[Little Drift Lass]

Originally Posted by janwhin

The pink pariffin man was Johnny Park. He and my uncle, Bill Whinham had the business. Johnny did the local area and my uncle went up into the rural bits of the county. They used to reckon he would always get through to remote farms whatever the weather.
They kept their vans in a garage at North Broomhill, opposite the church, just as you turn on to the Acklington Road. There's a bungalow on the site now.

Originally Posted by Derilda

When my Granny and Grandad lived on Hedgehope I remember a man, calling with his suitcase, at thier house. My Granny always referred to him as 'Sam's lad' but he was fifty if he was a day. I never met Sam so he must have been a pre-war salesman. The younger of the two, that I saw, always seemed to have a supply of ladies clothes that were hard to get in the 1940s due to clothes rationing. That was how I came to see him. My Mother wanted to see what was available too. We lived at North Broomhill so Granny would tell her when 'Sams Lad' was due and we would catch Craigs' bus to The Drift.
Janwhin, your uncle and his partner were in competition with Tommy Allan's van for selling paraffin. Alger Emmerson? used to come to The Drift too. They all used to sell more than just paraffin too. How they got so much onto the van was a logistical miracle but I thank them for the memories I have of them. The vans had a smell all of thier own which I am sure I can still smell as I sit here typing.

Originally Posted by John@theDrift

"Anything the day, Lady?"
I think he was still visiting the Drift into the mid '70s. Did he used to walk from Ashington?
The late Jackie Elliott was the pop and crisps man I remember, used to bottle his own pop from home in Togston Road. Friday nights, bottle of pop and a bag of crisps from his van then home for 'It's a Knockout' and the Generation Game... what we wouldn't give to be back there, eh?

Originally Posted by Jimjohn63

I remember him,I think he wore a long rain coat and would open his suit case on the door step,I think my mam would buy tights off him.

Can you remember the pink paraffin man and the pop wagon,seems like a different world

Yeah he did wear a large raincoat which had pockets in the lining that was full of books and other stuff he sold ,for by what he had in his suitcase. I do believe he came from Ashington must have been a hell of a walk eh. I don't recall Sams lad though that must have been before my time.

I do remember the pink paraffin man the one I knew was Alger the pop man was Jackie Elliot but we also had Waters & Robsons from Morpeth when you think of it we didn't have to leave the Drift to buy anything it came to us,John the butcher from Morpeth plus Smails the Butcher ,Hadrians would come out and take your shopping order and deliver it a few days later ,fresh veg would come from the back garden,I can remember my dad taking the flex from an electic blanket and use it to heat a warm frame in the garden to grow small melons The Good Life eh. Thanks Drifters will put some photos together once I find out how to work this laptop ,not very good at it at the mo