Thatcher, Thatcher, Milk Snatcher. (OR "I hated school milk")

 

The lad on the right resembles my brother Martyn at that age.

In 1945 the British Government chose to give every school child free milk every day ( responding to post WWII child malnutrition).

We received bottles containing 1/3 pint of un-homogenised milk.

(The U.K. (or Imperial) pint is 568 ml; the U.S.A pint is 473 ml)

Hate is too strong a word, so I'll say that I strongly disliked it, and often gave mine away.  I, to this day, would never think of drinking a glass of cold milk.

Our school milk was left outside in the school playgrund/yard.  If winter temps were below freezing the cream on top would push its way through the foil cap.  In the summer the milk sometimes went sour  (no fridges in schools back then, nor in most homes).

In 1971 the Tory Minister of Education ended the free milk for children over seven.   She was for ever to be known as "Thatcher, Thatcher, Milk Snatcher"

That may not have been fair.  Recent research indicates that she was against the plan to end school milk for the over sevens, but she was over ruled by U.K. Premier Edward Heath.

The plan also gave opportunity for the opposition Labour Party to condemn Mrs. Thatcher - a bit of political hypocrisy sine the Labour Party Government of 1968 (three years earlier) had ended free milk for secondary school children, (those aged eleven and above).