Pudsey the Higgler.
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I found this “Punch” like cartoon and thought it depicted the Victorian Higgler described by Stephen Darby in his History of Cookham.
A slightly modernized version of the business was still being carried out in the 1930’s and 40’s, by a man whose base of operation was from a small warehouse located in Cordwallis Road in Maidenhead. His main customers were cottages in the outlying parts of Cookham and Maidenhead.
He carried a wide variety of house cleaning and washday products for the busy housewife. Such as washing soda, with Reckits Blue, for that whiter than white look! Block Sunlight soap. VERITAS mantles for Gas and Aladdin oil lamps. Built into this van were two large bulk storage tanks for Paraffin Oil (Kerosene to my American readers). From which he would sell by the gallon. Even White Place Farm cottages were all oil lamps and heat until the electric mains were installed in the middle 1940’s.
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