MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Stanley]

Don't get sidetracked by animal feed. Bibby's were also big in dairies and manufacturing foods like canned food and sauces. Concentrate on that aspect.
Yes you are right in your assumptions Tiz.

[Tizer]

Was it used making cheese or butter?

[Stanley]

Sorry no. I'll give it one more day......

[Stanley]

Time for a reveal. I was delivering a tank of milk at Bibby's one day and saw the machine operating and was intrigued. I asked the warehouse bloke what it was and he said it was a machine for shaking tomato ketchup. I said yes, ask a silly bloody question.... But he stopped it so I could see what was in it and it was full of cases of ketchup all laid so the bottles were on their side. It broke up the plug that forms in the neck of the bottle when the sauce is in store. So there you are, a little known fact!
They had a factory shop where you could buy a case of canned food that the labels had fallen off from. Dirt cheap and great fun, Vera loved 'em, you never knew what you were getting. They should market them like that in supermarkets as mystery objects!
Next one?

[PanBiker]

Nowadays that would be a bit like playing Russian Roulette with all the allergies folk have brought on themselves.

[Tizer]

In the late 1960s I spent summer working at the (then little) Asda supermarket in Accrington, bringing stuff in from the lorry and stacking it in the warehouse. Cans without labels were thrown into a bin and we were allowed take ones out to take home. The trouble was the bins contained the dog and cat food cans too!

[Stanley]

Bibby's didn't do pet food but some cans were army emergency rations. Mostly vegetables and puddings.

[StoneRoad]

Bibby's didn't do pet food but some cans were army emergency rations. Mostly vegetables and puddings.

Hopefully not the canned cheese, anything but the canned cheese !
That stuff wouldn't melt, even in the oven !

The oatmeal "biscuits" and canned jam were quite nice, though

Most of the rat packs I handled had "dried" rather than canned meals, although some of the later ones had "boil in the bag".

[Stanley]

..... I remember it well.

[Stanley]

Thinking about Bibby's at Milnthorpe reminded me that they tanked a lot of milk to London in tanks like this. The image gives away the fact that the tanks were lined with glass but here's an esoteric question for you.... What colour was the glass? (Knowing you lot, someone will know the answer!)

[Whyperion]

In the late 1960s I spent summer working at the (then little) Asda supermarket in Accrington, bringing stuff in from the lorry and stacking it in the warehouse. Cans without labels were thrown into a bin and we were allowed take ones out to take home. The trouble was the bins contained the dog and cat food cans too!

Most can ends now have a number of printed batch codes etc, these should identify the plant and give you a rough idea where it originated from.

[Tizer]

We've had this before. The tanks are labelled glass-lined but it's actually a vitreous enamel coating. I won't mention the colour!

[Big Kev]

I'd guess at a dark colour so they could easily see if there was any milk left in them...

[plaques]

...but it's actually a vitreous enamel coating. I won't mention the colour!

Why not you did last time. China was there with the reason but not the colour.

[chinatyke]

Not me, sir!
I do know what colour it is. Chemical works use the same glass-lined steel.

[Stanley]

Vitreous enamel frit is powdered glass and the coating on the tanks was much thicker than enamelling so I think that's why they made the distinction. We had a road tank and a storage tank at Marton that were glass lined steel and they were the same colour. I suspect it was a standard for this use. But what is it?

[chinatyke]

► Show Spoiler

Dark blue!

[Stanley]

Will someone please kill this one off?

[PanBiker]

I think China has, if he's right,

[Tizer]

...but it's actually a vitreous enamel coating. I won't mention the colour!

Why not you did last time. China was there with the reason but not the colour.

I think you'll find that it was Stanley who stated the colour, not me. But I'll finish if off by saying `dark blue'!

Now, what can you tell me about this image?

[Gloria]

Is it a Royal Navy, grounded, wooden hulled mine sweeper, from the First World War?

[Stanley]

Tiz is right, all the glass lined tanks I saw the inside of were dark blue.
The ship. It's flying the White Ensign and so Gloria must be right about it being Royal Navy and I suspect she is right with the period as well. The only thing I can think of apart from a minesweeper is a fleet tender.
Looking at the background I am led to think it might be Scapa Flow and the 'bank' it's stranded on looks a bit angular so I'll take a flyer that it has grounded on the hulk of one of the scuttled ships of the Grand Fleet.

[PanBiker]

Tiz is right, all the glass lined tanks I saw the inside of were dark blue.

Like I said, China got their first, check his spoiler.

[StoneRoad]

Neatly parked, but I suspect whoever was in charge will be having an "interview without tea and biscuits" ...

[Stanley]

I did Ian......