Acity baking dynasty

Reader Tanya Craythorne came in with a treasure trove of old pictures that her grandfather David “Russell” Fowler, who recently celebrated his 95th birthday, handed to her in a large suitcase.

Fowlers was for many years a well known name on the Peterborough shop scene with their baker’s business.

Indeed the Fowlers were something of a Peterborough dynasty which began with Tanya’s great-great grandfather Alfred Fowler. He started the family business in 1884 with a baker’s store on the corner of Dogsthorpe Road and Queens Street (pictured bottom, right.

Tanya explained that Alfred was a builder, who built most of the houses in Dogsthorpe, before opening the baker’s shop.

Later, when the demand for bread increased, a bakehouse in Fengate was opened.

Subsequently, they had other shops including ones in Eye and Market Deeping.

They also had a shop in Church Street, opposite what is now Cathedral Square where Barclays Bank is today. Three of today’s pictures show that shop including the one with the competition window featuring some loaves with intricate designs.

Tanya’s grandad (Russell) was born at 273 Percival Street in 1922 and he is pictured by the horse and carriage. That picture was taken at Thorpe Hall fete in June 1944 with Russell taking first place.

Russell’s father Alfred Vickers Fowler was also involved in the formation of Peterborough Building Society. He is second from the right on the picture above.

The business was sold to Mother’s Pride, Tanya thinks, sometime in the late 60s.

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David “Russell” Fowler