Stoke-on-Trent's real bread bakery
Date: 3/05/14
Location: Newcastle-u-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
Stottiecakes, I see you've got them up there. (in the exhibition) I used to have an oatcake shop in Maybank, I had a guy that travelled up and down to the North East, he'd buy oatcakes from means bring me Stottie cakes in return.
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Date: 13/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
On a Sunday we had the table laid out, pease pudding, Stottie cakes, ham, fruit salad, which you ate with bread in those days. Pease pudding made from split peas, boiled, and then sliced when it's cold. My family came down from the N East with the mining, Stottie cakes, me Dad loved them, and liked them with best butter on.
Date: 13/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
(woman) There's always the one down at Trent Vale, Kiplings now, that's still going isn't it. The only one is Burgess's they used to do alot of cakes and things like that. They did their own bread Burgess's did. He used to make bread, quite awhile back.
(man) I gave it up. I made ordinary brown bread, I used to make alot of loaves. I got the recipes from books, old books. Leave it, knock it back, put it in the thing, let it rise, knead it, put it to rise, then cook it. Fairly simple really, very lengthy. Then they started to have bread makers, I was making bread twenty, thirty years ago. You could get flour from different places, corner shop places like that.
(woman) I generally have supermarket bread nowadays. The bloomers, he has the bloomers, so fresh, but the trouble is it goes off so quick.
Date:20/08/14
Location: Tunstall
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
I can remember Mr Crinchley would deliver bread in a van around Smallthorne. I think he got the bread from The Co Op in Newport Lane. It wasn't wrapped or nothing, it was a solid loaf.
Swetenhams use to have a bakery in Chesterton, where the library is. They use to do 'Mothers Choice' and deliver it in Commer vans. Victor Values took over Swetenhams. I use to work for them until they closed in 1967, I was 20. When Victor Values took over they stopped making bread and bought 'Wonder Loaf' in, after about 6 months they bought 'Mothers Pride' in as well.
Victor Value was taken over by Tesco, I believe they were both cousins.
I can remember Pedley's Bakery behind Pedley's Post Office in Smallthorne. people use to take meat to cook in his oven.
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Date:21/08/14
Location: Stoke
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
When I was a kid I lived in Jamaica, there use to be a bread van that came through every Tuesday. In those days things was hard, you just got and eat it.
When I came to England in 1962 bread was outside the shop which was surprising to me, bread without paper.
Date: 15/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
Apparently our flat in Wolstanton combined with two neighbours buildings used to be a bakery. It's Chetwynd St. There's a big house on the corner, a hairdressers and the flat behind, opposite St Margarets' Church. It was the hairdresser who told me. Apparently her shop was the oven, there's a big chimney on top. It also used to be an artist studio, it's been a funeral home when they had no space. The things you find out when you're having your haircut.
Date: 15/04/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Steven Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
I'm fifty two now and when I was thirteen the teacher asked us all to make this bread in a plant pot. We enjoyed all the kneading, it was fun to us. We were punching it and really kneading it. Then we baked it in one of the old terracotta pots. She (the teacher) said you'll never taste bread like it again. I never have, it was beautiful. I like bread fresh out of the oven with butter on.
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Date:15/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
They gave me a bread maker, I did it, it came out all wrong, something about the yeast, and the water. It came out like a brick. That's the bread that I threw in the garden and it nearly killed a bird. My Mum made bread, and she used to say you need two loaves for you kids! Oh bread with tomatoes, bacon, lovely dipped in the fat..
Date: 22/04/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
Stones's, do you remember? Did you know Stones's bakery, it was at the bottom of this road (Hassell St towards Lower St) on the righthand side. A little shop front with a bakery at the back used to be the best bread in Staffordshire. Home made bread, beautiful, they used to pies there, sausage rolls and everything. They used to troll round in a little van all around the pubs and everything. Oh God knows how long it's been closed now, years hasn't it. Mate of mine used to be the baker there actually. I think they pulled it down when they made the road and put up the multi-story car park, he retired Stones's did. on the opposite corner it was Burgess's, where it's all boarded up, it was Burgess's bakery there and another one in the Ironmarket, just an outlet for all the stuff they made. The main bakeries were all across the main road, Lower Street. Stones's bakery been there since I were a little kid and I'm eighty this year. Was good stuff, was a pal of mine used to be the baker down there, the stuff they made was absolutely beautiful, you could eat the bread with nothing on it, gorgeous, nothing like the crap you get today. I make me own bread, even my chickens won't eat that bread. Who do you think does my garden, I don’t pay a gardener, they eat everything then I get get eggs off them. I’d have a couple of pigs as well but I haven't got the room for them, they can't stop you as long as they are pets.
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Date: 20/08/14
Location: Tunstall
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
During the bread strike in the 70's I was living in Longport and the gentleman at the chip shop use to get me fresh yeast. I think a lot of people must of tried this at home when the bread strike was on. I did use to make it but it never use to taste the same as bought bread, but it had to surfice.
My husband worked in Glasgow at the time and they haden't got a bread strike on in Glasgow so he use to come home every Friday loaded up with bread.
I use to work at 'Champion" in Trent Vale, on the twilight shift. I had to work twilight because you'd got to work around your children and your husbands job. I use to get the bus to Newcastle then walk to Trent Vale. I worked at the end of a belt and off would come these sponges 12 at a time on a big baking tray, you had to wear 3 pairs of oven gloves because they were very, very hot. You had to tip them up and turn them out, you'd burn up your arms.
They'd got a shop and you'd get things at a very reduced rate.
Date: 16/08/14
Location: Hanley
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
My mum and dad would buy bread from the local shop when I was 4. That's the first time I can remember eating bread.
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Date: 27/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
I make my own bread, brown mostly, by hand, not a breadmaker. I learned at school in the 70's, they don't teach them anything now, no cookery. I taught all mine to cook from scrtach, no prepared foods. I get my yeast from Tescos, some places won't give it to you because it's a live organism. If you get to know the bakers they will give you some more, they'll only give you a little bit at first. I always have yeast in so I can bake when I want to. I remember the bread strikes in the 70's. Mine don't like the crust, so they'll pull the inside out of it, it's warm, they'll eat it and leave the crust behind. That's what they do, when it's warm. You are not supposed to eat warm bread are you?
Date: 13/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Hilary Hughes
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
I remember Burgess's bakery and the Smithfield cattle market across the road and I also remember the Sutherland Arms pub used to have a thatched roof and all the farmers on market day used to park their horses and traps there. I remember when all the traffic used to come through here (High Street) this was the main throughough fare. Used to be right opposite there Burgess's shop (pointing towards WH Smith on the High Street) they had two.
Yes the wife buys the bread from the lady stands on the Friday market. I also buy from Snapes, the organic wholemeal. We were a big family, you know, growing up bread didnt really concern you. They used to be a little one man bakery down Penkhull Street and at Christmas time people used to bring the turkeys to put in the oven. There's alot of history in Newcastle.
Another one Bayleys Bakery in Penkhull Street, you know where the sunken roundabout is, there used to be a road going down there, that was Penkhiull Street. Where Morrisons is now there used to be a gasworks and a coking plant, there was a big gasometer and a coking plant, we used to go there for gas starter to paint the fences. At the bottom there by Morrisons the railway line used to go across the road and they shut it off while they did goods trains and everything. There used to be a pub on this corner here (High Street and Hassell Street) called The Lamb and behind it was taxi firm in the yard.
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Date:1 6/08/14
Location: Hanley
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
I made bread at high school with Mrs Cuts, I'm a bit of a martial arts fan so I knocked hell out of it in the kneading process and I did well as it was an exam.
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Date: 16/08/14
Location: Hanley
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
We always have pizza on a Saturday night and about 15 years ago I decided to try and make them myself. That got me making bread dough, so a couple of years ago I started making my own bread. i enjoy making it, it's such a lovely thing to do. I tend to make simple bread and rolls. I find it's quite therapeutic, when you've had a hard day you can work out your stresses on a piece of bread, it's fantastic.
Date: 15/04/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Steven Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
Oh yes, Yorkshire bread is the best. I married a Yorkshire man and went to live up there, his mother taught me to make bread. She said, "Now you can make bread you are as good as Yorkshire girl", now that was a compliment!
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Date: 21/08/14
Location: Stoke
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
My mother use to buy bread from the bread shop on London Road until she died 3 years ago, she always had her bread from there. It use to belong to the Marsh family. We had a shop on the terrace along from us and Mrs Marsh would come along and deliver the bread to the shop. She used a bike with a basket on the front. If I was ever sent for the bread it didn't come back whole 'cause I use to like pulling the crust off it. It was nice, just like the homemade bread now. I don't think it's as nice as I remember it as a child from the same shop. It probably is but you know what it's like, you get older and your tastes change.
Date: 01/05/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Dalit Fishman Hendel
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
About 60 years ago my mum let me go to the shop for the first time. I walked up the cinder track to the shop and asked for a white sliced loaf. I paid for it and pu the bread in the wax wrapper, tucked it uner my arm and held the change in my other hand. I ran all the way back to my mum, handed her the change and the wax wrapper that only had one crust in it. When I looked behind me there was a trail of white slices up the track.
Date: 15/04/14
Location: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Interviewer: Steven Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
We use to go to the little corner shop to get bread and none of it was wrapped, there was a crust on top and I'd eat it on the way home, I was hungry! It was beautiful I loved the crust.
We lived in a council house and you had four shops, one on each corner. Embreys, Clewlows, Edges and Wickes and when you think they were against each other, well we didn't hear nay complaints. People didn't have any money, they'd have it (bread and other groceries) on 'tic' and pay it at the weekend. They'd go to one shop one week and another the next. Your parents would say 'don't go Embrey's, go Clewlows' or whoever they owed money to.
Bread was very dark during the war. It looked dirty to me, but that was the bread we had then!
Was it good for us?.....well I'm still here. I think the additives in bread are just the opposite now.
If you had any bread left over it would go in the 'pig bin', to feed the pig, you'd put all your peelings in as well.
Date: 21/08/14
Location: Stoke
Interviewer: Steve Cooling
Permission given to use interview for website, exhibition and Staffordshire archive: YES
Question asked “What do you remember about bread or bread baking”.
My mother made her own bread, she never bought bread, she did all her own baking. I remember the smell of it, it was lovely. We had an old range and she would put it on the hearth to rise. The smell was all through the house. It was just part of my mother because she made everything that we ate.
In 1963 I had a spasm of doing it myself when I was married. I did quite well with it but then I started work and hadn't got the time.
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