Does anyone have any pictures of Homepride/Mothers Pride wagons? They both had bakery’s in Dumfries. Cheers
I stay half way between Dumfries and Ayr and the only Mothers Pride vans ran out of a bakery in Ayr that would be in the 50s nd 60s, never heard of a bakery in Dumfries. Eddie.
there used to be mac miceal who had a bakery in dumfries who had a few vans about 45 years ago
dont know if spelled name correct
They both had depots in Dumfries. Homepride was on the A76 Glasgow Road just near the BRS/Cally yard. You can still see part of it just off the bypass and Mothers Pride was in Hoods Loaning. Your talking about 25 to 30 years ago.
yup mcmichaels had a depot in dumfries ,my uncle jimmy patterson drove for them for yrs.he went on to drive a library van for d&g council till he retired…james
all that nice bread you make in Scotland 
its a Wonder why they bought homepride 
Homepride Bakeries and Mothers Pride were definitely two different/rival companies.
Let me explain…
Homepride Bakeries were owned by Spillers, but before they had the name Homepride Bakeries on the vans, they were called Wonderloaf. Homepride’s livery was a sort of brown colour whereas Wonderloaf was blue and white.
Mothers Pride were all independent companies with different names that were brought under one banner and one colour. For example, in the north there were Milanda at Gateshead, Wrays at Scarborough, Sparks at Stockton etc etc.
I started off as a van boy at the age of 11 at Wonderloaf Birtley, and when Spillers pulled the plug on Homepride Bakeries when I was about 13/14, I ‘moved’ to Mothers Pride at Gateshead as my old man knew some of the drivers there who he used to drink with. (I was born in Birtley but lived in Gateshead, although my late Gran still lived in Birtley.) I stayed at Gateshead until they closed that and moved everything to Westerhope in Newcastle, a place that still is in existence, although I don’t think they bake there now, it’s merely a depot. I stayed with them after getting my driving licence, and left at 19 and not long after that moved to Yorkshire. Funny how I ended up going back to Westerhope by doing agency work out of British Bakeries, (As they’re now called.) at Bradford. When I worked at Westerhope, one day I was asked if I wanted an overtime run to a bakery that I hadn’t heard of before, as one of the ovens was down. Strange how some years later, I now live in that town and went to the bakery my father-in-law worked at before my time. Spooky.
Vehicles…
Well at both companies, the Leyland 550FG was used widely, and British Bakeries still retain that Leyland allegiance to this day, albeit with Daf 55’s for delivery work, and CF’s for depot trunking. Homepride had a smattering of Ford D series as well, but most of the fleet was the 550FG. They were bloody cold in the winter even though the exhaust was on the passenger side, and conversely, red hot in the summer. Thank God for reverse doors. Also in the winter, Bradex Easy Start was king and made a great windscreen de-icer with a match!!! 
At Gateshead we also had Leyland Boxers (2 Off) and Terriers and latterly the Roadrunner when the FG went out of production. The Boxers had HUGE bodies on them and couldn’t go around the one way system at Gateshead as they were too long, and had to use the one door in/out for loading. 
Sadly Gateshead has long gone, and is now a car showroom, and although some of the factory was pulled down, some of the original building still reamins, as does the garage that was over the road. Birtley is now a small industrial estate, and again some of the old buildings still exist.
Great memories, and I still insist to this day, it was one of the finest jobs I’ve ever had.
Ken.
Quinny:
Homepride Bakeries and Mothers Pride were definitely two different/rival companies.Let me explain…
Homepride Bakeries were owned by Spillers, but before they had the name Homepride Bakeries on the vans, they were called Wonderloaf. Homepride’s livery was a sort of brown colour whereas Wonderloaf was blue and white.
Mothers Pride were all independent companies with different names that were brought under one banner and one colour. For example, in the north there were Milanda at Gateshead, Wrays at Scarborough, Sparks at Stockton etc etc.
Vehicles…
Well at both companies, the Leyland 550FG was used widely, and British Bakeries still retain that Leyland allegiance to this day, albeit with Daf 55’s for delivery work, and CF’s for depot trunking. Homepride had a smattering of Ford D series as well, but most of the fleet was the 550FG. They were bloody cold in the winter even though the exhaust was on the passenger side, and conversely, red hot in the summer. Thank God for reverse doors. Also in the winter, Bradex Easy Start was king and made a great windscreen de-icer with a match!!!Ken.
Interesting thread, (in fact i’ve joined the forum on the strength of it) 
During the period Ken speaks of Memory lane cakes (i believe) was affiliated with the spillers group. I recall as a young boy (a truck mad young boy at that!) Seeing “new” additions to the fleet at their Delamere street base in Warrington coming from the above mentioned sources… Many an old Ford “D” series In the wonderloaf livery was repainted in memory lane’s livery (in fact, at certain angles the old livery could still be made out under the new paint) There were also FG’s,terriers, and boxers from the same source. Dad’s first vehicle when he became employed by memory lane was a rather dreadful old “G” reg ex-wonderloaf Ford “D” series, with huge fibrglass body with an unusual (for memory lane) narrow roller shutter door on the nearside front. The Ford managed 45MPH on a good day with a tailwind!
He “progressed” to a Leyland 550 FG (WCK 251 R) with a unique simple livery, then onto another 550 Fg (SUE221R) with a more traditional memory lane livery. That was replaced later on by (i believe) an ex homepride Leyland Terrier (YEA203S).
I used to be fascinated wondering where all these vehicles came from… The registrations on the “new” vehicles would have mysterious gaps in the numbers, and i always wondered where the missing vehicles were!
1983 brought a fascinating pair of two (actually brand new) Leyland terriers with the “windfoil” spoilers and cab facelifts, one rarely saw a windfoil terrier, and i must admit it looked resplendent in memory lanes new livery! compared to the brown/white FG’s that was the mainstay of the fleet, the new terriers in the cream with brown/orange bands and colour co-ordinated mirrors/wheeltrims looked positively futuristic!
I used to have umpteen pictures of various vehicles of the fleet as a lad, now sadly long gone bar the single picture i have of my dad’s last vehicle whilst in memory lane’s employment (1985 Leyland roadrunner).
Has anybody here any other images of spillers associate vehicles at all? Or better still… One in the memory lane livery?
I have a sad memory of registration plates, it’s be fascinating to see an adopted from wonderloaf/spillers vehicle in it’s old livery with a reg i recall from being a kid…
Oh, and Hello all, i’m new here!