Britain’s oldest milkman who first started his deliveries during World War Two is still doing early morning rounds – AGED 88.
Sprightly Derek Arch began the job as a favour for his father in 1943 when he had to clamber through the rubble of a city flattened by German bombers.
But 73 years later he is still going strong and delivers to more than 300 homes in Coventry, West Mids.
Derek, who works for the family business D Arch & Son, gets up at 2.30am every day to get the milk to his customers before they have breakfast.
The hard-working pensioner still drives the same 1950s milk float he has owned for 30 years which has a top speed of 15mph – if it’s going downhill.
Yesterday (Tue), Derek, who lives with his wife Betty, 86, in Coventry, vowed to carry on for another decade.
He said: “It’s definitely not the same as it was 70 years ago.
“Back then I was on my push bike with a jug of milk on each arm and we just opened the doors and walked in and said hello.
“We put the milk in the jug and just walked away.
“That can’t be done now though. But I still love it and will carry on for as long as I can.
“I certainly won’t be hanging up the coat, I’m a workaholic now and I’ll be working for another 10 years.”
The milk industry has been in the Arch family for four generations with Derek’s grandfather founding the business D Arch & Son in 1873.
Derek planned to be a carpenter but was roped into doing his first milk round at the age of 14 when his father was ill.
Decades later the business is still a family affair with Derek working alongside his son Stuart, 57, who will follow in his father’s footsteps and take over the business.
The OAP says the industry has changed dramatically since he started and is disappointed the days of milk in bottles, which used to cost two old pennies, are over.
He added: “What people don’t tell you is glass bottle are the most environmentally friendly as you can wash and reuse them time and time again.
“Think how much plastic is wasted with milk cartons now. It’s terrible.
“It’s not the same anymore, I hope we will be around to serve people for a long time but it is a constant competition with supermarkets.”
Derek also thinks the secret to working for so long is the healthy lifestyle he leads and good home-cooked meals.
He added: “I’m quite fit for an 88-year-old I must admit and my wife feeds me well.
“We celebrated 66 years of marriage on Friday July 8, I think that’s an achievement in itself.”
