Hardings Bakery

Opposite the old Swan pub, where the Swan Island is now. The smell of their bread baking in the fifties was fantastic. it never ever left me.

SB

As you know I come from a different part of Birmingham, but I still know of Hardings Bakery. In fact I quite liked their bread. Although I have to say Hawley's was my preferred daily slice. You can just make out Hardings frontage on the right of this photo.

Phil

How did I know you were going to that. Thanks Phil SB

Phil just out of interest and sheer wonderment, do you know how many pictures you have on file. ---To the nearest 10,000 SB

SB

You must be a mind reader, you should be on the stage. I don't know how many photos I have on file at the moment, but it is in excess of 10,000. I try to add at least 20 per day.

phil

Phil
That is some picture library mate, it would be worth maybe handing over to the City library's or someone else useful in years to come, it would be a sad shame to see all your work wasted. SB

SB

In think Birmingham Central Library would have most of them on record. After all I have only collected them from books and off the web over the years. Although I have made an effort to collect non copyrighted photos I have no doubt that there are one or two copyrighted photos intermingled among them. Which gives me no rights to think of them as a collection.

Phil

Phil
By definition
You collected them, It's a collection. Tell em I said.

Another smell I remember was KUNZLES cake factory. my sister worked for them when it was at Five Ways. She tranferred sometime in the sixties to Garretts Green. My mother worked for them for a few years. They had a factory shop and for just a couple of bob you could eat yourself sick, I did once or twice. I well remember their Cakelets and City Fingers. They also had a range called Showboats, I wasn't keen on them. They also did loads of work for Marks and Spencers.
The building is still there, it's now the HRS Business Park SB

SB

Just for you a reminder of those Kunzle Cakes. I was never an eater of cakes but I always thought that they made a good looking cake.

Phil

My Mum was at Kunzles too.Loved the misshapes she bought home.Happy days.

I have never been a cake eater or a pudding eater either. I don't know why because some cakes an confectioneries look absolutely lovely. I know I can't stand the fillings, sponge, marzipan and fresh cream also that crumbly white stuff they all make me heave.

My wife loves it though because whenever we go out to a function and its a set meal she gets an extra pudding. She absolutely hates it if there is an ice cream alternative, because I will have that.

Phil

What a small world, my husbands elder sister also worked at Kunzles five ways in the late fifties, early sixties.

Ello erdogladys
Welcome to the forum.
Not sure where in Five ways Kunzles was situated, it may have been where Auchinlec Square is or maybe on the other side where Tesco's is.SB

Hi denise
I take it as I think your mum was living in Sheldon when she worked at Kunzles, she worked at the Garretts Green Factory. I am guessing that it opened around the early 1960's. She may have known my mum. Although I know many people worked there. It was a great loss to the locality when it closed. SB