Two cheerful coalman deliver sacks of coal to a delighted housewife in Oxford in the 1950s
I WAS interested to read recent letters and stories about coalmen delivering to homes.
We lived at Headington and I always remember the men turning up with these huge sacks on their backs and then dumping it in our bunkers at the back of our house.
They always seemed to have black faces, black arms and black clothes from the coal dust.
It must have been back breaking work.
I recall many of the coal merchants having offices and yards near Oxford railway station.
Our mother always ordered our winter stock of coal in the summer because it was something like 10 shillings cheaper at that time of year – a considerable saving for the household budget.
PAULA KERSLAKE
Ontario
Canada
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