The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free

Milk Round
Dairy woman set to retire after fifty years of milk deliveries in and around Torrington.
From the collection of:

Overview
Laura Wilton of Torrington has been delivering milk to the same area for the past fifty years and this is her last milk round before retirement. Three of her customers have been regulars since the 1920s when she started. Laura’s husband Tom runs the local dairy farm and has recently been helping Laura on her rounds delivering the milk from the back of their Bedford van. At the time Laura stated that she was looking forward to retiring but that she would miss the early mornings.
By the twentieth century doorstep milk deliveries were common in many countries and in the UK electric milk floats took over from the horse-drawn carts as the embossed glass bottle took over from the milk churn. From 1933 until 1994 the Milk Marketing Board regulated milk production and distribution. A milkie kept to the same milk round prompting many a reference to the not always untrue milkman story whereby illicit affairs between delivery man and stay-at-home housewife could and even did lead to additional family members. Today large dairies continue milk rounds with diverse products but as profitability is linked to fast and efficient deliveries there is no time for anything beyond core business.
Related

Torrington Vikings Torrington Vikings
Current affairs 1974 8 mins Silent Location: Great Torrington
Ceremony ablaze with Viking custom

Great Torrington May Fair Great Torrington May Fair
Amateur film 1953 10 mins Silent Location: Great Torrington
Great Torrington’s children lead a May Day procession

Barnstaple Fair Barnstaple Fair
Amateur film 1950 5 mins Silent Location: Great Torrington
Carnival Procession sees whole town celebrate

Falconry Demonstration at Great Torrington School Falconry Demonstration at Great Torrington School
Amateur film 1964 1 mins Silent Location: Great Torrington
Falcon flies for Great Torrington School

Dartington Glassblowers Dartington Glassblowers
Current affairs 1978 1 mins Silent Location: Great Torrington
The successful clink of Handmade Dartington Crystal Glass in Torrington

Wrong Bathroom Wrong Bathroom
Drama 2024 9 mins
A trans high-schooler is tempted by toxic masculinity in the boys’ bathroom.

We’ll Go Down in History We’ll Go Down in History
Documentary 2025 25 mins
Two years in the life of TRUK United FC, a beacon for positive change and trans inclusivity in football.

If I Make It To The Morning If I Make It To The Morning
Drama 2024 9 mins
A Chinese teenager dreams of living with her cool aunt in New York, until tensions boil over during a crab dinner.

Dragfox Dragfox
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2024 8 mins
A child struggling with their identity and a charismatic fox (voiced by Sir Ian McKellen) learn to embrace their differences in this heart warming stop-motion animation.

Wait, Wait, Now! Wait, Wait, Now!
Drama 2024 13 mins
A Maori and a Kiwi teen buddy up to raid their mum’s wardrobe and pucker their lips with red.

NGGAK!!! NGGAK!!!
Drama 2024 8 mins
‘I pronounce you wife and wife.’ A young couple design their perfect wedding online, but then mum dials in.