AFTER over half a century of waking up in the small hours and roaming the streets in all weathers to ensure the good people of Abergavenny have a pint or two of the good stuff for their morning grind, Monmouthshire milkman Peter Francis has decided to hang up his bottles and call it a day.

“I’m 71 now and think enough is enough,” explained Peter.

“Even though I’m only doing a three-day week these days it takes its toll, and it’s time to put my feet up and spend some time with my grandchildren.”

Peter added, “Although I must admit, I’ll miss being up and about when most other people are sleeping. It’s the most peaceful time of the day. It’s a lot different to the 5pm rush hour I can tell you!”

Peter has been wearing the hat of a milkman since he was a teenager growing up on a farm and was looking for a summer holiday job that didn’t involve animals or tractors.

He told the Chronicle, “I was never cut out for the farming life but at the same time I was in a bit of a quandary about what to do when I left school.

"As it happened a cousin of mine in the Llanarth area was selling milk from his farm and asked if I’d be interested in doing a round.”

What started as a summer holiday job became a career and before long Peter brought his own round in 1974 and joined the ranks of the seven or eight milkmen who were serving Abergavenny back in the day.

In the early days, Peter would do his round in a pick-up truck with the passenger seat ripped out to make more room for the milk crates. Because the round was small, he did other casual jobs when he had finished delivering the milk.

As things picked up and business boomed, Peter brought more rounds around the Llanellen area in 1977 and was soon working seven-day weeks to keep up with the demand.

He explained, “Before supermarkets, being a milkman was a popular career choice, and there used to be a fair few of us because there was work to go around.

"Now, of course, there are not so many of us left. But things change and you have to adapt. When I retire I think there’ll be only one other milkman left operating in Abergavenny. But he’s a young and enthusiastic lad, so good luck to him.”

Looking forward to retirement and spending time with his grandkids, the former Llanarth cricketer also plans on getting more involved with his old club.

Musing on a lifetime spent going around the houses and ensuring his customers didn’t just have a ready supply of quality milk, but newspapers, orange juice, and other essential groceries, Peter recalled, “It’s a good living and keeps the wolf from the door, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re not a natural early riser or averse to being out and about in extreme weather you can forget about it.

“But the job isn’t just about delivering milk, I’ve lost count of the number of tops of jam jars I’ve helped open for my customers, the lightbulbs I’ve changed, and the bins I’ve helped put out.

"It’s all part of the service. And all through lockdown and even in the snows of 1982 when I had to use my dad’s tractor to get through, the milk always got delivered on time."

Peter’s last round will be this Friday (March 7) which he’ll be completing with his daughter Kathryn, who used to help him out on the round during her school days. After that it’s time for Pete to put his feet up and have a cuppa! Just be sure to make it milky!