Beltons – baking for Deeping for over 60 years!

If you are looking for an individual wedding cake that will complement your unique wedding this year, there are a number of creative cake makers locally, headed up by Sarah McCann-Pope of Lilli’s Cakery and Tea Shop, who you will often see crafting delicate roses out of icing and producing flamboyant designs to stun and amaze. But if you were living in the Deepings in the 1920s and wanted a cake that would be the star of the celebrations then you would head to Church Street, Market Deeping, and specifically to Belton’s Bakery, where Fred Belton was renowned for his cakes, especially his wedding cakes.

Fred was born near Boston in a little village called Thornton le Fen in 1884. He was the youngest son of William and Martha (née Christian). When Fred was just seven years old the family moved to Dronfield in Derbyshire where William set up his own business as a coal carter.

In February 1907 Fred married Lydia Briggs, the daughter of the late farmer Thomas Briggs and Emma. The wedding was held at the Wesleyan Chapel in Billingborough, Fred having set up his own bakery and grocery in Pointon just down the road. He carried on the business with baker Edward Sheffield and Emma, also living at the premises.

The business was successful and soon, in late 1912, Fred bought the shop in Market Deeping. Initially he had a horse and cart for deliveries but later a liveried delivery van. The shop was divided into two sections, one for the bakery, and the other for fancy goods including haberdashery. Edward Sheffield by this time had married and set up home in Pontefract. Fred prospered and became a respected member of the town; in September 1922 he was on jury service at the police station for the inquest of Ivy Prentice, who had been shot at the White Horse by Frank Fowler. Fred was a member of the Conservative Party and took an interest in local affairs. His prosperity allowed him to buy several properties, one of which was a cottage (for £110) in Mill Lane (now Stamford Road) previously the home of Mrs Wilderspin. By 1930 he had also purchased numbers 84 & 86 Church Street opposite the bakery and now one house. Later he was to buy just over two acres of land at Langtoft Fen.

In July 1931 Fred was re-elected as Director of the Market Deeping Gas & Coke Company having first taken the post in June 1929. He purchased 30 fully paid shares in the company in February 1947 for £13.10 shillings each.

Fred and Lydia energetically participated in the life of the town; at the annual garden fete held at the Rectory Fred won a pig in the skittling competition in 1934. Lydia was asked to judge the cake-baking classes in the Horticultural Show in 1936 while Fred donated a supply of bread to the Peterborough hospital at this time. Along with many others in this country the sight of the Spitfire in the skies above had captured Fred’s imagination and so too did the Spitfire Fund set up by Lord Beaverbrook as a way to speed up aircraft production as part of the war effort in 1940. Fred contributed £40 to the Fund which raised £13 million (approximately £650 million at today’s values).

Fred’s nephew and butcher Walter had married Bessie Muscroft in St Oswald’s Church in Sheffield in 1951. Looking for secure employment he had entered the family business in Market Deeping in 1952 where Bessie gave birth to their only son, Roy. Fred was looking to retire; in 1953 he had spare time to take on the Captaincy of the Market Deeping Bowls Club and in 1954 he and Lydia moved to 13, Mill Drove in Bourne.

When Walter took over he turned a new page in the production process and advertised a modern Steam Bakery offering bread, buns, pork pies, scones, all types of cakes including the wedding cakes for which his uncle was famous. He took on John (known as Jack) Sheffield who lived at number 86 Church Street, neighbours to Mr and Mrs Soames at number 84. Jack took on the responsibility for the bread rounds in the villages.

Like his uncle before him, Walter embraced life in the town. In 1956 he was Vice Captain of the Market Deeping Cricket Team and was presented with a cup for his services to the Club in 1957 as an all rounder. In October 1965 he was recorded as giving bread for the harvest thanksgiving at St Guthlac’s.

Life had not always run smoothly for Walter. In 1957 it was reported in the Peterborough Advertiser that ‘A Market Deeping baker is being strongly cautioned by the Peterborough Inspector of Foods Committee for selling buns with imitation cream from a van in Northborough without displaying notices to that effect in his van and in the shop.’

A year later it was recorded that Messrs F Belton Bakers were unable to supply any sliced bread and their cake making had to be done by hand due to a power cut in Market Deeping.

Fred died in April 1966 leaving £21,418, including the bakery, to Lydia. On her demise two years later Walter inherited the bakery at 31 and 33 Church St and also 86 Church St along with £3,000. Number 84 Church St was left to Hilda Soames (née Martin) provided it was kept in good repair and insured and then going to Roy Belton on Hilda’s death in 1973. Hilda, one of four daughters of John and Drusilla Martin from River View in Stamford Road, had worked as an assistant in the bakery since she left school.

Hilda had married motor mechanic William Soames in 1953. He had lived in Market Deeping since 1921 when he came to the town from Sheffield with his family. Initially they lived at Stamford House and then Willoughby House (80 Church St.) His father apprenticed him to the motor engineering firm of Johnsons of Peterborough and afterwards Reads of Broadway, Peterborough. In his spare time William helped the family run the two cinemas which his father had bought. One was the old cinema which burnt down in 1931 where repertory ran twice weekly, and the other was a mobile cinema which travelled the villages. After his marriage to Hilda he became chief engineer with Mann Egerton of Peterborough. His interest and knowledge of cars saw him in charge of veteran and competition motors and of course his skills were very helpful in servicing the bakery van and equipment. It was a sad day in Deeping in 1972 when William died, as his obituary described him as a well-loved local character. He left £1,671.

Fred had made all of the wedding cakes for the Martin girls, beginning with Florence when in 1923 she married George Brudenell son of the late Joseph of Baston. The wedding was at St Guthlac’s. Three years later it was the turn of Dorothy (Dolly) who married Mr S. A. Peacock, the youngest son of the late John Peacock of Bedford. In January 1929 Nellie married Horace Bland of Eye at the local church. Hilda was bridesmaid and George Brudenell, now living in Witham on the Hill, was best man. One of their noted presents was an electroplated tea service, the gift of Mr and Mrs Langsley where Nellie was employed. fast and efficient wholesaler service to enable us to fulfil all the prescriptions promptly. We also keep a wide range of over-the-counter medicines and also vitamins and mineral supplements

Our other services include

● We offer blister pack medication to patients who meet the criteria.

● Flu vaccinations will be available this winter as a pre-book or drop-in service.

● NHS unwanted medicine service, where you can return all unwanted medicines to the pharmacy where we will dispose of them safely.

● Emergency supplies: if you need one of your regular medicines in an emergency and you are unable to contact your doctor, we may be able to help.

We are an independent pharmacy giving patients a one-to-one service. We like to model ourselves on the old community pharmacy where patients get to know us and you will always see a familiar face. Here at Deeping St James Pharmacy, we are proud to be part of the community and are always striving to give the community the best service open to them.

Come in and say hello, we’d be very glad to see you and assist you with anything you need.