AN appeal has been made for your old milk bottles as they could become museum artefacts.
Peter Hayes, who retired from the dairy industry 25 years ago, contacted the paper to say: ‘ I appeal to your readers around the Teignbridge region to uncover any old milk bottles they might have hidden away in a cupboard or a shed that would have been delivered to their doorstep during the period 1930-1980 when everybody enjoyed this service.
‘I have tried to locate and save, in my museum in Honiton as many milk bottles from Devon and Cornwall as I can find to preserve this aspect of our agricultural heritage which otherwise would be lost.
‘At the moment I am looking in the area which includes Shaldon, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Newton Abbot and environs.
‘I have been talking recently to the Teignmouth Museum to try and uncover information about Brook Hill Dairy of Teignmouth and operated by the Armstead family, who delivered their milk in the town post second world war.
‘I am always surprised what people keep but do not realise their significance in a heritage context and many such items are thrown away without realising their importance
‘My hobby allows me to research those entrepreneurial farmers of the past who saw the need to deliver their milk on a “milk round” in their vicinity to probably every household, in milk bottles proudly showing their name and address.
‘My quest is to track down these milk bottles before they are destroyed.
‘Any information from any of your readers about the whereabouts of any such bottles would be appreciated.’
Peter can be contacted at [email protected] or call 07732680614