Milk Monitor

A Memory of Carlton in Cleveland.

I smile when I remember being appointed Milk Monitor in Carlton & Faceby Primary School at the age of 9.  Milk was compulsory and free for all children at school - adults told us on numerous occasions 'how good it was for you'!  The large crates of small glass bottles of milk, which were one third of a pint, were counted and recorded, enough milk for each and every student, 32 in all throughout the whole school with just two classrooms, infants and juniors. The milk was always left at the foot of 3 steep steps, by the early morning milkman, just inside the central gate and with a huge deep breath carried up those steps through all weathers.  As children we always delighted in the winter when the cream would surface to the top of the milk leaving the watered down milk that was left completely unpalatable but with great precision the foil tops would have holes in the top where the birds had devoured as much cream as they possibly could. The warmth of the indoors would defrost the often frozen milk which then became sour! and we were expected to drink it. Milk was not something I enjoyed and I have to admit to taking off into the cloakroom when the occasion arose and pouring my milk down the drain before the teacher saw me, along with many others I might add!  Once finished the crated rinsed out bottles were returned to the foot of the steps for the pickup next morning.  Whilst not enjoying the milk, it is with a smile that I recall these memories that both warm and comfort me added with a grin at the amount of milk that went down the cloakroom sink drain! I think the birds came out tops and I am sure to this day miss that cream!

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