The Disappearing Tradition of the 'Pop Man' in Greater Manchester

Generations of people who grew up in Greater Manchester will remember the familiar sight of the ' pop man ' - or ' mineral man ' - rattling down the street with a wagon full of bottles.

A few weeks ago, the Manchester Evening News ran a story on people's memories of the 'pop man'. We've since spoken to two former 'pop men' who worked during the 1980s and '90s, who shared their experiences of what it was like working on those wagons. "You do a 12 hour day, you'd get home at 10 at night and you'd be back in next day at eight. And you'd been running all day. Everybody was so fit," Dave said.Working out of the depot on Greg Street in Reddish, Dave's patch included Stockport, south Manchester, Oldham and Macclesfield. Each delivery meant taking money from the household for their order, with their takings and stock checked back at the depot after each day.

Regarding these 'pop wars', Dave said: "We had a big rivalry with another firm in Liverpool. They tried nicking our business so we blocked them in the closes and stuff. It was absolute madness, it was."Working as a 'pop man' for six years until 1989, Dave said: "It went from being very busy to hardly selling anything. As people became more health conscious of the E-numbers and sugars.

He also worked for Alpine but started off delivering in Merseyside before his patch changed to Greater Manchester, covering Whalley Range, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Moss Side. It was a job he enjoyed and remembers with great fondness. Adding: "Orange was a bit further down the line, and then you had your cream soda. One of my favourites was the grapefruit . I used to love a bottle of grapefruit a day in summer."Andrew said some of his favourite memories of the job were just meeting and talking to people. Often he said he would get invited in 'for a brew', especially by older customers."I knocked on the door and I heard a dog barking.

Pop Man Mineral Man Greater Manchester Tradition Drinks Delivery Trade Culture

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