Museum of ANTIQUITIES

Milk wasn’t a treat for all children – especially a young Wendy Maddox who, after reading No. 33 Free School Milk (April 16) says she used to try and give her bottle away to classmates.

The reader in Dalton-in-furness, Cumbria, says: “I contracted polio when I was nine but I was treated at home, not the hospital, and the doctor called every day to see how I was.

“One day my mum said to him, ‘I can’t get her to drink milk’, and he replied, ‘Please don’t force anyone to drink milk, it’s poison to some people’.”

Obviously milk is an important source of

calcium, so when Wendy was pregnant, she says: “I used to make custard and rice pudding to get my milk quota.”

Even now Wendy avoids the white stuff with a quirky avoidance technique. “If I have cornflakes, I’ll put milk on them, but only eat the cereal – then throw the milk away!”

Speaking of evasive action, when Elizabeth Goose started her period, her mother sent her to a shop where only ladies went – lest men’s sensitive eyes be shocked by female hygiene products.

“What a surprise to see No. 31 Dr White’s Sanitary Towels and Belt,” writes Elizabeth in Old Costessey, Norfolk. “When I was young, I was naive about the facts of life and certainly wasn’t warned about menstruation,” she admits.

“My mothers’ reaction to my predicament was to write a note for me to take to the wool shop nearby to purchase these Dr White’s monstrosities. Worse, on my return, she explained this would happen once a month!”

■ Suggest long-gone items and send to me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk