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Wimbush Bakery

L

loisand

master brummie
I notice from the swimmiong thread that you worked at Wimbushs Pom, do you remember any of the staff there, like your Union Rep and perhaps one of the mangers (female) that used to operate from there!!! In the 70's when I first started work one of my best friends used to live by Wimbushs, we could see the yard from her bedroom, the smell was yummy sometimes!!
 
Lois I worked there in the early to mid 1960. I only remember that at that time Dave Daniels was the main union rep, and a lady named Phyllis was the rep for the Cream-room where I worked.

Pom
 
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
 
Irene no need to PM me, have just read your request. I did not know Sidney, do you know where in the Bakery he worked and what years? I will ask my Brother who also worked there if he knew him, also Postie (Jim the owner of the site) may also have known him as he too worked there. We all worked there around the late 1950's till the mid 1960's, my Brother in Stores, Postie I think was in 'The Pastry Room' and I worked in 'The Cream Room', but we all used the same canteen so everyone mixed with each other.
 
Hi Pom.Thank's for the message.I don't know what part of the Bakery Sidney worked.Sidney is my cousin i think he worked there late 1960s early 1970s .The reason i was asking if anyone remembers him is that he has sadley passed away.May i ask where in Australia do you live.I have relatives in Adelaide
 
I worked for Wimbush's in 1958/9 as a van driver on a Saturday. I used to deliver bread and cakes to the shops around the area. I had the keys to the shops so that I could let myself in before the shop opening time. I started work a 06.00. I remember also driving a Morris Commercial split screened van on a longer trip to somewhere like Bristol. I had on board 200 ring doughnuts. On the way the windscreen shattered, I knocked out the broken glass and carried on to do the drop. When I got there the doughnuts were in a sorry state, with road dirt and flies all over them. I don't think the customer was too pleased. Those were the days !!!!!!
 
Delivery vans outside the bakery in the 1920s. I expect the men were drivers for Wimbush vans, very smart uniform. Viv
 

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Hi viv;
very nice picture its a pitty today they do not followthe excample of our yester day fore fathers
what as happenend to our society ; just lok around and look at our public services they should reinstated the rule of hair cuts
and smartley dressed like they did there and our heyday
bus drivers unkempt long hair wear there old clothes postmen running around in shorts and long hair
some with rings in there noses tatoos delivery drivers even the train drivers do not look smart any more
and some shop workers are ill mannard and un helpful ; they dress out rageousl studs in there tongue and ears showing body
they do not approch the customers to dys stanndards are out of the window
public services should bring back there uniforms i say hair cuts all around and shoes polished dress neat and tidy and politeness
best wishes astonian;;alan;;
 
Hi I'm looking for anyone who remember Wimbushes at the Scot Arms on the queslett rd, where Halfords was! Can anyone direct me to original map of Scott Arms shops..Would luv to see any original pictures..
Many Thanks all so luv this site!
 
When my wife and I returned from Zimbabwe in 1986 she fell in love with their Lardy Cakes and Custard Slices, whilst I was already hooked on their Pineapple Cream Cakes, amongst other items, before I left the UK in 1969 for South Africa and, unplanned, Rhodesia. How we wish for the good old days.
 
MikShe5283 said:
This is rapidly becoming mental torture !!! Beginning to think I wish I hadn't found this site. Mike
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Before I left school, I did a Saturday morning job at the Crown Steam Bakery in Golden Hillock Road, (owned by Wimbush's)
Malt loaves and Nutrex white loaves were baked there, but my job was to sweep out the whole bakery, top to bottom, and tidy up all the trolleys in the loading bay. My pay, in a proper brown pay packet, was 5 shillings, a princely sum to me in 1954!
During some of the school holidays I managed to coax Mr Jones the Foreman to let me work a few days, so I used to help grease all the baking tins, put the pre-cut and weighed dough into the tins and load the tins into the large steam heated ovens with their large draw-plates (steel plates about 1 inch thick and about 8ft x 6ft) which were drawn out of the ovens on wheels, but I was never allowed to get the very hot baked loaves off the draw-plates.
Boomy
 
jerry said:
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
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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.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Wimbush at the junction of Bromsgrove Street and Hurst Street. Viv.

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An atmospheric photo to coin a phrase. Wimbush's is closed so presumably a Sunday, or did they close early on Saturday? Dating would be a guess and my guess is at the beginning of WW2. The street furniture looks freshly painted with white bands ad the tramcar (car 524 built 1912/13 and lasting to 1950/3) in pre 1946 livery, has a white fender but no headlamp masking.
Similarly the bus, appearing be be one of the FOF 1XX Daimlers, on the Warstock 24 route, still has its pre-war cream roof.
The Police Box, quite prominent on the corner, is something not seen in many pictures on BHF.
 
Kingy100 said:
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
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I remember Matt very well I did the night trunk to M P Stourbridge and Champion Dudley.I used to fetch your dads Sun from Station Street on my way back to the bakery.I think that he did a week about with Tony Baker.A great man who was a Blues supporter as well happy days.
 
Hi all I wonder if any one remembers Danny and Windsor Vaughan who worked at Wimbushs for many years they had the loudest motorbike ever and the police reckon they woke up Kingshurst every morning at 5 o'clock on the way to start their shift. Regards acklam19.
 
I remember both Danny and Vaughan very well ,Danny had a motorbike with a sidecar, when i started at Wimbushes i was placed in the care of both of them and we had some great times.
Many years later I went to work at Land Rover and was put on the same track as Vaughan who was about to leave and to set up his own B&B in one of the seaside resort.
Definitely a very small world...
 
My brother Billy worked for Wimbushs at Small Heath for many years, late 60s early 70s as a delivery driver, mostly night work, to get the product out there to shops so that when they opened their doors those lovely cakes were there for the public. I was about 16 and still at school and asked if there was any chance of earning a bit of dough (oops pun ) by helping out. It was Easter and the hot cross buns needed delivering. I think I started at 10 at night, immediately fell asleep once I was in the truck and only woke up when my brother had finished his deliveries ! Yes it was a one day job. My brother didnt think I was cut out to work nights. But oh all of their cakes were so good, I should know I tried them all as my brother often dropped some samples off for the family to taste.
 
Hi postle thanks for the update, as you would know Danny would have you in stitches with his dry humour which even with his problems never seemed to leave him and Windsor I found was almost the opposite so a perfect foil.I grew up with them both in Arthur St Small Heath he lived in the next entry to mine his father I believe was a ex-Welsh miner hence the names.
regards Acklam19
 
What a loss the Wimbush bakery is, their lard or dripping cake was a marvellous and came with a glazed top. I remember first getting them in the cake shop on the corner of George Road and Slade Road, Erdington. Opposite Donahue Builders.

We have been trying to make similar ones recently with a recipe i found on the Black Country Museum site. Not too good as yet!l

Are there any bakeries left in Birmingham?
 
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