Sir.-I was interested to read Robert Brown's "The decline of the dairy" in last Friday's Gazette.

I was a milkman for more than 30 years - and came to Basingstoke with the London overspill. I believe the decline actually started later than 1980.

Job's Dairy came to Basingstoke in the 1960s and had one depot in Roman Road and one in Vyne Road, which moved together to Pelton Road. It was Job's who bought most of the dairies that closed down, and had more than 30 rounds.

The Co-op Dairy was sold to Cliffords Dairy from Bracknell, who later sold to Unigate, as did Job's, and their rounds and department at Hanwell.

Before bottles we used hand cans, holding about three gallons, and ladled milk into jugs that housewives left inside kitchen doors.

During the war, mile was rationed to two-and-a-half pints per week per person.

After the war, pasteurised was made law and was bottled, mainly by the big dairies, and supplied to smaller ones.

-B Shearing, Exmoor Close, Basingstoke.