The knives weren’t out but two rival butchers with a lot of beef left Haslemere aghast this week in 1936.

A trade dispute boiled over into blows when Edwin Rowden and Henry Cartwright got into a street fight in Critchmere in front of a disbelieving resident.

A woman looking out for the milkman found the pair “rolling around on the ground” in a skirmish which also included a dog and broken nose.

The pair found themselves before Guildford County Magistrates in a high-steaks battle.

The court heard that while Mr Rowden was the owner of a butchers in Wey Hill that continued trading, another run by his mother closed a few weeks prior.

Words were said after Mr Cartwright, who had been working for Mr Rowden’s mother, opened his own butchers in Shottermill with the former hitting out.

The pair engaged in a struggle, with Mr Cartwright’s dog biting Mr Rowden’s leather coat and belt and the victim later going to Haslemere Hospital for an X-ray and treatment for a broken nose.

But while startled Critchmere resident, Mrs Denham, also verified the punch, she didn’t absolve Edwin of blame.

“There was a struggle and both men rolled on the ground,” she said, adding: “They got up, and the dog them came and caught hold of Rowden’s coat and belt.”

“It was just a quarrel between two butchers,” Mr Cartwright’s defence lawyer told the court.

“Cartwright asked Rowden not to call on his customers and make accusations against him.

“But on the morning in question Rowden took his off leather belt, wrapped it around his wrist, and struck Cartwright across the face with it.”

And the outcome? The pair were told fighting was “not a very respectable thing to do” with the feuding butchers being fined £5 and told to keep the peace for a year.