Sidney & Florence Janes

click Families for other local fmilies

click Janes for others in this family

also click 1957 Sid's Bakehouse for memories of Sid's daughter Pamela

Sid Janes on delivery round

Sid Janes' covered cart used in winter to deliver the bread, outside The Whip

Sydney Henry Janes born 1904 was the son of Hezekiah & Caroline Janes

Florence May Saunders born 1906 in Speen was the daughter of Emily Elizabeth Saunders.

Sid married Florrie in 1927.

In 1935, Sidney Janes was nominated to serve as one of the Parish Constables for the ensuing year.   click Parish Council for more information.

Sid and Florrie had 2 children as follows :-

Mollie Nancy Janes born married Dennis Burrows

Charlie Claydon and Sid Janes

Pamela Florence Janes born married Peter Armstrong. Pamela Armstrong described Lacey Green School in a questionnaire at a school reunion organised by Lacey Green History Group. Click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000

After Sidney died in 1962, his widow Florence was interviewed by Miles Marshall who reported the following :-

Mrs Janes, Sidney's widow, still lives in the village in the modern bungalow which she built on part of the old farm land when he died so she might look after her mother. When I visited her she was kind enough to help me in piecing together the story of the old bakehouse. So too was Charlie Claydon who worked for many years for Sidney Janes. In fact Mr Claydon was brought up in the business from a lad. Sidney developed his baking business and eventually had his grandfather's old bread oven demolished and a modern oven installed by a London firm. He had a wide sale for his bread. He ran two delivery vans at one time, though always with horses. They also kept a trap which Mrs Janes would drive. She would sometimes drive it down to Jacob's Smithy in Back Lane, Princes Risborough to get a horse shod.

Sidney's output was almost entirely bread, no confectionery, though to special order he would bake the most delicious lardy cakes (shaley cakes to some). He would also, on a Saturday, bake a pie or a weekend joint for cottagers at tuppence a time. and his services were sure to be in demand to bake their Christmas dinners too.

Mrs Janes used to keep ducks and hens which were her main interest, for she took no active part in the bakery, though sometimes she would bake herself or her friends some special bread rolls in the bakery on a Saturday morning. She also sold milk from the house and still recollects her embarrassment, when she was first married, at the habit of regular customers walking straight into their breakfast room and waiting until they were served! But she soon got accustomed to it and thought no more of it than did Sidney.

Later, as her husband's health deteriorated, she felt obliged to suggest his retirement. This she did hesitantly, expecting to find him reluctant to leave the old home of his father and grandfather. To her surprise he welcomed the idea and in 1958 he sold his bread round to a baker in High Wycombe named Anderson and most of the land and the bakehouse he sold to Hickman's the builders for development. They let the bakehouse and for a time it was used as a cafe whilst they built the new houses which now grace Main Road at this point.

The Janes's moved to an attractive modern ranch-style house at Flowers Bottom with a large and beautiful garden which they both enjoyed very much, living here in happy retirement until at only 56 Mr Janes died in 1962.