The Manor Company had a fleet of trucks that did home deliveries in little towns, saving trips to the grocery store. Just as the milkman comes to our house today, he came twice a week to deliver fresh loaves of bread, breakfast pastries, and an extra treat of conversation. Remember this was the time in the 1950’s after World War II that held the difficult shortages and food rationing. We do not look upon white sliced bread as anything good nutritionally today, but then it was a time that women began to want to do things more easily. Some were beginning to give up rising early (no pun intended) to bake bread, plus other time savers were appearing like wringer washers and electric ranges.
When our bread man appeared, he brought the regular order, and stepped into the house with a giant tray of goodies: brown ‘n serve rolls, Danish pastries, tiny powdered donuts and more. He and my grandmother had a friendly chat, and I was given permission to choose something special. I suspect we gained absolutely no value for our bodies from these gluten-filled baked goods, but a visit from a deliveryman on a sunny morning surely sustained the lonely housewives’ souls.
This decade after the war was a transitional era for women with new time on their hands when husbands went off to work. The fifties hold more important ideas to ponder when thinking about housewives, but this time, I’m just remembering the bread man as an exciting visitor at my grandparents’ home when I was a little girl.
photo credit: Big Grey Mare ~ Back--But Barely via photopin cc
Postscript: The first round words in Ed DeCaria's Madness! 2012 (Kids' Poetry. Under Pressure.) have been sent out and 64 Poets are busily writing poems. It's very exciting!
Postscript: The first round words in Ed DeCaria's Madness! 2012 (Kids' Poetry. Under Pressure.) have been sent out and 64 Poets are busily writing poems. It's very exciting!
Thank you for sharing this window into your past. I never knew there was a bread man, but I'm sure I would have loved his visits, too. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I'd never heard of "the bread man." How interesting! I wish we still had a milkman. I remember having one for just a little while when I was a kid. Thanks for stirring some memories.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of a bread man either. Thanks for taking us down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteInteresting trip down the memory lane where the bread man lives now.
ReplyDeleteor should I say: Memory Lane and Bread Man
DeleteMy mouth is watering. There is nothing like a honking slice of good bread. Thank you for sharing this special memory of your bread man and grandmother.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine opening my door and purchasing bread and goodies from a man with a bread truck in today's world. Most of us peer out the window or lift the shade to see if we know the person knocking on the door. This is such a delicious memory. I am sure the bread man worked long hours with little pay. Did he get to take any bread home at the end of the day?
ReplyDeleteIf you remembered this event with your grandmother then it was surely worthy. I never remember bread being delivered in the 50's, but I remember the milkman. You have a milkman today? I guess the Schwann truck is the only home delivery we have here--frozen foods which I'm not a lover of. Thanks for giving me some new thoughts for posts.
ReplyDeleteI don't order from Schwan's either, but the milk company is wonderful with OJ, regular while or wheat bread, butter, yogurt, cheese and the best cottage cheese in the world!
DeleteI like how you described the "tray of goodies" so fondly with the list of items you could choose from! I could just imagine a little girl happily picking from it! I can't believe you still have a milkman now -- how neat! I've never experienced any home delivery of groceries, but when I lived in Spain, my host family had a "country house" in a dinky town that they visit on weekends and in the summer. The town is so small there are no stores -- just houses, farms, and one little restaurant. All the groceries come through on weekly trucks -- bread one day, meat another, etc. When the truck stops in the center of town, everyone comes down to buy what they need for the week! It was incredible to experience!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful snapshot of the country at that particular time, isn't 't it?
ReplyDeleteOh, Linda I would LOVE to have A Bread Man! I do remember that we had a bread man in Montreal in the 50s. His name was Bernie (perfect, eh?). You still have a milkman? Wow! The way in which you wrote this piece really brings to mind the era. I particularly felt it in lines like : "a visit from a deliveryman on a sunny morning surely sustained the lonely housewives’ souls." Thanks for the memories and a lovely slice.
ReplyDeleteThe extra treat of conversation is a favorite line. I wish I would have had experienced having home deliveries. I lived in another country for a while where we had to go to the bread store, the fruit man, etc. to get our specialized food. Your memory is delightful.
ReplyDeletemmmm.....now I want some bread!
ReplyDeleteYou have to love the thought of bread being brought to the door. I'm struck by the parallel in your story between the bread man and the changes in the lives of women at this time. More women were going to work and thus looking toward more efficient and convenient ways to keep up. Of course, it has to be a great memory thinking back to the special treats the bread man delivered.
ReplyDeleteThough we didn't have the bread delivered to our home, the milk came to our house like clockwork. It's actually strange to think about the fact that the milk products were put into a sliver container at the side of our house until we retrieved them.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of the conversation the bread man brought as well.
A bread delivery is even better than a pizza delivery! Imagine being the driver of that bread-filled vehicle! Oh, the scent of fresh bread would drive me wild all day!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the story!
My husband and I were just talking about making bread today, as we munched on homemade bread. And we talked about how bread was almost a dessert, too. We put ketchup, butter and sugar, molasses, and applesauce on bread for dessert. If you ever complained of still being hungry, bread was the answer.
ReplyDeleteI loved the images you created, and the memories they evoked.
Yum, bread. I can't it is much but I sure love it. Late posting.
ReplyDeleteLove this post! Never had any bread deliveries like these in Hawaii . . . and I only remember milk delivery for a very short time (I guess my mother didn't mind grocery shopping on the way home from work). I love the personal connections home deliveries engender. You were lucky to have experienced this :).
ReplyDelete