Nostalgia in a bottle

The news that Dairy Crest is to shut down its milk bottling plant in Hanworth is of particular interest to me, as I still get some of those beloved but rare things, milk in bottles delivered to my doorstep each second morning. That being said, it will make very little difference if I am presented with my pint in a plastic bottle or a glass one. My occasional use of the bottles as flower vases will stop, however. I also suspect the noise from the milkman will be lessened as he doesn’t have to pick up empty bottles at very early o’clock three times a week.

That doesn’t mean I want my milk deliveries to stop. I know it’s expensive for dairies to run, but I depend on my local milkman not only to deliver milk, but to pop a loaf of bread, maybe some bacon and eggs in there as well, most Saturday mornings. Another regular order is for orange juice. Yes, milk delivered to the doorstep will be more expensive than going around the corner and paying silly cheap money for four pints, but it is a service, after all. You can’t get any closer than the front of your house.
Also, I don’t feel guilty when I read about the Co-operative offering four pints for £1, or eight pints for £2. I know I am buying milk at the right price through the milkman. I am not sure how to get that to the average consumer, except maybe to explain that doorstep delivery is easier than people think (you order online and pay there), and the service is the thing you pay for.

The day the dairies stop delivering altogether will be a very sad day. It is a great, useful tradition. Get your milk delivered and keep those milkmen floating.