In 1897, James Heald died at the early age of 28, leaving a widow, Agnes Heald, and two small children, Charles* and Edgar. A daughter, Margaret, was born shortly after his death. Mrs Heald inherited her husband’s share of the business, which included six cows, and shortly afterwards took over the whole business by buying out her brother-in-law, John Heald, who was glad to sell out as he did not enjoy having a woman as a business partner.

In about 1902 Mrs Heald moved into Ford Bank Farm, which was originally the house farm of Ford Bank. Both farm and house were the property of the Ashton family, but the Ashtons had moved out a year or two before, letting the mansion house (Ford Bank) and gardens to the Gledhills, who were not interested in farming. In the meantime, the farm had stood empty as the accommodation was insufficient for the need of local farmers – it had only two bedrooms. In other respects, the house was more than adequate. It was well built and, standing at the end of the drive, commanded a splendid view of the approach to Ford Bank House. 

In the early years Mrs Heald was helped out not only by members of her own family, the Gibsons, but also by her landlord, Lord Ashton, and by Mrs Emily Simon, the mother of Sir Ernest Simon, who admired her courage and determination. Both of her sons went into the business and the expansion of the firm was due largely to the skill and enterprise of Edgar, who took control in 1919 when his mother retired. In 1922, he acquired the Oak Street premises in Didsbury village and shortly afterwards bought one of the first pasteurisation machines used in Manchester.

In the years before the Second World War, the milk was delivered in various ways. Sometimes it was carried on a three-wheeled milk cart by a smartly dressed milkman. Sometimes it was carried in a milk float pulled by a horse. Milk floats were built to carry milk churns in the days when housewives left a milk jug at the front door. The milkman would collect the jug from the door, take it to the milk float and ladle the required amount of milk into the jug. Improved methods of glass making resulted in the widespread use of glass bottles for milk and incidentally of glass jars for jam. Healds had evidently gone over to milk bottles.

*As a boy in the late 1950s, I – Mike Casey, the author – had the privilege of occasionally caddying for Charlie Heald on Northenden golf course.