Thursday, 30 September 2010

Great Uncle Bill.

This fantastic photo was lent to us by Mark James .It is of his Great Uncle Bill and Marks older brother,Paul , when he was a baby. The photo was taken outside the petrol station that his Great Uncle Bill had at the top of Matley Lane . It is circa 1952-3.
I wonder why places were called Milk Bars? Did everyone drink milk in there?

Photobucket

I love the old signs in the window.... "Drink Vimto" and "Book for Blackpool Illuminations"...

Thanks Mark!

4 comments:

  1. What a great image of by-gone days this makes as well Nancy..

    Milk Bars..I Came across this info Nancy.

    The first businesses using the name "milk bar" were franchises opened by Burt Brothers in 1934.
    In the U.K. they were encouraged by the Temperance Society as a morally acceptable alternative to the pub, and over 1,000 milk bars had opened nationally by the end of 1936. Milk bars were known in the United States at least as early as 1940

    By the late 1940s, milk bars had evolved to include not only groceries, but also became places where young people could buy ready-made food, non-alcoholic drinks and socialise. Milk bars often used to include jukeboxes, pinball machines - later upgraded to video games, with tables and chairs to encourage folks to linger and spend more money.

    The milk bar as a social venue was gradually replaced by fast food franchises, such as McDonald's and places like that.
    Of course Hyde had it's very own milk bar in Meschia.. though the milk-bar is long gone the company is still going. We would love to see pictures of the old place...

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  2. In Canada we did not use the milk bar designation. After door to door milk delivery ended milk store such as the chain "Mac's Milk" were developed as convenience stores for many getting many things. I French areas they are dépainers. It seem bread is more important to the French than milk.

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  3. Milk Bar, just makes me think of Clockwork Orange !!!

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  4. Phillip... thanks for that.... interesting about the French part of Canada preferring 'bread bars :-)

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