A CENTURY after its founding in Leigh, Waterfields Bakery remains a cherished part of high streets in the North West.
Originally opened by Alice Waterfield in 1926, the bakery started as a single shop selling pies and cakes.
Today, Waterfields boasts over 35 stores, yet memories of its early days are alive among residents and past employees alike.
Many readers took to the comments to share their experiences, painting a vivid picture of Waterfields’ place in the community.
Susan Chadwick said: "I remember the cafe upstairs at Waterfields Union St and customers queueing out the door in the morning for bread.
"Three shops in Leigh - Union Street, Bradshawgate, and Leigh Road.
"Couldn’t beat the quality."
Family and work connections run deep through the stories.
Gillian Sinar said: "I had a Saturday job when I was about 15 or 16 in the Leigh Road shop.
"My father did deliveries on a Saturday as an extra job.
"I had chicken and chips and lemon meringue pie for my lunch every week - lovely."
Its role as a community fixture shines through in tales spanning decades.
Elizabeth Bridge said: "My Auntie Lucy worked for Waterfields when I was a little girl.
"I am now 80 and had my wedding reception there.
"My daughter now works in Warrington and brought me a pasty from Waterfields there.
"It's nice to know some things don't change - it was delicious."
The bakery is also proudly remembered by former staff, many of whom spent years behind the counter or in the bakehouse.
Lynn Arstall said: "I worked at the bakery as Financial Controller for six years and retired in 2017.
"Miss the cakes, no Waterfield’s near me."
Steven Peet said: "I worked at Waterfields for just short of 30 years, loved it."
Products like caramel doughnuts and sausage rolls drew particular praise, with Ben Almond calling them the "Best sausage rolls in the world."
For some, the bakery is a dearly missed part of their old hometowns.
Susan Williams said: "Wish we had a Waterfields here, one of the shops I miss since leaving Leigh in 89."
As Waterfields celebrates its hundredth anniversary, these warm tributes show the bakery’s significance in generations of local lives.
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