Bury St Edmunds milkman of more than 40 years was 'a one-off' who cooked the perfect scones

The widow of a well-known milkman, who delivered around Bury St Edmunds for more than 40 years, has paid tribute to her husband, describing him as a ‘one-off’.

Peter Cooper, 87, who died on January 11, worked at St Edmunds Dairies, in Western Way, from 1972 until he retired at 65 and served hotels, West Suffolk Hospital, care homes and shops in the town.

Born in Sapiston in 1935, Peter did his National Service at 18 in Gibraltar, but it was when he was set to enlist again that a meeting with his now wife Rose in 1957 changed his plans.

She explained: “I bumped into my cousin in the middle of St John’s Street in town and he was with a couple of guys, including Pete.

“We all stood talking, then the rest of them walked off and left me with him. He walked me to my bus stop and by the time we got there we had arranged to meet the Saturday after.”

Their first date was at a pub, before going to the Playhouse Cinema, and in 1960 the pair married at Abbeygate Street Registry Office.

Peter was good with mechanics and worked as a farm labourer for Clements in Stanningfield and at a farm in Fen Ditton as well as working for engineers Mann, Egerton and Co in Bury St Edmunds.

His dairy work started at Mildenhall’s Bridge Farm Dairies before moving to St Edmunds Dairies.

Rose said: “He was a hard worker – up at 2am, getting his stuff loaded and doing his round.

“Sometimes customers would want something else and he would go back to the dairy and out again, then come home and do his paperwork – not finishing until around 5pm.”

Rose said he also enjoyed his shed at the bottom of their Horringer garden, doing woodwork, working in the garden and cooking.

She said: “Peter loved making stuff with wood and working with the earth, those were his happy places.

“He was very good at cheese straws and scones – that man made the most perfect scones. I have tried to make them like him but never managed it.”

Rose described Peter as a clever and honest man who was true to himself.

She added: “All in all, Pete was our Mr Perfect, quietly doing his stuff but always loving his family and his home, definitely a one-off.”

Peter had two sons, Mark who died in 2010, and Neville, a daughter Janice, nine grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

His funeral will be at 2pm on February 6, at Horringer Church.