A conversation in Welsh with Gwenllian Atkinson, who grew up on a dairy farm ( Glasfryn) in Llangain in the 1950s and 60s. Her family have a long tradition of dairy farming. She shares her memories of the milk stand, the lorry drivers, the winter of 1963 and the transition to bulk tank milk collections, Gwen kindly spoke with Anthony Rees as part of the Carmarthenshire milk stand project. A summary of their conversation is below.  The photos she talks of are also part of the Carmarthenshire collection of milk stands / Glasfryn. A second short interview is also available on The People Collection of Wales website.

Summary of Discussion

Gwen introduces herself: Gwenllian Atkinson. nee Walters, meeting in Leekes shop, Crosshands. Gwen speaks a little about herself, where she comes from and her memories 

At 9 months of age moved from Blaenwaun, with her parents, to Glasfryn Farm in Llangain. A dairy farm with Friesian dairy cows. They sold the milk and the lorries came around every morning to collect the milk churns from the milk stand. It was hard work. The churns had to be out on the milk stand everyday before the lorry came around. 

The lorry would come before Gwen went to school and she remembers her mother giving breakfast to the lorry driver every day. 

Gwen comes from a farming family, both grandfathers were farmers from Blaenwaun and Llanwinio. 

Her maternal grandfather had a small farm with some sheep and about 20 milking cows. His son-in-law took over the farm when Gwen’s grandfather retired and her grandfather continued to visit the farm as he lived next door. 

Gwen’s paternal grandparents farmed in Pencraig, Cwmbach, Llanwinio. He came from a long line of farming families from Northern Pembrokeshire.  He was also a dairy farmer. It was from this farm that Gwen and her parents moved to Glasfryn in Llangain.  She remembers the milk stand and has found photographs of her and her family on the milk stand.  (These have been added to the Carmarthenshire collection of milk stands.)

Her father built a new cooler (dairy) and a more convenient milk stand as previously the heavy churns had to be moved to the milk stand across the road by hand cart 

Gwen thinks that there were maybe 9 or 10 churns each day, but they wouldn’t have been full as that made them too heavy. 

In 1963 there was much snow and the lorries couldn’t come along the narrow lanes and so the farmers had to take the churns to the main road and lift them onto the lorry. 

In the summer during haymaking, the work had to stop to milk. 

The cowshed / parlour kit was by Alfa Laval and when the bulk tank was introduced the cooler (dairy) was made larger and new pipes installed over the heads of the cattle.  This probably occurred in the mid 1970s. 

Her father had 28 pedigree Friesian dairy cows. 

When Gwen was a little older the farm transitioned to beef, which was easier. 

As a child Gwen played on the milkstand, it was across the road, but the area was quiet. 

The interview continues under a separate recording and entry but is summarised below for convenience. 

Living on the farm there were no nearby shops so the local bread man would visit twice a week as would a travelling butcher from Swansea. Also a company called ‘Blacks’ from Swansea would visit every couple of months selling bedclothes, aprons, towels etc.  Gwen’s mother would always purchase something, even if it wasn’t needed and Gwen remembers having a lot of the towels when she got married. 

Gwen remembers once, when her mother had gone somewhere for the day, the baker left the loaf on the milk stand to be paid when he next visited.