I also remember driving in a pony and trap during the war with the milk churns which had to be left by the farm gate half a mile away, so that the tanker could pick up the milk!
It's still quite a common sight in NW England at least that at farm entrances there is a raised platform, probably usually around 8'x4' and 3' or 4' high. I remember when you used to see the milk churns on them, awaiting collection, but I expect most people nowadays wouldn't know what they were for, even if they noticed them while driving by at 60 miles an hour.
I think (from listening to the Archers!) that dairy farms now have bulk tanks, and the milk tankers now drive right up to the dairy and pump from the bulk tanks straight into the tanker. I can't remember the last time I saw milk churn. They've gone the way of haystacks ... <sigh>
Fortunately round here in Lancashire we still have quite a few dairies (Lancashire cheese territory, centred on Beacon Fell, north-east of Preston - one of the UK's cheese PDOs), so there are still dairy cows in the fields.
Hi Aulus,
Oh I remember that well, the churns on the side of the road!
When I worked in Veterinary Medicine back in the 70's, we had loads of dairy farms in this area, yes the milk was collected by Tanker. But there were so many cows and different breeds about! Now they are all Simmental or Belgian blue or Charolais, and almost of the dairy farms have gone!
I am a fan of Farmers markets. Food produced in this Country will soon be a thing of the past unless we all insist on British milk, butter and cheese.
I have been doing that for years, it puts the fun back into shopping to support our local producers. The food is great as well! I buy everything from Soda bread [make my own for all the rest] all the meat, apples, vegetable, strawberries in season, icecream and goats milk fudge which is the best I have tasted, and proper sausages and game in season!
My son is a Farmer and strangled by the bureaucratic red tape, as they all are. Our farmers are the best in the world!
So sorry I got carried away!
Rabbit B
PS there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh milk from the bulk tank after a hard day!