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NEWS
A Life Remembered
One of Brixham's last
generation of door delivery milkmen has died after a short illness.
Cyril Brice at one time ran a fleet of four vehicles delivering
bottled milk to many of the town's homes. |
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He was
also well-known for the fruit, vegetables and flowers he grew
on land at Berry Head and behind his home in Castor Road. He
was born and brought up on a farm in Honiton – one of seven
brothers and sisters. During the Second World War he worked
on the land and served in the Home Guard in the evenings.
After the war he was
sent to Kingsbridge to clear land used by the US Army and later
worked at Dartington Hall looking after the trees. It was at
this time that he met his wife Beatrice at a village dance in
Cornworthy. She was a Brixham girl and so began his long association
with the town. |
He was
working on a farm at Churston when he was taken ill with tuberculosis
and spent six months at Hawkmoor Chest Hospital in Bovey Tracey.
When he was released he was told he couldn't work for four years
but defied medical advice and set-up his own business – his
only option to continue working.
He bought a van and
began hawking fruit and vegetables around the streets of Brixham
ringing a handbell to attract customers. The business developed
so fast he opened a shop in Bolton Street next to the fire station
which he ran for seven years. During that time he bought his
first milk round and became a familiar figure with his blue
and cream delivery vehicles. |
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He farmed pieces of land around the town to grow produce which
was sold in the shop and on the milk rounds. He retired 26 years
ago just when the popularity of home milk delivery became a victim
of the supermarkets. However, he continued to grow produce at
an acre of land off Castor Road. Latterly he specialised in soft
fruit. |
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He was a regular visitor
to the Fishermen's Mission at the harbour until his health prevented
him from attending the get-togethers with other old Brixham
characters.
He passed away at
Torbay Hospital in a ward named after Dr Roy Midgley who successfully
treated him at Hawkmoor Hospital so many years earlier.
He leaves a wife Beatrice
who celebrated their 61 st wedding anniversary earlier this
year, three children, five grand-children and three great grand-children.
A service to celebrate
his life is being held at All Saints Church – where he and Beatrice
were married – at 1.30pm at Friday 9th July. |
