W.A. Broom bakers.

W.A. Broom bakers.

Does anyone know when Broom bakers ceased trading, or when they were bought out. Any anecdotes?

Also, one for the ever entertaining Old Tup…he always succeeds in making me smile (laugh).

I wrote you a long reply then SF told me that I was not registered, which I was, and wiped all off, UGH!

Hey up Zakes W A Brooms known as the Don Bakery sold out to Sunblest in the early 60s,I started there in 1959 as a van boy at 16yrs old!.It would be around 1962 but I can,t be exact,Sunblest at that time were swallowing up and buying out all competition in the baking and wholesale business,Arthur Davys was also bought out by them!.We moved the wholesale department down to Newboulds Penistone Road by that time I had passed my driving test and had my own "journey"around Attercliffe,Darnall,Wincobank and Firth Park!.Our sales manager was a grumpy old get called Mr Bowers who took an instant dislike to moir,I wasn,t too keen on him either,it came to a head around summer 1964 when I went on holiday with 4 mates to Malta!.It was all my fault because I took an extra week there without giving notice to grumpy who promptly gave me the push on my return,not before I told him with a few choice Latin verbs where to put his job,his face was a picture he went bright red spitting and spluttering"Get out,get out!"was all he could say,the Union told me they could get my job back which was mission impossible so I moved on to be a milkman at the Express Dairy on Leppings Lane!.That lasted less than a year it was seven days a week never ending no days off,I lost weight ,I was tired all the time never going out very unhappy so I ended up back in the wholesale bread game getting a job at Vere and Sons Rotherham!.I stayed with them over 8 years which I really enjoyed making many friends there until they unfortunately went broke and in 1977 I started at Fletchers Bakeries where I stayed for 30yrs until retirement!.

Old Tup has now covered much of my original reply, good.

As a toddler I can remember my mum using her ration book in the Whitham Road, Broomhill branch of W.A.Broom. Broom’s being the only shop we used that still used farthings. The Bonny lady who worked there wore thick rimmed glasses and loads of bright red lipstick. This branch had a large shop window and a small one which displayed everlasting strips (remember those?), penny arrows, Stenhousemuir toffee with a picture of a huge highland bull on the wrapper and Polo’s in both mint and five fruit flavours.

I also remember Broom’s branches at Crookes and Banner Cross. My mum used to tell me that before the war she used to see Mr. Broom delivering unwrapped bread to his shops piled up in the back of his open top car!

Incidentally Sunblest was owned by the Canadian Garfield Weston whose group eventually became British Foods. The Weston family currently own Selfridge’s.

We held their account at the Bank where I worked in Hillsborough.

Hey up Zakes W A Brooms known as the Don Bakery sold out to Sunblest in the early 60s,I started there in 1959 as a van boy at 16yrs old!.It would be around 1962 but I can,t be exact,Sunblest at that time were swallowing up and buying out all competition in the baking and wholesale business,Arthur Davys was also bought out by them!.We moved the wholesale department down to Newboulds Penistone Road by that time I had passed my driving test and had my own "journey"around Attercliffe,Darnall,Wincobank and Firth Park!.Our sales manager was a grumpy old get called Mr Bowers who took an instant dislike to moir,I wasn,t too keen on him either,it came to a head around summer 1964 when I went on holiday with 4 mates to Malta!.It was all my fault because I took an extra week there without giving notice to grumpy who promptly gave me the push on my return,not before I told him with a few choice Latin verbs where to put his job,his face was a picture he went bright red spitting and spluttering"Get out,get out!"was all he could say,the Union told me they could get my job back which was mission impossible so I moved on to be a milkman at the Express Dairy on Leppings Lane!.That lasted less than a year it was seven days a week never ending no days off,I lost weight ,I was tired all the time never going out very unhappy so I ended up back in the wholesale bread game getting a job at Vere and Sons Rotherham!.I stayed with them over 8 years which I really enjoyed making many friends there until they unfortunately went broke and in 1979 I started at Fletchers Bakeries where I stayed for 30yrs until retirement!.

Vere's also took over Gillott's (Lyons Street, Pitsmoor) bread division but left Gillott's with the cake and pastry side.

Vere's also took over Gillott's (Lyons Street, Pitsmoor) bread division but left Gillott's with the cake and pastry side.

Correct I had forgotten about that a couple of their drivers came to Vere,s with their journeys,other Gillotts customers were intergrated into existing Vere,s rounds!.It was a shame how the firm went under the bakery was located behind the Law Courts in Rotherham on premises belonging to Cox Dewar and Beaton!,the lease was expiring and the directors decided they wanted their own premises!.They purchased the land where Rotherham Fire Brigade are now located across from Herringthorpe Valley roundabout,instead of building the bakery first which generated cash they built fancy offices and a garage,bad timing as inflation took off like a rocket just at the time we went decimal!.Prices soared the bakery was almost up and running when the cash ran out,it had got that bad all the takings had to be banked every day to keep things going!.They had no choice but to sell out or go broke,a Midlands bakery bought them out and took the business down the tubes a real shame as the products were top notch and I loved working for them!.

Correct I had forgotten about that a couple of their drivers came to Vere,s with their journeys,other Gillotts customers were intergrated into existing Vere,s rounds!.It was a shame how the firm went under the bakery was located behind the Law Courts in Rotherham on premises belonging to Cox Dewar and Beaton!,the lease was expiring and the directors decided they wanted their own premises!.They purchased the land where Rotherham Fire Brigade are now located across from Herringthorpe Valley roundabout,instead of building the bakery first which generated cash they built fancy offices and a garage,bad timing as inflation took off like a rocket just at the time we went decimal!.Prices soared the bakery was almost up and running when the cash ran out,it had got that bad all the takings had to be banked every day to keep things going!.They had no choice but to sell out or go broke,a Midlands bakery bought them out and took the business down the tubes a real shame as the products were top notch and I loved working for them!.

Our family business was a customers of Vere's Bakers for a long time. We had a bakery in Woodhouse and when it closed in the early 70's George Vere gave us a conducted tour of his new bakery. We used to spend quite a lot with them and George would turn up every month in his white suit driving his white Rolls Royce Silver Shadow to collect a cheque. In the 60's Ted was the driver and Ron his van lad then Ron took over the round. When they closed I think Ron took a cafe at Tinsley near the golf shop.

Our family business was a customers of Vere's Bakers for a long time. We had a bakery in Woodhouse and when it closed in the early 70's George Vere gave us a conducted tour of his new bakery. We used to spend quite a lot with them and George would turn up every month in his white suit driving his white Rolls Royce Silver Shadow to collect a cheque. In the 60's Ted was the driver and Ron his van lad then Ron took over the round. When they closed I think Ron took a cafe at Tinsley near the golf shop.

Hi crustybread Ted and Ron had the biggest round at Veres the stuff they sold was amazing,I went with them on my first day working there!.I couldn,t believe the amount all of it had to be hand balled on and off the 7tonner,one drop I remember the new Hyde Park Flats in the 60s a shop there sold 18dozen upwards a day of large sliced bread!.Sadly Ted died suddenly in his 40s,a real shock as he was built like a horse a real grafter,I last saw Ron at his café at Tinsley in 2000,I popped in for a dinner he hadn,t altered,he made me pay the tight arse!.George Vere lost everything when they went under,house,car the lot his brother had put everything in his wifes name so he fared better the third brother who never did a stroke had married a rich wife so he was ok!.All the salesmen used to laugh at the pantomime each week as brother 3 waited until the other two were elsewhere and he sneaked in and filled his car up with petrol and quickly scarpered,this was early morning he was dressed in a dinner suit complete with dicky bow,a tosser of the first order!.

W.A. Broom Bakers.

Here is a photo of a Broom’s bakery shop. With the blind down in the window I presume it’s a Sunday, so don’t go dashing off for a looaf. LOL. I believe the pic is of Main Road Darnall.

Can you see the tram in the foreground? What do you think to the Prussian blue and cream livery?

I remember the two Broom brothers quite well two opposites,the older one always dressed immaculately expensive suit,spotless white shirt,silk tie with pin,highly polished shoes in his late sixties!.Brother two you always saw him in an overall smock rushing about involved with the running of the bakery,not afraid to get his hands dirty,always had a worried expression on his face!.I worked for the firm almost from leaving school up to the sell out and I enjoyed every minute,like every thing in life nothing lasts forever!.

---------- Post added 14-11-2017 at 09:13 ----------

An incident has just come to mind about W A Brooms,it was the yearly audit of accounts,the accountants came in the office to proceed the audit!.Brooms chappie in charge of them calm as a cucumber said"I have embezzled a substansial amount and I confess!".One of his family was in money trouble and he had used the firms cash to sort it out,needless to say he was prosecuted I never knew what sentence he received,he must have been desperate to have done the crime!.

Just found this forum and wondering if anyone remembers Cliff Broom at the bakery? (He was my grandad!)