Baker’s shop 1908

Nowadays this is called Hui’s Building, containing the fish & chip shop and an estate agent [from approx. 2009-present, it has the Chinese takeaway, fish & chip shop, and hairdressers.]

The second picture, from Paul Peachey’s postcard collection, was taken at the bottom of Bunkers Hill where the water runs under a little bridge. The baker’s lad used to work for T F Hicks in early 1900s; he was Algy Rice’s father; you can just see Bunkers Hill Farm in the background.

This is what old villagers have told us…

George Russell: Hicks, Faiers & Clarke followed one another into the same premises opposite the Railway Tavern in School Road. (See photo in Newsletter, March 1996). They all used horses and carts to do their rounds.
No.9 Hawk End Lane was a bungalow at one time occupied by Gus Read, a roundsman for Hicks & Faiers. Bakers in School Road used to be thatched but was tiled in about 1930. Another Farrow family lived at No.23/24 Hawk End Lane, the cottage nearest the lane; the son, Spencer, and daughters, Amy and Mabel, all worked for Faiers the bakers. He (son Spencer) had previously worked for Hicks bakers…
Frank Clarke baked bread at the bake office at the Railway Tavern; he was also the landlord. Later on when Fred Russell was landlord, Henry Barnes rented the bake office from him and was the last baker to use it.

Ella Kinsey: Hicks preceded Rand & Clarke here; Clark was a baker first, but then became a butcher.

May Fox: Bakers (Hicks) made their own bread.
Dolly Clark (1928 school photo) lived where her father was a butcher, where the fish shop is now.

Dot & John Redit: Rand’s (baker) roundsman ‘Cheeseman’ Manning came round with a barrow: Rand Blackwell (of Thurston) had the fish shop.
George Smith had a straw hat and apron and pony and trap, opposite the Tavern, they can’t remember what he did. [see Stan King’s comment below]

Fred and Cicely Buckle: Fish shop and baker’s shop (Rands), two butchers (Clark,…)

Stan King: Baker’s shop (Rand’s) where the fish and chip shop now is.
Mr Smith lived upstairs in building at the back of the baker’s, was a carrier, pony and trap; quite an effective old boy, quite a character…

Charles Nunn: Bakery at the fish shop, Rands, moved to Thurston; Mrs Rand lives in Elmswell, daughter lives next to C in Miller Close. Spencer Farrow the roundsman, took bread round the villages in a van.