A United Dairies antique/vintage wooden crate with lid.
Vintage United Dairies Crate
A United Dairies antique/vintage wooden crate with lid. I think this is a rare beast. It remains in a sturdy and robust state and was clearly made to last. The lid is removed by way of a metal catch which has to be pushed in to release it.
United Dairies was formed in 1915 and survived until 1959 when it was subsumed into Unigate. I would estimate that this crate comes from the earlier period of the company's existance. I have been unable to find any reference online to the depot at Gillingham, Dorset.
It has the obvious signs of age and use which might be expected of a wooden item of this age. There are areas affected by woodworm. I bought this crate some time ago as a piece already treated for worm. As a precaution, I too treated for worm and have no reason to believe there is any active infestation.
Dimensions (approx.) Width 37 cm, Depth 33 cm, Height 38 cm.