A PICTURE we published a few weeks ago of the old ovens of Slaters bakery, still visible in the Copperfields clothes shop, have prompted memories from Mrs Beryl Carrington.
"Tom Slater cooked his cakes and pastries there, and also ran the dining rooms further along towards the corner with Chequer Street," she writes.
"Mr and Mrs Slater were great friends of my mother and father, Harry and Jessie Carrington."
Her father lodged with the Slater family when he first came to St Albans in 1896.
"As a child I was taken to Slaters dining rooms for elevenses on the daily shopping expedition my menu was soda and milk, with a cherry-topped biscuit, while Mama sipped a small port.
"We also went to their High Street flat for Sunday tea, and watched the traffic flow by the solitary policeman standing in the centre of the crossing to direct it on the busiest crossroads in the country.
"Mr Slater provided most of the food for lunches and dinners in the Town Hall, weddings and banquets wonderful trifles thick with cream, wedding cakes and all the goodies for 'cold collations'. He made my 21st birthday cake and family wedding cakes.
"Tom sang as an after-dinner entertainer, and kept all his tables, chairs and so on at the top of Worley Road."
October 23, 2001 9:35
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article