Interview With A Milkman -1996- -2021-

The glass. We used to collect and wash the empties. That’s gone. People can’t be bothered to rinse a bottle and put it on the step anymore. We switched to cardboard cartons for a while—disaster. The customers hated it. Milk tastes different in paper. We’ve gone back to glass for the premium stuff, but we don’t collect it. That’s the tragedy. We used to be a loop. Now we’re just a line.

Saved is a strong word. It gave us a second lap. When lockdown hit in 2020, the whole just-in-time delivery system collapsed. The supermarkets couldn't get a lorry driver to save their life. But me? I know every back lane, every cut-through, every farm within 50 miles. I didn't stop. I couldn't. Interview With A Milkman -1996- -2021-

(Gestures to the freezing fog outside the cab). The silence. In 1996, everyone is inside watching their new Sky satellite. Nobody looks out the window anymore. When I started, I’d whistle and people would wave. Now, I’m just a shadow with a crate. The worst part? The foxes. They’ve learned to open the foil tops. You’d be surprised how angry a man gets at 5 AM when he steps in a puddle of semi-skimmed. The glass