Hi i’m new to here so feeling my way i’m an ex mothers pride bread delivery driver i worked out of Brookes bakery skerton rd manchester from 1966-1970 and Duncan Foster (mothers pride) Brampton rd Eastbourne 1970-83 remember lots of drivers from Brookes started as a van lad at 15 hope some of the guys are still going.
Any FG photos are always welcome amongst the old ■■■■■. Welcome 
Wheel Nut:
Any FG photos are always welcome amongst the old ■■■■■. Welcome
Hi was hoping to find some on here. Started on an LD then FG Ford D series then Ford Cargo.
valleychallenger:
Hi i’m new to here so feeling my way i’m an ex mothers pride bread delivery driver i worked out of Brookes bakery skerton rd manchester from 1966-1970 and Duncan Foster (mothers pride) Brampton rd Eastbourne 1970-83 remember lots of drivers from Brookes started as a van lad at 15 hope some of the guys are still going.
I knew Mothers Pride Skerton Road very well in the 1970s. Sorry I cannot help you with any delivery drivers, but I knew Eddie Heald from sales, Bob Austin bakery manager, and Gordon Hillman general manager. The night manager’s surname escapes me, but he was an Irishman John (O’Malley ■■?). Tony Hobday was production manager. I was at Harvey’s Wigan and when the big new plant was being commissioned and run-in It was problematic for months and we often had to buy-in bread from Skerton Road. I collected several loads, usually at about midnight.
valleychallenger:
Hi i’m new to here so feeling my way i’m an ex mothers pride bread delivery driver i worked out of Brookes bakery skerton rd manchester from 1966-1970 and Duncan Foster (mothers pride) Brampton rd Eastbourne 1970-83 remember lots of drivers from Brookes started as a van lad at 15 hope some of the guys are still going.
Hi “tyneside” Nice photo, Would I be correct in saying their bakery was at Westerhope 
Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Hi “tyneside” Nice photo, Would I be correct in saying their bakery was at Westerhope
Hi Larry. Now you are asking! Was there not a large bakery at the bottom of the bank on Ponteland Road just below the Cowgate roundabout? And was it Homepride on the TVTE??
Tyneside
Lawrence Dunbar:
Hi “tyneside” Nice photo, Would I be correct in saying their bakery was at Westerhope
Hi Larry. Now you are asking! Was there not a large bakery at the bottom of the bank on Ponteland Road just below the Cowgate roundabout? And was it Homepride on the TVTE??
Tyneside
Hi “tyneside”, It was Carricks at Cowgate, Hunters on the valley, IIRC They became Allied Bakeries in later years, Regards Larry.
Yes Larry you are correct, it was Hunters on TVTE, my memory is getting worse ! Did @ bit of googling and it appears Mother’s Pride was at Westerhope but stopped production about 2006, it was then used as a distribution centre for British Bakeries who owned MP and Hovis brands.
Tyneside
tyneside:
Yes Larry you are correct, it was Hunters on TVTE, my memory is getting worse ! Did @ bit of googling and it appears Mother’s Pride was at Westerhope but stopped production about 2006, it was then used as a distribution centre for British Bakeries who owned MP and Hovis brands.
Tyneside
Thanks for the Info Tyneside, The site at Westerhope where the bakery was is now brand new houses butr swhats new where ever ones goes these days there are houses popping all over the North East, Regards Larry .
tyneside:
Yes Larry you are correct, it was Hunters on TVTE, my memory is getting worse ! Did @ bit of googling and it appears Mother’s Pride was at Westerhope but stopped production about 2006, it was then used as a distribution centre for British Bakeries who owned MP and Hovis brands.
Tyneside
When I was at school we were taken for a tour of Hunters Bakery at Team Valley.
The bread was baked overnight and delivered to the shops early each morning. Thats when we got fresh bread. Today goodness knows how many days it is baked before being delivered to shops and worse still what chemicals are added to keep it fresh (ish)
DEANB:
According to this advert from 1968 Mothers Pride operated 1500 FG’s.0
Manor Bakeries (Mr Kipling cakes) also had a large FG fleet and most of theirs had auto gearboxes.
Pete.
gingerfold:
valleychallenger:
Hi i’m new to here so feeling my way i’m an ex mothers pride bread delivery driver i worked out of Brookes bakery skerton rd manchester from 1966-1970 and Duncan Foster (mothers pride) Brampton rd Eastbourne 1970-83 remember lots of drivers from Brookes started as a van lad at 15 hope some of the guys are still going.I knew Mothers Pride Skerton Road very well in the 1970s. Sorry I cannot help you with any delivery drivers, but I knew Eddie Heald from sales, Bob Austin bakery manager, and Gordon Hillman general manager. The night manager’s surname escapes me, but he was an Irishman John (O’Malley ■■?). Tony Hobday was production manager. I was at Harvey’s Wigan and when the big new plant was being commissioned and run-in It was problematic for months and we often had to buy-in bread from Skerton Road. I collected several loads, usually at about midnight.
Did not recal the name Eddie Heald and he must have started after I had left. Eddie Marland was still van sales manager late 1960s but I am sure he retired about 1972 through ill-heath. Eddie Marland had issues with a Harveys Wigan sales rep canvasser or similar nicknamed “Black Bart” I assume after the legendary Pirate? I believe his goal in life was to demolish Brookes, Mellings Farnworth, Guests Model Bakery leigh, Warburtons Bolton, Rathbones Wigan and Ben Rileys Darwen.
Not sure if you had known Danny McGregor who moved from Skerton Road Bakery and became regional manager over the road at RHM Park House Seymour Grove Old Trafford.
When I started Bill Beaumont was production manager and I remember after his retirement Tony Hobday had taken over his job about 1960. Prior to that I am sure Tony Hobday was production manager at Knightsbridge Slab Cakes Ayres Road Old Trafford.
I remember Gordon Hillman very well. I am sure the Irish chap was John O’Malley. I must have left Brookes well before Bob Austin had taken over as bakery manager as I do not recal his.
Gordon Brookes was the main owner who lived at Prestbury. When I started early 1960s The company was Brookes Beattie (biscuits) Later re-named WJ Brookes and sons, the WJ initials was co owner WJ Barton who owned Graigs Pantry Mothers Pride retail. Later years Graigs Pantry was re-named Enterprise Bakeries owned by a chap called Roseberry who owned Stretford Precinct and Sands night club. Roseberry had arranged for Cassius Clay to open Tescos and Horlicks promotion and a few years previous had involvement of Uri Gagarin to visit Trafford Park soon after his space mission.
The transport Manager at Brookes late 1960s was Pop Insley his assistant George Daniels, shunters yardmen, Alec Midgely, Bob Green, Bill Murphy.
Mothers Pride Old Trafford also produced huge slab cakes. 5 am ish a snow packed winter morning 1963 one of the night workers had collapsed at Trafford Bar bus terminus waiting for a bus home to Salford. I had just got off the bus on my way to Brookes and noticed a crowd stood round this poor chap laying flat on the ground. Bus drivers had covered him up with rain coats to keep him warm but there was also a cloud of steam. They said his face was bright purple and he was gasping for air but he sadly passed away. I twigged what had happened and explained he worked nights at Brookes and often workers smuggled out produce. The Ambulance service arrived and removed a large steaming hot slab cake measuring approximately 2 foot by 18 inches 4 inches deep strapped to his belly.
About 1964 Brookes renamed the slab cake to Pandora and later moved this side to Manor bakeries to Stoke and became Mr Kipling. Mothers Pride also produced and sold fresh cream cakes and donuts.
1960 Mothers Pride had a varied fleet of approx 100 plus large bread vans. 4 large Reliance Electric bread vans that served areas Manchester central. Hulme, Salford areas. Lancashire Hygienic dairy’s had purchased them off Brookes about 1966.
Brookes had a Seddon artic with low a loaded trailer. 3 to 5 tonner BMCs, LDs, Long nosed Morris Petrol and Stub nosed Austins, Commers Karriers. About 1962 they replaced many with Morris Austin FG truepenny bit cabs. 1966 they had replaced many with Ford D series custom Cabs. 2 Leyland comets wreckers based at the garage Ayres Road.
Regards Kev
The 4 large Reliance Electric bread van solds to Lancashire Hygienic Dairies.
I was at LHD or just Lancashire Dairies as it was from 1994 to the demise in 2002. A bloke called Kenny Grantham told us younger lads that he drove one of these in the late 60s around Manchester.
Other ex Mothers Pride drivers at LD from Salford bakery were Alan Marsh, Charlie Whitehead, Bernard Brannick and Billy Peel.
These fellas, with the exception of the late Billy Peel, are all in their 70s now. They always reminisced about working at Trafford, Salford or Farnworth bakery.
Bernard took me to work at Wigan bakery on Cale Lane for Alan Stone, late 2002.
we had a mothers pride in alder road, Poole, i was a Saturday van boy at 13 on the Blandford area, the driver was called norman ? usually an FG but if broken /servicing, it was a ford 4D, good pay 30’ bob a week and chocolate eclairs, mmmm still love them. (oh 66 now)
gingerfold:
valleychallenger:
Hi i’m new to here so feeling my way i’m an ex mothers pride bread delivery driver i worked out of Brookes bakery skerton rd manchester from 1966-1970 and Duncan Foster (mothers pride) Brampton rd Eastbourne 1970-83 remember lots of drivers from Brookes started as a van lad at 15 hope some of the guys are still going.I knew Mothers Pride Skerton Road very well in the 1970s. Sorry I cannot help you with any delivery drivers, but I knew Eddie Heald from sales, Bob Austin bakery manager, and Gordon Hillman general manager. The night manager’s surname escapes me, but he was an Irishman John (O’Malley ■■?). Tony Hobday was production manager. I was at Harvey’s Wigan and when the big new plant was being commissioned and run-in It was problematic for months and we often had to buy-in bread from Skerton Road. I collected several loads, usually at about midnight.
Lot of lost sleep but got there in the end.
The Irish shift manager was John Hurley.
One of the sales managers was Harold Baker was mentioned in the Financial Times late 1970s who had taken over as boss of Sun Alliance insurance Horsham. Mentioned from the 1950s he worked as a breadman at Mothers Pride Old Trafford and now a millionaire. He was best of pals with Gordon Brookes for many years.
Kev