1932: Letter to Peterborough Council requesting accommodation for Willesden employees moving to Peterborough.

1933: Letter to Willesden Shop Committee confirming that housing for Willesden employees moving to Peterborough would be available.

Although at the time, Willesden Avenue had a direct connection on to Lincoln Road, it became a cul-de-sac when the railway line over Rhubarb Bridge was demolished in the early '70s to make way for a major road interchange on the new Soke Parkway system. This railway was originally the Midland & Great Northern Joint line to Melton Constable, Sheringham, Norwich and Yarmouth.

Brackley Close

John Pointon who, in 1896, invented the bread dough divider at the heart of the WP&P business success and who was a Director of Joseph Baker Sons & Perkins/Baker Perkins from 1920 to 1953, had Brackley Close built – a cul-de sac off Thorpe Park Road, opposite the Grange Playing Fields. This was used to house a number of the executives who had made the move from Willesden.

It is thought that John Ponton chose the name "Brackley Close" after his seaside home in Hove, Sussex. (See his letter to G.D.Wilson below). It is not known where John lived while in Peterborough.

The Prefabs

Although Peterborough's housing stock came through WW2 with relatively little damage, the need for new housing for servicemen returning from active service and for those married during the War, became a priority. Emergency action was needed and it came in the form of the "Peoples' Palace" – the Prefab. Designed only as temporary housing, these pre-fabricated homes, fitted with all "mod cons", represented a new way of living in post-war Britain. They have become an icon of post-war regeneration and, although built as an emergency measure at a cost of £1300 each, many are still being lived in 50 years after they were first constructed.

Peterborough was given its fair share of Prefabs and many can still be seen in the City. 80 were built in Welland Close, 25 of which were allocated to Baker Perkins employees. Les Hill, ex-Fitting Shop Foreman, still lives in the prefab that he and his new wife moved into soon after WW2.

Alma Road

Baker Perkins purchased 12 houses in Alma Road, just after WW2, from the Landlord of the Fitters' Arms. These were let to Baker Perkins employees. The six on the Lincoln Road side of the Sports Club building were sold to the tenants in 1965/66 but, around this time, those on the other side of the Sports Club were demolished to make space for the Sports Club car park.

The Baker Perkins Sports Club was sited where the grey fencing appears on the right hand side of the photograph.

Housing for Dollar Earners

In 1952, twenty five Westwood employees were selected for housing under the "Housing for Workers in Dollar Earning Industries" scheme – part of the Government's post-war export drive. Whilst some houses were becoming available on the newly built Eastfield Estate, the Westwood people expressed a desire to await the completion of the Mountsteven Avenue Estate, then under construction by Chas. Shelton Ltd.

The Self-Builders

A group of 20 Westwood employees formed the Westwood (Peterborough) Self Build Housing Association Ltd in 1958, with the intention of building 20 houses for occupation by its 20 shareholders. Each member bought an identical number of shares and extra working capital was funded by an interest free loan from Baker Perkins. The building land was acquired from Netherton Building & Construction Co. and Peterborough City Council provided a block mortgage for the project.10 of the plots bordered on Atherstone Avenue, 4 on Cottesmore Close and 6 on Kildare Drive. This development was on a westerly extension to Westfield Road, just about in sight of the factory.

It was a condition of the land sale from Netherton Building & Construction Ltd., that they built the outer "shells", the members being required to work a set number of hours per week to complete drains/soak-aways, internal walls and flooring, plumbing and electrics, plastering and glazing, etc. The allocation of plots and completion sequence was agreed at the outset of the project and each member was allowed to choose his own internal fittings.

As each property was finished, it was rented to the occupier. Work took about 2 years to complete, following which the properties were individually mortgaged and the company was disbanded. At the time of writing (October 2004), 13 of the 20 houses were still occupied by the original owners.

Ihlee Close

As a postscript to this section, it is interesting to note that Mr F.C. Ihlee, one time MD of Werner Pfleiderer & Perkins and, later, Director of Baker Perkins, lived at Paston Hall. A new development in the area, off Fulbridge Road, has been named Ihlee Close in his honour.