When I was a child, very few people had cars it was “depression” times. The first man in our street to get a car was the local plumber. Married women did not go out to work.
The men rode bikes or used public transport. My brother Frank rode his bike from Preston to Carlton and he was also an amateur cyclist and won many races. My dad was in the building trade and rode his bike – very basic (no gears, brakes etc.) to work, with his tools in a hessian bag slung on his back, his billy on the handlebars, tea, sugar and lunch in his pockets.
All services were delivered to the homes by the local traders with their horse and cart. The milkman came 7 days a week and ladled the milk into each billy which was left on the front verandah. The baker delivered fresh bread to our door 6 days a week. The fruiterer employed local school boys to come each Friday and collect our orders which be brought back on the handlebars of his bike. The butcher delivered by horse and cart. The grocer used school boys to collect our order on Friday, these orders were delivered by the grocer on Saturday and together with a free cone of boiled lollies when you paid! All customers had their own “book” and could “pick up” items during the week – these were “booked” and settled on Saturday. Ice was delivered twice a week or more often during a “heat wave”. Every home had an ice chest in the kitchen. Fridges were many years away. During winter the “ice man” delivered firewood as most homes had open fires. We had a gas stove with a “coin” in the slot” meter, when the gas was low, we inserted a one shilling piece.