Howard's Dairies

Milkmen

I have just found this birthday card sent to me by our milkmen in the 60s! I have been trying for ages to find a photo of their horses, out of all the thousands of photos that my Dad took, but to no avail. Many people who are not from the area do not believe they were still using horses in my lifetime (I’m 54). It was a highlight of my childhood days to wait for the milkman’s cart, and life seemed so simple then. I lived in Rochester Drive, Westcliff, but I remember they had a depot on London Road in Leigh.

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  • My great grandad started working for Howard’s Dairies just after WW1. He delivered by horse and cart along the London Road, and by the late 40s he was manager of the depot at The Elms. He stayed as manager till his death in 1957. My father and mother worked there as well as two uncles. As a child I would spend my day running round all the bottling machines and later on helping my dad with his round. I have a photo of my great grandad with horse and cart deliveries; his name was Ernest Read.

    By susan ryall (05/09/2022)
  • My mum worked in the Leigh on Sea branch 1959/1960 era. Somewhere on the Broadway I think.

    By Shaun Cotgrove (22/01/2021)
  • I used to help the milkman with deliveries on weekends in 1956; I think his name was Bert. I was living on Crowstone Road. I remember there was a lot of competition between neighbours for the horse droppings!

    By grahame jackson (24/09/2020)
  • Let me be the first, then, to mention Howard’s Dairies at Leigh. I attended Westleigh Infants & Juniors from 1952 onwards and, from what I recall, Howard’s Dairies was on the other side of Westleigh Avenue at the junction with London Road where a block of flats now stands. I cannot remember when it closed but probably in the 60s.

    By Ian Davidson (15/09/2020)
  • I remember going to Howard’s Dairies in the evening with my Mum for a tour around the premises and a demo I believe.I remember seeing some of those little purple packets of St.Ivel latic cheese. I loved that,does anyone remember that and when it was discontinued?

    By Carol Powley[Southward] (02/09/2020)
  • There was also a depot in London Road Westcliff between The Cricketers and Hamlet Court Road. The site was developed into retirement flats – Howards Court. Cartons of milk could be purchased from the milk dispenser outside the gate. There was also a shop in Hamlet Court Road – round the corner from Anerley Road – which sold ice lollies in the shape of Mickey Mouse.

    By Theo Rakusen (31/08/2020)
  • I worked for Howard’s Dairies from 1960 until the business was sold to United Dairies in the early 1970s.I worked at Oak Road Hadleigh bottling sterilized milk and the at age 21 drove the lorries until made redundant.My father and brother both worked there and where I met my future wife.It was a great place to work and I have some very fond memories.

    By Brian james Baker (17/12/2017)
  • My father -Ted West- worked at Howards Dairies on the London Road at Chalkwell, he looked after the horses.

    We lived in Daws Heath and he would cycle to work, then I remember him putting a motor on to his bike to make life easier!  This would have been around 1946/48 time I would guess.

    By Margaret Wakley (West) (06/06/2016)
  • Hi all, my dad Frederick William Penfold drove a truck for Howard dairies. In the sixty’s we lived at no 12 Oak Road (South) in a dairies house till we moved to Australia in 1961.

    By Susan Parks (05/05/2016)
  • Further to the lady’s comments. I can remember the Hadleigh depot which was quite big and based in Oak Rd South.   There were other depots, one near the Elms, one just before Chalkwell Schools which I remember having the horse drawn carts and a big one at Southchurch. There was also a shop at one time next to the alley leading to Rectory Road car park and for a while in Rectory road itself and the farm being in Bowers Gifford if my memory serves me well

    By Rob Keen (30/06/2013)

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