Wimbush Bakery

[suemalings]

I don't suppose anyone would remember Harry Hakesley. He worked at Wimbushes for most of his working life. Lived in Wroxton Road, Yardley and on the 1939 register he is a Baker/Doughmixer although I remember him telling me that he used to deliver bread with a horse and cart. He died around 1978 ish

 

[Richard Dye]

wimbush lardy cakes .chocolate eclair.and bread pudding. the middle of the tray not the edge. loverly

Lard day cakes and bread pudding we 5he best!

 

[burmingum]

I don't think it was near the Cricketers, Jez. St Georges Place was off Great Hampton Row.

I worked at Wimbush Small Heath - it was right next to the cricketers arms on little green lane. I worked there from 1991 until 1994. I worked in Crusty, Bread department, Doughnut department, cream and dispatch (the easiest). It had the best view of Brum city centre from the doughnut department windows until the managers there decided to brick them all up - to try and make the work forces work harder!

 

[LordWilsonVilla]

I've been trying for some time to find info about Wimbush Bakery in Small heath.
In it's time it must have been one of the biggest bakeries in Brum but there doesn't seem to be anything at all on the web so I think my only hope of info is through former workers or their families,. Any info at all would be appreciated.
Jerry

When I was a kid mom used to send me to the Wimbush Bakery shop in Balsall Heath Road to get a bag of broken biscuits as they were much cheaper than the 'unbroken' ones, half price I think.

 

[PA739]

Hi Jerry
I have recently joined this forum and only just read your message
I was an Apprentice at Wimbush in Small Heath from 1976-1979 and then worked in quality control and new product development from 1979-1983 when I got transferred to Mothers Pride bakery in Garretts Green due to a round of redundancies .
As I former Apprentice I have many a tale to tell lol.
I have very fond memories of my time there.
If you are still wanting any info message me and I will be pleased to assist if I can.

I think you will find that Wimbush's bakery had its beginnings through Nelson Wimbush, a confectioner in Congreve Street, Birmingham. His name appeared prominently on a large shield giving a brief history of the company in the reception hall to the main offices at the corner of Little Green Lane and Green Lane.
Undoubtedly, the company was the largest bakery in Birmingham at one time which can be judged from the fact that in 1949 the company operated a fleet of 71 delivery vans with carrying capacities from one ton to two tons.
The company also had large garage facility in Whitmore Road, Small Heath, where the vans were serviced, repaired and washed and re-fueled on a daily basis, the largest building extending through to Parliament Street, and still standing today. The last building to be built on this site was a drive-through automatic van washer, and this building still stands today converted into a small shop.
PA739

 

[Simon_Vaughan]

I recently purchased a jig saw puzzle (launched in 1938) from eBay. The pieces were wrapped in a Wimbush paper bag. Having conducted an internet search I've discovered this thread.
Obviously it might not be the same 'Wimbush', but thought I would post a picture of the bag on the off-chance it is, and will spark memories of a bygone age. The logo on the bag looks to be 1930's in styling, so possibly is the same age as the jig saw puzzle.

 

[devonjim]

I recently purchased a jig saw puzzle (launched in 1938) from eBay. The pieces were wrapped in a Wimbush paper bag. Having conducted an internet search I've discovered this thread.
Obviously it might not be the same 'Wimbush', but thought I would post a picture of the bag on the off-chance it is, and will spark memories of a bygone age. The logo on the bag looks to be 1930's in styling, so possibly is the same age as the jig saw puzzle.

Certainly how I remember Wimbush logo.
Remember when Wimbush diversified by opening a steak bar on the Stratford Road at Hockley Heath. Was a place to go in 1960's!

 

[Richard Dye]

I recently purchased a jig saw puzzle (launched in 1938) from eBay. The pieces were wrapped in a Wimbush paper bag. Having conducted an internet search I've discovered this thread.
Obviously it might not be the same 'Wimbush', but thought I would post a picture of the bag on the off-chance it is, and will spark memories of a bygone age. The logo on the bag looks to be 1930's in styling, so possibly is the same age as the jig saw puzzle.

Hello Simon, welcome to the Forum! Sure looks like an authentic design!
Enjoy the Forum.......

 

[Simon_Vaughan]

Certainly how I remember Wimbush logo.
Remember when Wimbush diversified by opening a steak bar on the Stratford Road at Hockley Heath. Was a place to go in 1960's!

I'm so pleased you can identify the logo. I saw other photographs of bags with different (later) logos on this thread, so hope I'd made the right connection.
From reading the comments it certainly sounds an extremely good and well loved bakery, with a long history. I imagine it was a little like Bird's Bakery we have here in Derby and the East Midlands.

 

[Simon_Vaughan]

Hello Simon, welcome to the Forum! Sure looks like an authentic design!
Enjoy the Forum.......

Thank you for the confirmation.
I'm not sure I'll have much to contribute to the forum in general, but I am the Archivist of the Alexandra Palace Television Society. I have a great deal of information concerning television in the Midlands from when it began transmitting in December 1949 from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter.
Here's a still of Sylvia Peters from the opening ceremony.

 

[Richard Dye]

Thank you for the confirmation.
I'm not sure I'll have much to contribute to the forum in general, but I am the Archivist of the Alexandra Palace Television Society. I have a great deal of information concerning television in the Midlands from when it began transmitting in December 1949 from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter.
Here's a still of Sylvia Peters from the opening ceremony.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

 

[Beverley83]

Delivery vans outside the bakery in the 1920s. I expect the men were drivers for Wimbush vans, very smart uniform. Viv

Do you no the names of any of the men in this photo?

 

[Beverley83]

Does anyone remember Margaret Mimms? She worked there all her life.

 

[shah786]

Hi Jerry
I have recently joined this forum and only just read your message
I was an Apprentice at Wimbush in Small Heath from 1976-1979 and then worked in quality control and new product development from 1979-1983 when I got transferred to Mothers Pride bakery in Garretts Green due to a round of redundancies .
As I former Apprentice I have many a tale to tell lol.
I have very fond memories of my time there.
If you are still wanting any info message me and I will be pleased to assist if I can.

Hi
My late father worked in Quality Control and was made redundant too in 1983. His name was Sheikh A Hameed.
We grew up on cakes etc from Wimbush...what a life!

 

[Astoness]

Hi
My late father worked in Quality Control and was made redundant too in 1983. His name was Sheikh A Hameed.
We grew up on cakes etc from Wimbush...what a life!

wow how lucky you were great perk to your dads job

lyn

 

[Morturn]

Would anyone remember Bill and Rosemary McDonald who worked at Wimbush Bakery in the 80’s.

 

[Smallheathsince95]

Hi. Not sure if anyone out there remembers my father. He was a production manager there and lived and breathed Wimbush. His name was Matt King

Hiya I joined this forum searching for details about Matt, my grandad (Mohammed Shafi) has many fond memories about how kind your dad was to him. would be great if you could get in touch with me to share some info/pics of your dad. Might help take my grandad down memory lane.

 

[Richard Dye]

Hiya I joined this forum searching for details about Matt, my grandad (Mohammed Shafi) has many fond memories about how kind your dad was to him. would be great if you could get in touch with me to share some info/pics of your dad. Might help take my grandad down memory lane.

Welcome to the Forum Smallheathsince95! So really good folks here with SOO much knowledge and information. Enjoy!

 

[shah786]

Hiya I joined this forum searching for details about Matt, my grandad (Mohammed Shafi) has many fond memories about how kind your dad was to him. would be great if you could get in touch with me to share some info/pics of your dad. Might help take my grandad down memory lane.

So many fond memories. I am sure they must my dad too Sheikh Abdul Hameed. Worked nights in Quality Control for many years.

 

[Dharma]

I worked as a driver's mate during the early '80's on Saturday mornings and during my school holidays (when I was a young teenager) on a couple of the Wimbush bread vans rounds - there was a large fleet of bread vans kept inside the bakery - and from what I remember they were all brown BMC/Leyland/Austin FG chassis cabs with an aluminium box body fitted out with racks for the bread baskets - there was also a side loading section just behind the cab where we kept Mr Kipling cakes and fresh cream cakes. All the cabs were brown and the only Wimbush livery was on the box body - I've searched the internet and can't find a single image but the vans looked like the one I've attached.

I'd start the van in the morning for the driver - in those days you'd spend an absolute age turning the engine over on the key until it eventually fired up - I'd then trot off to the driver's canteen for my cup of tea before we all headed back to our various delivery vans. By then the heat and smell from the diesel engines was something else, although in the winter it was toastie in the cab!

The driver had a large leather purse to collect the money from each shop on a Saturday, he'd bring back a thick wodge of cash at the end of the round for the cashier to add up whilst I'd be emptying the van of anything we hadn't sold, or brought back as it was out of date! There were 24 loaves on each tray, unless it had the double size catering loaf!

Most of the returns would go for pigs' swill but I'd always take home bread and fresh cream cakes, and also Mr Kippling cakes to go in our freezer. My Mum loved me!

 

[petermu]

I remember Lardie buns, wish you could still get them, a real treat

 

[mw0njm.]

i remember this time of year we always had a bowl of trifle from winbushes on the green.

 

[sjsunnyjim]

Seeing the picture of the delivery van. My grandfather, W.C. Hyde, owned Hyde's Garage in John Bright Street and Colmore Row. Pre-war, they had the contract to supply and run all the Wimbush delivery vans.

 

[Lynda61]

Would anyone remember Bill and Rosemary McDonald who worked at Wimbush Bakery in the 80’s.

I certainly do.

 

[Morturn]

I certainly do.

Good morning, Lynda51

Welcome to Birmingham History Forum. I was a neighbour and friend of Bill and Rosemary in the early 80’s when they lived in Wilnecote, Tamworth. Bill is the godfather of one of my kids.

We lost touch with them many years ago, but often wonder how they and their family are.

 

[Lynda61]

Good morning, Lynda51

Welcome to Birmingham History Forum. I was a neighbour and friend of Bill and Rosemary in the early 80’s when they lived in Wilnecote, Tamworth. Bill is the godfather of one of my kids.

We lost touch with them many years ago, but often wonder how they and their family are.

Thank you. I worked with them at Wimbushes in the early 80s. I was in the Quality Control department but often used to help Rosemary packing the custards!

 

[linbin]

My late husband did his Apprentice at wimbushes in the late sixties. His name is Allan Williams, i meet him when he left Wimbushes and went to work at Bywaters in the bakery

 

[Covroad]

The name Wimbush brought back my memory of the building just up from the old Library / baths in Green Lane (Little). Walking past the bakery all the vehicles parked outside the loading bays and that wonderful smell of baked bread happy days then.

 

[Morturn]

Thank you. I worked with them at Wimbushes in the early 80s. I was in the Quality Control department but often used to help Rosemary packing the custards!

Thanks, Rosemary was such a lovley lady

 

[paulinehorton]

I worked as a driver's mate during the early '80's on Saturday mornings and during my school holidays (when I was a young teenager) on a couple of the Wimbush bread vans rounds - there was a large fleet of bread vans kept inside the bakery - and from what I remember they were all brown BMC/Leyland/Austin FG chassis cabs with an aluminium box body fitted out with racks for the bread baskets - there was also a side loading section just behind the cab where we kept Mr Kipling cakes and fresh cream cakes. All the cabs were brown and the only Wimbush livery was on the box body - I've searched the internet and can't find a single image but the vans looked like the one I've attached.

I'd start the van in the morning for the driver - in those days you'd spend an absolute age turning the engine over on the key until it eventually fired up - I'd then trot off to the driver's canteen for my cup of tea before we all headed back to our various delivery vans. By then the heat and smell from the diesel engines was something else, although in the winter it was toastie in the cab!

The driver had a large leather purse to collect the money from each shop on a Saturday, he'd bring back a thick wodge of cash at the end of the round for the cashier to add up whilst I'd be emptying the van of anything we hadn't sold, or brought back as it was out of date! There were 24 loaves on each tray, unless it had the double size catering loaf!

Most of the returns would go for pigs' swill but I'd always take home bread and fresh cream cakes, and also Mr Kippling cakes to go in our freezer. My Mum loved me!

Other A D Wimbush vehicles.