In June 2015, I was contacted by Colin Gray, who has a remarkable collection. He told me, “I found your site while trying to find some information about an old 1930s milk bottle ( I collect them from 20 miles around East Kilbride) from Thos Watson, High Blantyre. Your website farming section was excellent and I got a really accurate dating for the bottle, Thank you . I thought your readers might have enjoyed some pictures of the bottles from this dairy and help me prove a R Wilson, Newhouse farm is from Blantyre area ? Hopefully some one will remember it !

Colin, then kindly forwarded some photos from his collection.

1930s Milk Bottles shared by C Gray

1930s SCWS Bottles shared by C Gray

1950s Milk Tokens shared by C Gray

1960s Millk Co-op Tokens shared by C Gray

Colin added,

In the first picture,
1.. 1/2pt etched Thos. Watson pure clean milk High Blantyre, with waxed cardboard disc top, 1930/40s
2.. 1/2pt embossed T Watson pure clean milk High Blantyre, with waxed cardboard disc top, 1930/40s
3.. 1/2pt etched R Wilson Pure Milk Newhouse Farm, with waxed cardboard disc top, 1930/40s ( Hoping this belongs to Blantyre)
4.. 1/2pt 1960s “Wilkies” Bardyke Farm Blantyre, Foil lid, Lovely “Mary had a little lamb” rhyme

2nd picture
4 x S C W S .. 1pt bottles . I found red one in ditch near E K golf course on old Blantyre to E K road

3rd picture
Various waxed disc tops which may have been used in bottles ?

4th picture
Blantyre Co-op Milk tokens, My Dad worked as milkboy for Burnbank Co-op early fifties and remembers customers leaving tokens in empties to let him know what type of milk to leave, does anyone remember this practice in Blantyre ?
White token 1pt milk Light Blue token 1pt free milk (on “soshul”) Red token 1pt cheap milk (sour ?)”

Congratulations to Colin on such an interesting collection. My favourite, i think has to be the Wilkie’s Milk Bottle. The rhyme on the front reads, “Mary had a little lamb, its food was Wilkie’s Milk, she proudly wheels it in her pram, for its wool is now like silk!” Brilliant advertising!

On social media:

Frances McDonald I remember the wilkies rhyme to this day a.the top of the milk was so creamy
Chris Ladds Seen this remarkable collection a few years back in an East Kilbride news article written up by Bill Niven. The presentation is great!