About Harry
This is Harry Webb, a delivery lad who worked at Sainsbury's Enfield branch from 1912 until 1914.
Very few people had transport of their own, so boys like Harry were employed at each branch to carry home customers' shopping.
Harry and his colleagues were expected to keep their vehicles in good order and to clean them every morning before breakfast. An annual parade of delivery lads was held at the firm's head office in London to encourage the boys to dress smartly.
It was hard work riding a fully-loaded tricycle. On pre-First World War bicycles the tyres were solid rubber, rather than the later pneumatic ones, making them an uncomfortable and bumpy ride on street cobbles.
For longer distances and larger loads, Sainsbury's used horse vans. The horses were well cared for. Each driver carried a bucket for use at water pumps so that the horses were protected from drinking contaminated water at public troughs.
Single-horse van outside Croydon branch, c. 1900.