Tom the horse.

This was the last horse and cart delivery vehicle in Boston, the owner was greengrocer Mr. R. Sharp and the horse (who was called Tom) was stabled at the back of Mr. Sharp's house and shop in Cheyney Street. This photo was taken in 1967 and it was reckoned at that time that for at least ten years he had been the only man in town to operate this mode of transport.

Mr. Sharp said that Tom was much cheaper to run than a van and he always started in a morning. But he wouldn't go to work without his perks, first thing in the morning it was round the front of the shop for his morning peppermints and then round the back of the house for his daily bread. Four mornings a week he went off on his rounds of the town and he knew where to be. A nod and a wink and he got sugar lumps, specially bought by his special customers, and he was not inclined to move on until he got them. New shoes were becoming a problem for Tom as he once only had to travel a few hundred yards down the road to get fitted up, but by 1967 when horse crafts were vanishing he had to plod 4 miles to Haltoft End village. Mr. Sharp had other horses before Tom (Muffin and Inky) and his Father also had horses. I don't know exactly what year Tom and his cart were retired but I remember seeing him still working in Main Ridge in the early 1970's.