Views from the milk float

On their rounds:

“I have 876 customers across 25 rural villages and cover 100 miles a day, delivering everything from milk, bread, cereals, potatoes, dogfood, and garden consumables”

Tony Fowler, Leicestershire (who won an MBE for his crime-fighting exploits)

“My brother and I are the fourth generation in our family dairy business, which started 102 years ago. I started helping on rounds when I was eight, and we sell everything from milk, cream and yoghurt, to coal, water softener tablets and anything else on request to almost 4,000 customers”

Nigel Byham, H Byham & Son, Suffolk

On the dairy crisis:

“Farmers are grossly underpaid. For years supermarkets have sold milk as a loss leader”

Ken Hobson, Cotteswold Dairy, Gloucestershire

“Milk has become a commodity. There are no brands to differentiate between and therefore no brand awareness”

Tony Fowler

“It has affected our business as customers can get milk cheaper at their local supermarkets”

Mark Danbury, Cotteswold Dairy

“It’s good for us as milkmen as people want a delivery to support the industry”

Matt Clarke, Cotteswold Dairy

Is there a long-term future for doorstep deliveries?

“It’s been a question that has been asked for the last 20 years, and I hope for the next 20 years. Thankfully there are still people out there who want our service, preferring milk in glass bottles and taking comfort that we are the eyes and the ears of the community”

Nigel Byham

“I think this is unlikely”

Ken Hobson

“Yes, particularly in the rural communities with diminishing village shops and bus services”

Tony Fowler

And finally, tell us a funny story from your career.

“At 3am I noticed a car approaching me, apparently without a driver. I thought I should have gone to Specsavers, but found a nine-year-old boy propped up on cushions driving and chauffeuring three siblings aged three, six and seven!”

Tony Fowler

“They normally come from the notes customers leave. Such as ‘Sorry about yesterday’s note, I didn’t mean one egg and a dozen pints, but the other way round!’ and ‘When you leave my milk please knock on my bedroom window and wake me. I want you to help me turn my mattress!’”

Nigel Byham

This article is part of our Dairymen feature.