The Printing Works Premises.

The Village 1890
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The property on the left of the photograph marked 'Printing Office' is where I grew up and lived until my student days. My parents operated a bakers and confectionery business from the premises.

In 1890, when a printing works, it was owned by the Brookes family as can be seen from the sign over the door. Their ownership continued until about 1918, at which time two sisters opened a cafe (Fells Cafe) and bakery business. One of the sisters, Sarah Fell, had lost her husband to the 1918 influenza pandemic and this led to them moving to Ingleton from Ambleside.

By this time the premises had acquired another storey - the roof had been raised to a higher level than your picture shows and another window had been fitted above the one marked 'Printing Office'. The new top floor was converted to be a bakehouse - with coke-fired oven on the attic level! My father got a job there and learned the baking trade, becoming quite celebrated for his elaborately decorated wedding cakes. He eventually took over the wedding business and transferred the baking activity to other premises across the street while still using the shop and cafe. The bakery operated under several subsequent owners until 1999.

The 'Printing Office' has been a confectioners and cafe (c1918 to c1945), a bakers and confectioners and a clothes shop and bookshop. The Brookes family subsequently emigrated to Canada, though the 'Greta Printing Works' continued to exist in other premises in the village until the early 1960s.

Behind the printing works is the Oddfellows Arms which closed many years ago and is now a shop. The building in the background was originally the farmhouse of Seed Hill Farm.