yesteryear

The floats are pictured in the dairy company’s yard at 49 Poynters Road, Dunstable, on which five detached houses have now been built.

The new development is called, appropriately, Dairy Court. That’s the rear of Evelyn Road in the background of our photo.

The dairy was founded by Harry Carter, of a local farming family, in 1936. It was continued by his son Graham, employing over 20 people on 14 retail milk rounds, until it closed in 1998. Competition from supermarkets caused its demise.

One of the dairy’s prized possessions was an old milk cart which dates back to 1910.

The milkman pushed this round the streets and used a metal measuring can to dispense milk from 17-gallon churns into customers’ own jugs.

Glass milk bottles, sealed by distinctive (and collectable) round cardboard tops, came later.