Shinfield - Branch 31

Parking spaces inside Shinfield branch

The village of Shinfield lies in the suburbs of Reading, Berkshire. It derived it's name from the Anglo Saxons who christened it 'Shining Field' because of the shimmering flood waters which covered the meadows by the River Loddon near it's border with Arborfield.

Shinfield branch was opened in June 1942 and was the thin end of the Job's wedge in the Reading area. This was at a time when Didcot plant was increasingly moving from butter and cream production to bottled milk to become 'a second Hanworth' and serve the expanding country branches. It was not until Didcot was sold in 1970 that Hanworth began servicing Shinfield with daily milk deliveries.

A milk delivery arrives from Hanworth plant

Martin Neate at the wheel of 'The House of Job' at Shinfield. This was a converted milk float that was built by the Body Repair Shop at Hanworth and used for promotional purposes.

I remember Les Neate at Shinfield in the sixties, I was a driver's mate to Len Branch and we delivered to Shinfiled daily from Didcot Dairy. We quite often breathed a sigh of relief if Les was there as he would help us if he could, nice man.

The pub opposite was called the Merry Maidens and soon became a stamping ground for the Didcot drivers and mates on a night out in Reading. The last I heard it was called the Pickled Newt -  anyone know if this is true? 

Bob Smith

Dear Job's website,

I was a late starter at Job's, only starting in March 1985. Colin Mace took me on at the Shinfield branch, to do what was then known as a wholesale round covering Windsor, Bracknell, Ascot and Maidenhead area. Then after a few months I was offered the Reading round which I did until the Unigate takeover.

With the retirement of John Francis I went into the servery, then with the introduction of franchised rounds I transferred to that. In 1995 I transferred my franchise to Torquay and my wife and I moved down there.

I continued my franchise until knee problems forced me to hand it back. I was fortunate to be able to go to the bottling plant at Totnes where I carried on working until my retirement in 2007, just a month before it was announced that the plant was to close in September.

Some of the names I remember from my Job's days are Jack Cornish, Derrick Walden, George Cooper, Arthur Lunnon, Peter Terry, John & Eddie Leahy, Les Neate and his son Martin, Eric Hall, Ken Dyson and Kevin & Tom Williams. There are many, many more whose names I cannot recall but I can still see their faces.

I, like so many, were sad at the demise of Job's - the job was never the same again. I send my warm regards to any old work mates from those days that read this and who can remember me.

Regards

Fred Watts

Hi,

l have just discovered the Job's website.

l worked as a roundsman on the Coley Park estate from l964 to l971. l left to become a milk bottle buyer in the old Huntingdonshire county.

l was interested in the email from Fred Watts mentioning Colin Mace. l think l have some photos of my time at Job's and l can remember Colin and his girlfriend Diana baby sitting for my wife and me and l also have a short film of their wedding.

l would be most interested if anybody knows of his whereabouts.

Regards

Stan Jackson.

E-mail us your photos and stories about Shinfield Branch

Post us your photos and stories about Shinfield Branch