How well I remember the Bakery. From about the age of 11 to 14 I earned my pocket money, 9d per hour, doing various chores for the then Barker, Mr Percy Carr. Percy Carr took over from the Pollards, I guess this was about 1946. He had been a baker in the Navy during the war. The business then was purely a Bakery, the tea room and the name change must have come later.
Each evening after school I greased and prepared the bread tins and trays ready for the bakers who started work early the following morning. Saturday mornings my first job was 'spud bashing' what looked like a mountain of potatoes. They had to be peeled ready for pasty making. I hasten to add this was not by hand! There was a primitive machine housed in the back yard that scraped the potatoes and washed them. In wintertime the water was freezing and my hands numb with the cold. My reward for that was a lovely hot bun and a mug of tea in the beautiful warm bakery afterwards.
Highlight of the year was waiting for the first batch of hot cross buns to come out of the oven on Good Friday, no buns have tasted so good since. In those days hot cross buns were only sold on Good Friday. The ladies of the village would order in advance and there would be quite a festive feel that morning as families collected their buns!

My next task on Saturday morning was a bread round on a bike with a massive basket on the front full of bread, identical to the delivery bike ridden by David Jason in the TV series, 'Open all Hours'. I was only a little 'tacker' and my feet barely reached the peddles! My route took me down the village , to Devonia Terrace, Cross View and Blenheim Road. Not only did I deliver I had to collect the customers weekly bill. I still remember the prices. Large loaf six and a half old pence! I certainly earned my 9d per hour.

A footnote, I do not know if it is a fact but I was always told that during air raids the then family climbed inside the old brick coal fired oven for shelter!! It must have been lovely and warm!