Bedford truck trips

A FEW more thoughts from the 1950s-60s era and life on the farm. We had a Bedford 30cwt load capacity. Bedford, made in England.

It served Dad and us kids well for nearly 30 years. Being driven on 100% dirt roads, it spent most of its life minus the muffler system from the engine manifold down, tied roughly in place with plain wire. The cast brackets had broken because of the rough roads and there were no welders in those days.

Every few weeks Dad had to take a few pigs and bobby calves to the sales and Mum went with to see the doctor to check on her pregnancy, as there were seven of us this was a reasonably regular thing. After the sale, Dad would collect Mum from the doctor’s surgery and they’d do the shopping.

Shopping consisted of a seven lb tin of syrup, we had a few hives of bees, so syrup was a change from honey and home made jams.

Sometimes a 70lb bag of Millaquin sugar, a 10lb bag of white flour, possibly a five lb bag of plain flour and a few other items that she needed to cook our meals. Then to the draper for a few lengths of material and a few rolls of wool. She made all of our clothes except our Sunday suits.

The eggs had been dropped off at the local cafe and the final stop was to pick up our main occasional treat, a 1/2 gallon Thermos of Peters ice cream.

A treat as we had heaps of home made but this was special, as were the boiled lollies that she added to the groceries once in a while.

A bit more next time re those good old days. Good. We knew no different.

RAY HARCH, Toowoomba