Recently I received a letter from John Dairnard, a chap I have known for many years, asking if I recalled the days when milk was delivered on Saturdays and Sundays.
John's father, Bob, was a delivery man employed by the Lindsay Creamery (later to become Silverwoods Dairy). John would assist his father every weekend and made us privy to a few wonderful stories that happened back in those days.
One of those stories referred to the time when milk was left on open verandas and the incident we're about to relate happened with Mrs. Crowe, wife of Dr. Wilf Crowe.
It seems that Mrs. Crowe phoned the head office of the dairy to complain about the milkman drinking the cream from the top of the bottle.
Another customer had told John's father what was taking place at the doctor's residence. As a result, the next day he placed the milk on the veranda and hid behind a tree while John stayed in the wagon.
In a matter of minutes, a large black squirrel made an appearance, hopped up on to the veranda and placing it's two front paws on the top of the bottle to steady is, used its teeth to pull on the tab on the bottle cap. It then stuck its head into the bottle and drank until it could no longer reach the milk, at which point it ran off. Mrs. Crowe was quite apologetic and phoned the office to inform them that she had been mistaken.
John also related the story of a customer on Albert Street South who made a call to the office to complain about the horse leading its trademark in front of her house. This was to no avail. Bob Dairnard moved the horse on down the street, but while doing so the horse was leaving its deposit all along the way. The lady phoned the office and told them to tell the milkman to leave the horse alone as it was much easier to clean up in front of her house that to have to do the entire street!
Horses and wagons, ah, those were the days!
