enjoyed that little memory, yes they were slower happier days never a lot of money but when I look back we kids were always laughing. you have a nice day too.
regards paul.
 
My friend John Stevenson lived there, he was married at St Andrews Church, Small Heath then we went by private Corporation bus to the reception at Handsworth Daries, his Mother Mrs Stevenson RIP was the Caretaker of the dariy circa 1953?. Len
 
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I lived at the top end of Sandwell rd in the 60's and I am sure the owners of the daires used to live on the opposite side of the rd from us, the were friends of my hubby's parents and we used to drink at the Garden Gate with their son Tim, but I cant just think of their last name. Was it Higgs???
 
Patty,

my wife says the family who owned Handsworth Dairies when she worked there was called White. We used the Garden Gate on occasion, too. Nice pub back then, haven't been in for years and years.

Dave Bath,

weird, but my wife doesn't recognise either of the two names you mention!!

Big Gee
 
My mother grew up in a house at 62 Island Road, Handsworth. My grandfather worked at The Carriage Words as a cabinet maker. Do you know if the houses are still there?
 
LindaJenkins said:
My mother grew up in a house at 62 Island Road, Handsworth. My grandfather worked at The Carriage Words as a cabinet maker. Do you know if the houses are still there?
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Hi Have just joined again, and found your message. I lived in Lawnswood Grove from 1939 to 1958 which is opposite to No 62 Island Rd. what was your mothers name I may have known her. if you put no 62 Island Rd Handsworth Birmingham into google a picture of the road and house will come up. when I was little I could watch the milk being loaded onto the horse and carts from my bedroom window. I used to go round to the dairy shop and buy 6d of icecream in a cup. look forward to hearing from you. my name is Valerie
 
Hi. Have loved reading all these. When I was little I could watch them unload the carts from my bedroom window.
I used to go to the shop and fetch 6d worth of ice cream.
Does anyone remember Beryl Stokes who. used to help with the horses in the 1950's she had her own horse as we'll kept in Park Lane. I was also at school with Elizabeth White.
Look forward to your replies.

Valeriee rummageValeriee rummage
 
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
 
chas_41_uk said:
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
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Hi All I know abt the White family is that Elizabeth Whites mother married the vicar of St Pauls in the jewellery qtr, I don't know when, from valerieexbrummie
 
Believe it or not that does help. Carleton Whites eldest son Stephen John was killed in action in 1944. So assuming he was married and Elizabeth was his daughter that could very well tie in. I'll see if there is an e-mail contact for the church, if there is I should be able to see if they can tell me who the vicars were between 1940 and 1950 and check against the BMD indexes.
Thanks
Chas
 
Reg Cook said:
Made redundant in 2001 after 10 years of what was the best Job I ever had, going to Perry Pont after doing General Haulage that job was great. Delivered to all regional depots with an Artic, not a horse.
Click to expand...

Hi to you all, Does anyone remember a Beryl Stokes who worked at the Daries in Island road part time in the fifties, she also had a horse, and she lived in Churchill road Handsworth I worked with her and wonder how she is, I haven't seen her since 1958

valerieexbrummie
 
hi I have just joined this website , my great auntie Bessie married Stephen White who was the son and he died in the war in 1942 just before his daughter Stephanie was born . Stephen was an officer in the war and died saving one of his men .
 
Stephen died just outside Caen Just after the D day landings as said after trying to save a colleague. He was my uncle and my father, John White, was involved with the dairy as Joint MD until it was eventually sold in the early 90's.

Bessie married Paul, a great man, who blessed our wedding. Handsworth Dairies has a remarkable story. It brought Cartoning and Tetrapak (Purepak) to the UK. It had the first computerised production line in Europe and in the 80's was one of the largest private dairies in Europe.
 
SimonW said:
Stephen died just outside Caen Just after the D day landings as said after trying to save a colleague. He was my uncle and my father, John White, was involved with the dairy as Joint MD until it was eventually sold in the early 90's.

Bessie married Paul, a great man, who blessed our wedding. Handsworth Dairies has a remarkable story. It brought Cartoning and Tetrapak (Purepak) to the UK. It had the first computerised production line in Europe and in the 80's was one of the largest private dairies in Europe.
Click to expand...

very interesting. I lived right by the daries from 1939 to 1958 I remember fetching 6 pennyworth of ice cream in a cup from the shop. and until they built a wall, I could watch the loading and unloading from my bedroom window. I went to school with Elizabeth White,1947 to 1950 do you know how she is? I used to work with a lady who worked at the daries weekends, looking after the horses, her name was Beryl Stokes. but we lost touch look forward to your comments. Valerie exbrummie
 
How strange simon . mom was just saying that she remembers Stephens small sports car , sorry moms not very good on cars . Auntie Bessie was my dads cousin and we were supposed to go out and see them in Rhodesia but unfortunately they flee . Uncle paul was indeed a very nice man and was oxford educated he had been a prisoner of war in Changi prison . My dad had a shop in rookery road so did my moms side of the family .
SimonW said:
Stephen died just outside Caen Just after the D day landings as said after trying to save a colleague. He was my uncle and my father, John White, was involved with the dairy as Joint MD until it was eventually sold in the early 90's.

Bessie married Paul, a great man, who blessed our wedding. Handsworth Dairies has a remarkable story. It brought Cartoning and Tetrapak (Purepak) to the UK. It had the first computerised production line in Europe and in the 80's was one of the largest private dairies in Europe.
Click to expand...
 
thetraveller said:
How strange simon . mom was just saying that she remembers Stephens small sports car , sorry moms not very good on cars . Auntie Bessie was my dads cousin and we were supposed to go out and see them in Rhodesia but unfortunately they flee . Uncle paul was indeed a very nice man and was oxford educated he had been a prisoner of war in Changi prison . My dad had a shop in rookery road so did my moms side of the family .
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Sorry to be so slow to reply. Edit. Please contact me via the Inbox tab at the top of this page. Paul Boroughs was Bessies second Husband after Stephen. Paul was an Oxford Blue and a bishop in Africa. Lovely man.
 
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Welcome Simon. Thanks for posting I have removed your email address as we don't recommend members make it visible on the Forum. It can attract unwanted messages etc. Suggest you email thetraveller using the 'Inbox' tab at the top of the page. Select "start a conversation" then enter the members name in the box. Good luck with making contact. Viv.
 
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