Horse & Cart Bread Deliveries in WA

Vic41 · Guru

Horse & Cart Bread Deliveries in WA

Glenelg · Guru

Good storey Vic. I can remember the Milkie with horse & cart in pommie land but not the baker.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Yep, I too remember the baker and milko. We also had the ice man and a lady selling duck eggs. Oh! who could forget the man with the dunny can on his head. That just bought back a funny memory but not for the dunny can man.

Vic41 · Guru

I also had a door to door newspaper round, most women did not work those days and I saw some funny sights with women coming to the door with open dressing gowns etc as my round was made after school before the husbands came home from work. Customers could put papers on the tick until pay day (I carried a little book as well as my leather cash bag).

Another job I had was on fruit & vege trucks that went around the streets ringing a bell etc. Us kids rode on the back of the truck and made up the orders as people hailed the truck, the drive below would then tally up their sale and take their money. When we had watermelons on board we would "accidently" drop one so we could eat it, I think the driver/owner knew but turned a blind eye to it, he never ever chastised us for it.

moamajohn · Guru

Hey Vic and Doug ,do you remember the lovelly smell of bread when the baker opened the little doors on the side of the cart.Sometimes if he was in a good mood you would score half a roll ! and how good was the crust in those days ? I lived in Moonee Ponds Vic. and my girlfriend lived about a mile away, after a late night out I would sometimes get a lift home with the milkie and run the bottles with him, in gratitude and he would give me a pint for mum.Very fond memories .John

Vic41 · Guru

Yes, love the smell of fresh bread, the horseshoe rolls were a favourite.

The butcher made the rounds of homes too, in fact you could get almost everything by home delivery without leaving home, not everyone had cars in those days. At home the back door was left unlocked if you went out, and the delivery blokes would bring your order into the kitchen and place it on the kitchen table or in the ice box (ice delivered to the ice box too).

Garbo's would come down the side of the house to collect your metal rubbish bin, empty it and return it back again. At Xmas time you would lay some newspaper inside on the top and leave them a couple of bottles of beer.

Life was so uncomplicated then and people more trustworthy. A lot more fun then too, kids could roam free with no concerns by them or their parents.

Off Topic, but I saw this article today about Dairies in The Desert which made interesting reading, see;

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-28/pilbara-ag-vision/5621778

Dougwe · Chief one feather

John, you are right with the best memories. I also did a paper round on the old bike in the morning before school then one in the afternoon on a street corner. Also had a part time job in the local flicks selling "Screen News" then moving to Usher then Head Usher then relief Manager, all PP. Great memories with Hoyts Cinemas for shore.

Selling news papers.......Never made the money that some people make on street corners though biggrin

2foot6 · Senior Member

Memories from early days were deliveries and pick ups that were free or part of the service MILK ,ICE ,BRIQUETTES,BREAD,MEAT, RUBBISH ,DUNNY ANS,NEWSPAPERS. We had insurance reps call to collect the insurance money,another rep called to collect the two bobs out of the coin operated clock and we paid to have a TV licence .How life was soooo simple and easier. Peter.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Geez Peter, I just had a vision of the briquette man slinging that bag over his shoulder and carrying it on his back down the driveway. How would OHS like to see that done now

Another thing I just remembered too was the rabbit lady disbelief

capricorn and pisces · Senior Member

I can remember my old grandad had a hard time with pounds shillings and pence. He used to talk in florins, "alf a crown" and a guinea ! I suspect that he was just reluctant to be like everyone else as I can remember that he often mentioned "a tray bit" which I think was slang for something in pounds, shillings and pence money. I think it might have been a blessing that he had passed on by the time dollars and cents arrived

I can also remember members of our family being very excited getting a "Kelvinator" refrigerator, no more ice man. cheers Capricorn

Vic41 · Guru

capricorn and pisces wrote:
I can remember my old grandad had a hard time with pounds shillings and pence. He used to talk in florins, "alf a crown" and a guinea ! I suspect that he was just reluctant to be like everyone else as I can remember that he often mentioned "a tray bit" which I think was slang for something in pounds, shillings and pence money. I think it might have been a blessing that he had passed on by the time dollars and cents arrived

A Shilling was "one bob" A Florin was 2 shillings, or "two bob", Half a Crown was 2 shillings and 6 pence, a Crown was 5 shillings. A "tray bit" was 3 pence, and 5 pence was a "zac" . In the copper coins, a farthing was 1/4 of a penny, a half penny and a penny. A Guinea was 21 shillings (one pound one shilling). There were 10 shilling notes, one pound notes, five pound notes, 10 pound notes etc.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Tuesday 29th of July 2014 09:26:52 PM

2foot6 · Senior Member

Dougwe,I don't remember the rabbit lady,but the briquette factory ceases to operate next week (Morwell) so no OHS issues anymore.Those bags were heavy and dusty...... Peter.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Bugga, another one bites the dust.

Pitty you don't remember the rabbit lady Peter. A nice bunny stew is the best. Mmmm, can smell it cooking now.

Glenelg · Guru

hay Vic. no 5 pence it was 6 pence. i can remember the silver three pence it was round same as the 6 pence but about the size of a farthing

we use to call them threepenny bit

Vic41 · Guru

Glenelg wrote:
hay Vic. no 5 pence it was 6 pence. i can remember the silver three pence it was round same as the 6 pence but about the size of a farthing

we use to call them threepenny bit

Sorry, old farts disease Dave.....yes sixpenny bit (zac), the "thripenny bit" (tray) was very small.

Some put the zac bits in the home made Xmas Pudding, had to watch breaking the teeth, but you considered yourself lucky if you got one on Xmas Day (Xmas Pud with custard for sweets).

Glenelg · Guru

ya forgot about christmas pud, remember the silver coins in it

Vic41 · Guru

Glenelg wrote:
ya forgot about christmas pud, remember the silver coins in it

See the previous post Dave......we had zac's in ours..... aww

Ole_Grizzly · Senior Member

"Dunny Can" on his head?

Struth mate....was he part of the Kelly Gang?

Glenelg · Guru

Vic41 wrote:
Glenelg wrote:
ya forgot about christmas pud,i remember the silver coins in it, wrapped in foil. that looks better Vic
See the previous post Dave......we had zac's in ours.....

-- Edited by Glenelg on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 02:46:19 PM

2foot6 · Senior Member

"Dunny Can" on his head?

I once heard of a nightman that tripped and spilt the contents onto the footpath,He then proceeded to put the contents back into the can,he was asked by a passerby if he was OK. He replied ,,,,YEAH I'm just doing a stock take . ............ sorry couldn't resist. Peter.

turbopete · Senior Member

There was also the horse and cart man that sold the clothes props,,,long before the hills hoist was around my area,,,, Glebe