The delivery in the morning was by the milkman with his horse and cart or horse and trap. He would have an urn of fresh milk from the cow, and going from door to door the housewife would bring out a big jug or a basin. The milkman would then dip his measure can into the urn and pour out the required amount. If the householder needed extra milk later, the children could always take a can for some from the local farm.

Another essential caller was Mr. Holcroft, the yeast man from Wingate. In a large basket he had paper bags of yeast for id or 2d. Just calling out yeast, brought someone to the door with their coppers to buy this essential ingredient for bread making.

Another cry was "Any fish today?". This was by a Hartlepool fishwife who trundled an old pram containing fresh fish. A board across the pram was used for cutting up the fish. A small sort of brick cupboard was by the station gate to hold her supply of fish so that she could replenish her pram when needed. She brought her fish from the town on the early morning train. The Trimdon people who had fried fish shops had to go to Hartlepool on the morning train to buy and bring their fish home to clean before frying at night.

Periodically, a man would call round selling shoe laces, buttons, ribbons, pins etc. They were carried on a tray held by a leather strap round his neck.

Tramps sometimes visited the streets singing their songs and hoping for a few coppers.

The mobile delivery shop, Trimdon Village.

The mobile delivery shop, Trimdon Village.

The oilman was another regular. He, with his horse and cart, would sell hard-ware but mostly paraffin oil. There was no need to knock on each door, just a shout would bring folk out with their cans for open doors looked straight out onto the street. The oil was very much needed to fuel the lamps which provided the light.

Other horse drawn carts came up and down delivering groceries etc. No wonder there were rich garden crops with all the horse manure about.