Carlisle milkman David Welton to retire after nearly 46 years of work

David Welton, 67, has worked as a milkman for most of his life in Carlisle.

He has lived and still lives in Harraby, having gone to school there.

Starting off as a milkboy at 13, he finished school and worked in agriculture from 17, before being asked if he wanted to take the helm and head the milk round he worked on as a youngster at 22.

His rounds may have changed over nearly 46 years, but it’s always been in Carlisle.

On starting out, he said: “The chap I used to work for who was 30 years old stopped me on the street one day and asked if I wanted to buy the milk van off him.

“It was a yes or no decision, he said he needed to know quick.

“I’ve done the job before and was used to working outside, early morning starts, so I thought I’d give it a go for a year, but it just goes on.

“It does become a way of life, I know it’s not the most exciting thing but it involves you 24/7.”

He said nowadays he gets up at 1:30am to start his rounds, working all night and sleeping all day.

Back when he started though he was getting up later, because his milk round was more contained, whereas now it’s more spread.

He added: “Back then, about 800 pints a day we would deliver, when we first started we could deliver our 800 pints, leave at 5am, and you’d be back home at 10am finished.”

Over his many years, he has some interesting stories to tell.

One such story is when his milk float got stolen in the early 80s: “I was still living at home with my parents I my early 20s, my mother came rushing up the stairs and said ‘Come quick someone’s just pinched your van’.

“We phoned the police and me and they followed them and it was going hellfire across Lismore Street, went straight across there and Warwick Road, and there was a car coming the other way.

“I can still remember my car going up in a circle, it landed over the wall in a guest house on the corner of Aglionby Street.

David's van after it was totalled by speeding thieves in Carlisle (Image: David Welton)

“It was quite distressing.”

Losing his milk float after it was totalled was a big blow but he was soon back on his feet with a new rig.

David and his new van after his old one got pinched (Image: David Welton)

Another fond memory he had was of an eccentric customer from over the border: “I used to deliver to an old chap when I used to go out Sunday mornings.

"He was a Scotsman called Andy, when I took his milk to him we used to have a glass of whisky together, and if he wasn’t available he used to leave a glass on the windowsill for me."

He wasn’t just a milkman, but an everyman of sorts, as he said he used to take drunk people home, made food for people during the floods of 2005, helps a customer out with their shopping, and helped a customer by taking him to the cemetery regularly to pay respects to his loved one.

David and milkboy Tony Warrell in the early 80s (Image: David Welton)

He summarised these acts of altruism: "You just do what you need to do."

Once he retires on April 1, which he said was due to ill health, his round is being split up between two other milkmen who will add it to their businesses.

On retirement, he said he’s well due a break, having only had two five-day breaks in 45 years, and he wants to explore the UK some more, while his daughter-in-law Hannah Welton reckons it’s time he flies abroad for the first time. 

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