Banstead Village

In 1960 I began my journalistic career on the Banstead Herald, and this is exactly the sort of event we covered. As this image is precisely dated, perhaps a trawl through the Surrey Libraries newspaper archive for November 1962 would be fruitful?

They all look like my Mum ! Happy to be reminded of how she looked in 1962.

Note from LNW: I see at least two gentlemen!!!

My guess would be that this was a Nork Community Association outing to Express Dairy's regional distribution depot and bottling plant in South Morden. Given that everyone is posing in tiers, probably on the main staircase, it would be a familiar location for the visitors' group shot. Checking on the internet, it seems that milk used to arrive at the depot in huge tanker wagons - the so-called 'milk trains'.

The connection between Nork Community Association and Express Dairy probably lies in the fact that at the time the photo was taken much of Nork had its milk deliveries from the Express Dairy depot located, if I remember correctly, somewhere behind the section of Banstead High Street that included Woolworths.

As Peter Denton has already explained, Express Dairy at Morden had a bottling plant and distribution centre from which local depots were supplied. The milk arrived in rail tanks which were positioned in the Dairy’s own sidings close to Morden South station.

From 1958 to 1962 I attended Banstead County Secondary Modern School in Picquets Way. In early 1960, my family moved from Lower Kingswood to Hillside Close. From then and until the summer of 1962 when I started work, I spent weekends and school holidays helping Fred Harding, an Express Dairy milkman who lived with his wonderful family in Ferndale Road.

The round started on the service road alongside the A217 opposite Garratts Lane and continued via Burgh Wood and Hillside to Nork Way where it finished at the junction with Beacon Way. On occasions, I also helped another Express Dairy milkman, Jasper, whose round included Warren Road and Green Curve.

The trip to Morden was clearly very well supported and I am sure that the participants thoroughly enjoyed seeing a large part of what was involved in getting milk to their doorstep. A great photo.

I can't add anything about the picture but our house, on the corner of Hillside and Buckles Way, was also on Fred Harding's Express Dairy round when I was a kid. I attended Nork County Infants and Juniors 1959-1966. Like David Brown my older brother Mark was one of Fred's regular helpers in the early 60's and I myself eventually qualified to help over the whole round for the princely sum of 2/- (10p!), subsequently raised to 2/6d (12.5p). I further recall being occasionally allowed to drive the milk cart!

Oh my goodness, I have spotted my lovely Nana in this photo, she was May Keyworth. Lived in Hillside. This has made my day.

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