Dairy Crest Milk Float

Dairy Crest Milk Float

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

The latest addition to our fleet is this Dairy Crest Morrison Marsden Milk Float. It’s origins are unknown but it is likely to be a former Guantlets Dairy Milk Float. Gauntlets were predominant in the area during the 1950s – 1970s before The Co-op had taken over.

Goodnight Sweet Ferret

Landmark Series 30 of Last of the Summer Wine has just finished with the episode Goodnight Sweet Ferret. Despite it being a landmark series it did not feature anything special, in fact it could be one of the worst series yet. It is still unknown if their will be a 31st series but despite ‘Hobbo’ being very annoying I hope their is. Why doesn’t ol’ Roy look back on the very first few series to figure out why the series gained a lot of respect by bringing normal back to the television. Since then more ’stunts’ and ’supporting’ characters have entered the programme, ruining the original concept of three old men wondering the town discussing life. Of course you cannot help the cast dying off but instead of letting the programme get into the state it is now they should have cancelled it while at it’s prime. To be honest Alan has injected too many ‘money’ shots into the programme, like Roy he should look at the earlier series with the tighter shots. Unfortunately it is too late now but the currently very long cast list should be trimmed down a lot if it is to survive the next possible series, get rid of ‘The Captain’, Morton, Nelly and all those that was not in the programme before 1992. I am happy that the Policemen are getting more scenes though as they are very welcome parts of the programme. Also please return to proper background music instead of cut and paste recordings of Hazlehursts soundtracks, I think it is best as when he made the soundtracks, all the music was perfectly timed to the characters footsteps and other situations but now just seems like interscene connecting music which is not what it is supposed to be.

Conclusion, look at your own mistakes. Less is more. So heres to making series 31 a good one!

BBC Two Refresh

BBC Two refreshed their branding today but taking their last ‘refresh’ into account, how long will this one last?

Milk Float No. 11

Dairy Crest Milk Float

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

Another Milk Float I have been wanting to ‘get’. Yes I know it is another Smiths Elizabethan but this one is used on a franchised round operated by ‘Denvilles Dairy’ according to the yellow headboard. Franchised rounds are quite rare these days as they have been proven to be more costly to the Dairy than managing the round themselves.

I think I have gone as far as I can photographing Milk Floats in my area so I have decided to make some videos instead! My first video should appear on my YouTube website on Friday.

Milk Float Bonanza!

Dairy Crest Milk Float

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

Today I went to visit my local dairy to photograph more Milk Floats and successfully taken no.s 8, 9 and 10! This includes a type I have not captured before – a Smiths Cabac. This is the earlier version of the Elizabethan. I believe this is the only Cabac at this depot, the rest being Smiths Elizabethans and Wales & Edwards Rangemasters. The other two I took today were Smiths Elizabethans, one each in the current Dairy Crest livery and the old Unigate livery. Certainly worth waiting the gails for! For my full collection of Milk Float photographs, please visit this page!

Milk Float No. 7

Dairy Crest Milk Float

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

I now have yet another Milk Float to my photographic collection! This timewarp Smiths Elizabethan Milk Float is owned by Dairy Crest but is still painted in the old Co-op livery complete with the Co-ops slogan ‘A Fresh Way To Shop’. These are the style of Milk Floats that I remember when I was younger and I am very happy at least one has survived to the present.

Some Adventures of the Inventor of the Mother Stitch

The first proper episode of Series 30 of Last of the Summer Wine was Some Adventures Of The Inventor Of The Mother Stitch but could you tell the difference between it and I Was A Hitman For Primrose Dairies? Barely. The most laughs I got out of this episode was seeing the needlessly long title come up during the dull white opening titles. \’Hobbo\’, well lets face it, is an idiot, why does he think he was part of M15? If he is going to act like that all the time then it will get boring very, very quickly.

There was also changes of characters. Glenda has changed from a naive but feisty middle aged madam to a nosey parker who ignores her husband to stare at \’The Captain\’. Pearl has also changed from a sarcastic sadistic shrew into a calm and dull wife, the old pearl would always keep Howard under control at all times. Also, please, why are there so many people with square heads and short messy grey hair? It is very hard to keep up who is who.

Storywise, was there any storylines? It all seemed to be random exerts of standard conversion sequences. Why has so much changed since only series 29 which was in my opinion one of the best series.

If it ain\’t broke, don\’t fix it. No wonder the BBC say they ma not commision another series. Stop at an even number.

Milk Float No. 6

Milk Float

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

This former Milk Float is a Morrison Marsden which is currently being used to transport medical equipment around St. Mary’s Hospital. This one was parked just outside the grounds therefore I could take the photograph. This is the first Morrison Marsden I have photographed and makes a change from those boring Smith Elizabethans and W&E Rangemasters!

Red Nose Day 2009

Red Nose Day 2009

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

I have done my bit for Comic Relief Red Nose Day 2009 by purchasing all three of this years Red Noses – This One, That One and The Other One! I shall also be watching the ‘Comic Relief’ night tonight from 7pm on BBC One. Slightly hacked off that there is not an episode of EastEnders on tonight but since it is for ‘charity’ I will forget about it.

Milk Float No. 5

Dairy Crest Milk Float

Originally uploaded by Black Telephone

The fifth Milk Float I have photographed this year is one of the few remaining relics of the 1980s monopoly of the milk home delivery service – Unigate! It is yet another Smiths Elizabethan but is one of the few to still be in the Unigate livery (I believe only this one is still in this livery at my local dairy). It also has an old fashioned registration plate, possibly it’s original, which was not swapped for a ‘Q’ plate. Exciting times at the moment as they upgrade and expand the fleet.