Graham & Lucie Baker

Graham H Baker born 1935 was the son of Fred & Connie Baker

Lucie M Cook was born

Graham and Lucie married in 1960

Extract from Hallmark 2080. The Foundry by Miles Marshall. Graham Baker born soon after his father Fred joined the firm at The Foundry, could never be kept out of the workshops, even as a toddler, and encouraged by his grandfather, despite the protests of his anxious mother, persisted in getting himself black all over. He grew up a natural craftsman and on leaving school was apprenticed to The High Wycombe Foundry Co.

After National Service in the R.A.F. he came back to The Forge.Reporting a conversation with Graham by Joan West

In 1950, Graham Baker aged 15, was apprenticed at Wycombe Foundry for 5 years.    He cycled there daily.   The theory part was done at Wycombe Technical College, London Road.

In 1956, Graham was called up for 2 years National Service.    (Apprentices were deferred until their training was complete.)    This meant that Graham, now aged 21-23, found that younger men were giving him orders.   This he did not appreciate and disliked his years in National Service.     He was stationed at Lyneham.

Hallmark July 1991. Clem Brown Meets Graham Baker ( This report is edited to remove Clem's own opinions)

If you want a front gate of unique design, a black iron door knocker, a set of antique hinges or a cast nameplate for your house, you will probably know where to go for them. If you are a shopfitter, an engineer or an architect, you may well head for the same place. I am of course referring to Gomme's Foundry, neatly settled for the last 150 years at Loosley Row.

Now run by the versatile Baker brothers, Graham and Geoffrey, the earliest days of the foundry were guided by John Gomme and a son, Ralph, who was Graham's grandfather. These pioneers were smiths and iron founders, and in their day the manufacture and repairs of farm machinery was paramount, though such work soon passed to specialist companies.

Graham was a natural for foundry work and, later, welding and related techniques essential for metalwork. As a lad he was apprenticed to the High Wycombe Foundry Company, following this with national service and a return to the Loosley Row where the younger Geoffrey joined him on leaving school. The foundry took on a lot of cast iron work, notably parts for stoves and blocks for machine bearings.

The casual observer might conclude that nowadays the work of the forge is entirely reflected in the attractive showroom display – traditional cast firebacks, fuel baskets, decorative goodies of all kinds. It's a remarkable collection.

Important though all these are, the Baker brother's work ranges more widely. They are doing a tricky restoration job on an old 30-foot steel and cast iron bridge over a branch of the Grand Union Canal at Halton, on the Rothschild estate. The work involves much derusting and repair. Other commissions include fancy ironwork for pubs and clubs, as well as decorative castings for a men's public lavatory. Foreign jobs include ironwork at the Cairo Hilton Hotel in Brussels.

I was interested to learn that Graham Baker does not need a large advertising budget, for there is so much personal contact and recommendations.