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Westwood Works 1903-2003 |
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At least 25 sections flourished within the Baker Perkins Sports Club, with other leisure pursuits such as Darts, Dominoes, Cards, Keep-fit classes, etc., being catered for within the Clubhouse. Dances were held on Saturday, and other nights and occasions when many employees first met their future life partners. This section gives an insight into the activities of most of the Sections and illustrates the level of enthusiasm and support shown by many employees over nearly one hundred years.
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| 1917: Westwood Works Tug of War Team | 1919: First Westwood Works Sports Club Sports and Gala Committee | 1938: The Continental Accordion Band | 1938: Trophies won by the Athletics team at the Laundry Industry Invitation Sports Meeting at Motspur Park | 1946: Baker Perkins Athletics Team | 1955: Apprentice Section | 1962: Miss Baker Perkins Competition |
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| 1977: Maintenance Dept. wins Jack Barrett Shield | 1978: Miss Baker Perkins Contest | 1979: "Super Star" event at Alma Road | 1979: Presentation to Alf Jones | Plateshop Winners Presentation (Late 1970s) | 1980: Ladies Keep-Fit Club | 1980: Gordon Summerlin retires from the Sports Club |
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| 1982: Plate Shop Dyke Jumpers | 1986: Peterborough Fun Run (Thorpe Meadows) | 1986: PMC Fitting Shop in Raft Race | Date?: The Terry Mann Band's last performance at the BP Clubhouse | Date?: Saturday dance at the Clubhouse |
Can you help to fill in any missing dates? If so, please see this page for instructions on how to contact us and we'll update the captions.
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The Secretaries of each of the Sports Club Sections in 1955. |
Listed below are photos from the various sections of the Sports Club. Many sections have their own pages (use the links shown immediately below). We are keen to supplement the photos for the sections shown on this page. If you can help, please get in touch.
Roland Maycock joined Baker Perkins as an apprentice in 1940, leaving the company in 1975. He took full advantage of the leisure opportunities offered by the Sports Club:
"I played for Westwood Works football club over a period of ten years. The teams played in the local leagues, mostly village teams in a 20 mile radius of Peterborough. The club was affiliated to the Football Association which allowed the club to play in the early rounds of the FA Cup.
Alma Road Sports Ground had good facilities, changing rooms and a hot bath-tub – paradise in comparison to our away games where you often changed in the village pub with a tin bath of cold water out the back! The games we looked forward to were playing the local airforce and army camps, even if we did get slaughtered on many occasions, the opposing team often having professional players enjoying a game between postings. The trouncing was soon forgotten after the game when we were entertained to a meal in the canteen, food in quantities civilians were not used to!
Football at Alma Road was big-time! Cyril on the gate charging fourpence to see the match, he even charged the players! Thursday was a day to look forward to when team selections were posted on the notice board and you were anxious to see if you were picked for 1st or 2nd team.
For the summer I switched to Westwood Works Athletic Club affiliated to the Amateur Athletic Association. We attended meetings over a 50 mile radius; most of these were handicap events with your starting mark set by the area AAA. Win an event and you got pulled back a yard! As amateurs we could not accept money, the winners getting medals or prizes, silver cake-stands and cutlery were favourites.
The only scratch event was the Annual County Championship. In those days we were in Northamptonshire. The big event for the Athletic Club was the Whit Monday Open Sports Day at Alma Road. A full programme of athletic events plus a carnival atmosphere of side-shows run by different departments in the factory, supported by the Directors acting as judges or marksmen, 6,000 people packed into Alma Road and had a great day in support of charity.
A week before the event it was difficult to get jobs done in the factory, unless it was for sports day, making a ‘rolling horse’, ducking stools, supported by the Works Fire Service. A small band of volunteers (the committee) worked tirelessly for weeks before and then on the Sunday down the ground marking out lanes, knocking in stakes, and somehow it all got done and ready for the next day. The weather was always kind".
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