tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287675141745937676.post8850262625663374024..comments2024-03-20T23:43:28.613+00:00Comments on Caroline's Miscellany: Horse & Motor ContractorsCarolineLDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00197813252586559665noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287675141745937676.post-31272519460218781462013-05-13T07:27:06.365+01:002013-05-13T07:27:06.365+01:00Horses did indeed continue to be used long into th...Horses did indeed continue to be used long into the "motor age". Their longest use was perhaps in pulling brewers' drays, though that was probably as much for reasons of picturesque advertisement as for their practical utility.<br /><br />The main use of horses in trade that I remember was in the delivery of bread. When I was a child in Brighton, we had two horse-drawn bakers' vans visiting our street - twice a week, if I remember correctly.<br /><br />Horses have the advantage that stopping and starting at short intervals presents no problem and they will follow the van man along the street as he delivers from door to door with his basket on his arm without him having to climb up and drive them.<br /><br />We bought our bread from Clark's and both the horse and the van man were superannuated. My mother would give the van man a cup of tea which he drank on the doorstep. To cool it he would pour the tea into the saucer, something I wasn't allowed to do! The horse, meanwhile, would be lunching from his nosebag.<br /><br />Drivers of horse-drawn vehicles were (and as far as I know, still are) allowed by law to urinate against the rear offside wheel of their vehicle. I have seen this done in our street only once but quite often the horse would leave a large puddle in the road, a cause of merriment to us kids!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3287675141745937676.post-62563323030637905312013-05-13T06:42:41.867+01:002013-05-13T06:42:41.867+01:00I can remember the rag-and-bone man clopping slowl...I can remember the rag-and-bone man clopping slowly down our road - he used to sing out "Rag Aye Bone", never said "and", and occasionally clanged a large handbell. The milk cart was also drawn by a horse for years. I don't know when driving tests came in, but my Dad never took one.HughBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16690600639304795379noreply@blogger.com