Birmingham CO-OP Bakery

[Crusty]

Ref Co op Bakery. My family ran a cafe "Stanfords "in Great brook st
which was next to the bakery We lived above the cafe for quite a few years.
I am looking for any old photos of the shop , can anyone help?

[Phil]

Hi Crusty

Welcome to the forum, sorry I've been looking since first seeing this post, but I am unable to come up with a photo of that end of Great Brook St at all.

[Whitty]

 In 1960 there was a cafe by G't  Brook St & Ashted place ,from Lawley St to ashted  was the offices
Previously Belonging to the bakery  until they moved to Manor Rd Stetchfords new bakery don't know when . Definitely late 50s it was co-op transport offices we collected our wages round the back of the offices  you could see the row of paying in stations the actual bakery was then used as a
Warehouse , furniture & all household goods after being sold from various shops goods were dispatched from here

[Graham Winton]

My grandfather Frank Brain worked for the Co-operative bakery, delivering bread by horse and van, I believe in the Nechells then Ward Area of Birmingham  following the First World War.  He was gassed when in the RFA where he came to love horses and after the war needed a job outside. I believe he retired in 1952. The family state the stables where in Great brook Street.


Does anyone have any information, or suggestions as to where records are held, for the bakery and horse drawn delivery vans for this period? Does the Co-operative hold any records? Any photographs for the period of horsed drawn vans? Also any gneral information on the co-operative horses their purchase and care etc.
With thanks
Graham

[Whitty]

Hi Graham, welcome if you read my post above yours I'm pretty sure the stables would have been behind the offices there was a large yard behind the offices the bakery w as a separate building
And had a large long tunnel running through to another yard what I have described is when the offices was transport & the bakery was a co-op furniture &  hardware warehouse this was late 50s
Long after your grand father retired .I have seen some where a picture of co-op horse & carts in a line
But can't think where maby it will jog someones memory .in a yard next to transport garage in G't brook St about 1960 ish there was a massive pile of the lamps that were used on the carts all sold for scrap how mutch are they worth today.i know its not quite what you where asking but that it might give you a little insight

[Graham Winton]

Does anyone have photographs of a Birmingham Co-Op horsed bakers delivery vans period 1920-1950 and the stables
Thank You

[Phil]

Hi Graham

This is all I can come up with at the moment, but I'll have a look around. For an image dating back to 1959 it must have been one of the last ones on the road

[Graham Winton]

Phil,
Many thanks and much appreciated
My grandfather James Bloxham worked on them from 1920 to his retirement I think 1952.
His round covered the Ward End/Nechells area
If you can locate any early ones that would be great and the stables I would be most grateful
With thnaks
Graham

[townie]

I know this isn't the photo you were looking for, but what memories.

[Diggory Jons]

Evening Townie
The milk Delivery horses that lived in Vauxhall Road had their food delivered daily from Duddeston Mill Road. As you went down Duddeston Mill Road
on the right hand side before the River Rea there was an opening that led to the horse food shed. They used to roll the oats and so on also cutting the hay into chaff. The heavy horse that pulled the cart had to pull a big load up the hill. The same person drove the horse and he was a kind man, when the horse and cart was just over the brow of the hill at Vauxhall Station he would always stop and give the horse a blow for 5 minutes.
We kids if we saw them on the way home from school would speak to the driver and make a fuss of the horse. Great days and great memories.
Take care...Diggory

[Whitty]

The driver of the horse cart his name was Harry Tell
When his daily employment came to an end
He worked for the Co-op Transport department driving various vans
I worked alongside him at transport department
This was of course afew years later
From him clipping me around the ears
For hanging on the back of the cart for a free ride
he used to drop of the cart and wait for the cart to pass
And clip me around the ears
We had many a laugh over these incidents