Coventry Bakers and Bakeries

My dad's old workplace but I don't think he ever used one of those! His van was a bit bigger. Although he did look after a horse for a coop milkman when he was at school so I imagine the cart woukd have been like that, would have been late 1920's

Fred Kilpatrick had the batch bar / cafe with the front entrance in Lower Ford St and the rear entrance, mainly used by bus drivers, went onto Pool Meadow. Fred was a friend of my dad who worked at Suttons Bakery which supplied the bread and rolls to Fred. When Suttons had held any works functions they where invariably at the Berkeley where my dad would disappear and reappear sometime later, lets say slightly wobbly on his feet, after having a "chin wag" with Fred.

Lolipop. My dad also worked at Suttons Bakeries and would have attended some of those do's at the Berkeley. Was that the hotel on the Holyhead Road? I believe the social club was called the F G Club after Frederick Sutton who started the company. Dad was a wholesale supervisor. Did you go to any of the cricket matches or treasure hunts? Dad worked at Suttons from about the early 1950's until he retired in the 1980's. Sorry to go off the hotel subject.

Annewiggy, yes it was on Lower Holyhead Rd and was demolished to make way for the Ring Rd. Again yes, it was the FG Club. Never went to the cricket matches but we did go on the treasure hunts. My dad was Night Dispatch Manager for 30 odd years (Harry Nicholson). I started as a van boy back in 61/62 after a short spell at Bobby Savages and knew most supervisors wholesale and retail - Ray Webb, Frank Lovell, Bert Yardley, relief driver John "Dinger" Bell. Who was your dad?

Well, you've mentioned him there, Bert Yardley! I never went to any of the adult dos but I remember going to a Christmas party at the Berkley and seeing Sooty and Sweep. I was so surprised that he was a golden colour and not black and white as he was on the television. We used to have to go to the cricket matches, as a supervisor dad had a white coat so he was the umpire! I used to like the treasure hunts and the nice teas we had afterwards, usually in a nice pub or hotel. My brothers worked Saturdays there as well, I think they had to run the paperwork up to the accounts office when the men came back.

Hi Anne, I have not been on the forum for some 6 years and I'm just getting back into it. Reading old threads about Suttons bought back some memories. My dad Stan Strong was night shift supervisor (we hardly ever saw him as Sunday night was baking Monday's bread). My mum also worked there and I can remember the jam doughnut filling machine. I had a Saturday job on the vans for a couple of years, first retail and then wholesale on a round that served Leamington Spa. 6 o'clock starts were a killer as a 13/14 year old. But the 10/- made it worth it.

Yes Mick, I think they all worked funny hours. We never saw dad in the mornings as he would be out in the early hours. I can still remember now, when he went to bed (very early) he would leave his coat inside his overall so he only had to put his arms through it once, his books on top so he didn't forget them. He did a lot of the deliveries further away. I know he had to go to some of the American airforce camps like Mildenhall. We used to like them as there was a special currant bread they made for them which was lovely toasted. He did not get home very early as he had to wait until all his staff were in. His dinner would be keeping warm on top of a saucepan. He worked Saturdays as well.

Hi Anne, I cannot ever remember any cricket matches. Where were they held and what years? Also, can you remember a "wedding cake" department at Maudslay Road? It was run by a young guy called Graham Oag?

Hi Mick, the cricket matches, I am probably going back to the 1950s I would not have been very old. They were usually away matches that always seemed to be behind a pub somewhere. we would take a picnic and dad would be umpiring. I think it was all to do with the F.G. club. The treasure hunts would be good too, driving round the Warwickshire lanes looking for clues and finishing up again in a pub for afternoon tea. Dad worked there from the late 1950s until he retired in 1981 so he was there a long time. Yes I remember the wedding cake department. Dad had us a special cake made when we were married in 1969 (it was our 51st anniversary yesterday). I wanted a cake that looked like Wedgewood, which they did for me, I think it had a bit of extra booze in it. There was a young girl in that department that mum and dad were friendly with.

Hi Anne you bring back memories about the USAF camps Lakenheath and Mildenhall. I recall going on that run as van boy to Ray Webb as Wally Patten the regular driver had not turned up. There was a big slab of fruit cake in the cake compartment that disappeared at one of the drops, and was replaced in the cab with a box of ham sandwiches and two cartons of milk - the ham was half an inch thick, lovely. Remember the treasure hunts, they often finished up, I think, at the Ettington Park Hotel. My dad, like yours, used to get cakes made for my kids' birthdays, and not forgetting the fresh cream cakes he brought home on a Saturday ready for the kids' Sunday tea when we visited.

Hi Anne, I was a 1950's baby, we moved to Canley from Red Lane on Coronation Day, so just after my 3rd birthday. I'm almost sure that my dad was working at Suttons at that time. I think he must have got fed up of permanent nights and left for a better paid job at Baginton Airport (Armstrong Whitworth) until its closure. From there he went to Laxons on Charter Ave and was there until he passed away in 1977. I can only ever remember him having those 3 jobs. I don't know when he started at Suttons, but I guess he was there until 1959/60. I can now remember a couple of his work colleagues, Sidney (Taffy) Sweet and Peter Quinliven?

Post copied from topic Spon Street on 25th May 2022 9:52 pm

Did your Dad also work at E.Laxon & Company, when it was in Gas Street?