Mobile Shops

[sundowner]

Uno Hoo wrote: Hi Uno Hoo Re Ringtons i dont think they are doing so bad they call on me once a month.thats because it is better for me not to be in every week Iam a tea drinker and to my mind there tea takes some beating.They also sell a range of biscuits under there own brand name plus coffee and other things.I worked for them at one time when i left school that was in the fiftys they have been going a lot longer than that they must be doing something right to be still around todayThey were one hundred years old last year.     Hi SundownerPleased to hear Ringtons is still going strong. When I was a kid there were always two people in the vans, so trade must have been really brisk then.Worked on Tyneside a good few years back, very close to the Rington HQ. Big building close to the Tyne - almost expected to see "Cutty Sark" docked alongside. Also remember reading in "Sunday Times" years ago that Rington's top salesman held some sort of record for most customer calls and orders for any industry.Enjoy your next cuppa! Hi Uno Hoo It was my first job when i left school i was a drivers mate used to go to all the depots in Yorkshire. In 1957 we all went to Scarbourough and i mean all thats all the staff from every depot all over the country they had private trains to get every one there That was to celebrate fifty years of tradeing cant see any firms doing that now.

[arry_awk]

I can still remember Rington's coming round witha lovely painted trap, pulled by areally well groomed pony.Always glossy black.if I remember right! This was in the 30's and 40's.after that,they used a Trojan (2stroke?) van. They still deliverround here but we don't use them. Some of our neighbours do,(Or they wouldn't be coming round!)

[Trojan]

arry awk wrote: I can still remember Rington's coming round witha lovely painted trap, pulled by areally well groomed pony.Always glossy black. I remember that too. In the fifties a lot of goods were still delivered by horse and cart - the co-op delivered milk, coal, and come to think of it groceries in a pneumatic tyred horse drawn van. Chips (for kinding) were delivered by horse and cart too. The vinegar man used a horse and cart as did the rag and bone man. My gran was forever scraping up the droppings for her roses.

[The Parksider]

We had Ringtons tea every monday.The pop man was from Penguin originally who then became corona.The rag and bone man was weekly "enerneerargerbowna".A man trailed a little carousel around and the kids had a spin on it.here in Cookridge the mobile butcher lasted until the 90's.Ice cream vans - Mister softee jingles, and I'm popeye the sailorman - I live in a caravan"Groceries came from "spar" in the van and I collected "sparkies"What on earth???I think that many estates were built housing first, shops second and mobile tradesmen moved in on them.

[arry_awk]

What did you have the rest of the week Parky?Brooke Bond?lolRe Popeye's caravan, DON'T go there!     (Granny gets embarrassed!)lol agen!

[Uno Hoo]

arry awk wrote: I can still remember Rington's coming round witha lovely painted trap, pulled by areally well groomed pony.Always glossy black.if I remember right! This was in the 30's and 40's.after that,they used a Trojan (2stroke?) van. They still deliverround here but we don't use them. Some of our neighbours do,(Or they wouldn't be coming round!) Hi 'ArryAre you sure it was Ringtons with the Trojan vans? I think it was Brooke Bond, as not only do I remember seeing them, but I think it was the Brooke Bond order which set Trojan up as a major manufacturer. Dinky Toys produced a whole range of models with different logos - Chivers Jams, Esso (the example I had), and possibly Brooke Bond, altho' I can't be sure. But I don't think Brooke Bond delivered door to door, like Rington's, did they? I always remember Ringtons using Fords - last one I saw was a Transit Connect. Very smart in its distinctive livery.Don't remember Rington's using horse traction, but our milkman did. The horse knew exactly when and where to stop and start, so the milkman merely walked - he didn't need to drive.Another milkman used a hand-drawn cart with electric power to assist. This required him to have a licence and pass a test, except he never bothered and used L-plates for years. In those days a provisional licence had to be renewed every six months, but Charlie simply renewed. There was no limit to the number of renewals. He never took the test.

[sundowner]

Uno Hoo wrote: arry awk wrote: I can still remember Rington's coming round witha lovely painted trap, pulled by areally well groomed pony.Always glossy black.if I remember right! This was in the 30's and 40's.after that,they used a Trojan (2stroke?) van. They still deliverround here but we don't use them. Some of our neighbours do,(Or they wouldn't be coming round!) Hi 'ArryAre you sure it was Ringtons with the Trojan vans? I think it was Brooke Bond, as not only do I remember seeing them, but I think it was the Brooke Bond order which set Trojan up as a major manufacturer. Dinky Toys produced a whole range of models with different logos - Chivers Jams, Esso (the example I had), and possibly Brooke Bond, altho' I can't be sure. But I don't think Brooke Bond delivered door to door, like Rington's, did they? I always remember Ringtons using Fords - last one I saw was a Transit Connect. Very smart in its distinctive livery.Don't remember Rington's using horse traction, but our milkman did. The horse knew exactly when and where to stop and start, so the milkman merely walked - he didn't need to drive.Another milkman used a hand-drawn cart with electric power to assist. This required him to have a licence and pass a test, except he never bothered and used L-plates for years. In those days a provisional licence had to be renewed every six months, but Charlie simply renewed. There was no limit to the number of renewals. He never took the test. Hi folks when i worked at Ringtons as a drivers mate my driver was called Charlie Hornby he was in charge of all the horses in Lady Pit Lane untill they got rid of them. He could tell a story or two he was a mine of information regarding horses.He used to say every one of them had a different temperament you had to know each one to get the most out of it.    

[arry_awk]

LO UNO!You are probably right re Rington's vans.Brooke Bond definitely had Trojans, as you say.You gets confused at my age ! (Awwww!).I can always remember the peculiar noise thatthe Trojans' exhausts made, like an anaemic trump!Were they really 2 stroke engines or three cylinderpowered? Probably both!Thanks for all the other info too,mate. You can learn lots on thissite!Sundowner; thanks for your input re, the Rington's hosses!Didn't they enter them in competitions at horse shows?Plenty of rosettes there, I bet! Lovely beasts and full ofindividuality too from what you say!

[sundowner]

arry awk wrote: LO UNO!You are probably right re Rington's vans.Brooke Bond definitely had Trojans, as you say.You gets confused at my age ! (Awwww!).I can always remember the peculiar noise thatthe Trojans' exhausts made, like an anaemic trump!Were they really 2 stroke engines or three cylinderpowered? Probably both!Thanks for all the other info too,mate. You can learn lots on thissite!Sundowner; thanks for your input re, the Rington's hosses!Didn't they enter them in competitions at horse shows?Plenty of rosettes there, I bet! Lovely beasts and full ofindividuality too from what you say! Hi arry awk when i worked at Ringtons all the horses had gone. I wish i had taken more notice of my driver when i was there. You know what your like at fifteen looking back i missed a lot of good stories.By the way Ringtons have just started rounds down in Devon in the last few weeks so they are still expanding. Nice to think one hundred years and still going strong i wonder if any other mobile company can beat this?

[simonm]

Ringtons tea. Probably one of the best around imo!!