This week’s Bygones comes courtesy of a chance discovery made in the Chronicle archive, dated from 1958.

‘First Name News’, allowed staff at Huntley & Palmers to keep up to date with the latest news in the ‘world’s biggest biscuit factory’ based along the Kings Road in Reading.

The front cover illustrates the original shop in London Street in Edwardian times, but by the early 1900’s the firm employed over 5,000 people, becoming the world’s leading biscuit maker.

What lies within the pages of the 32-page booklet is like a time capsule of post-war Britain’s industrial and social history.

The main editorial headline is the firms participation at the Brussels Exhibition in Belgium, where the firm had a custom-made ‘shop’ in the British Pavilion, showing visitors what UK industry had to offer to the rest of the world.

Some other fascinating insights into the 20th century workplace were featured, such as the Health Centre which was opened in 1952,

Its facilities included a waiting room, cubicles for undressing and a doctor’s room, used mainly for examining new employees, although all workers could be treated for injury or illness at work.

Stringent health checks were made for any potential skin conditions because staff were constantly handling food products.

A special hand cream was worn at all times whilst working on the production and packing lines.

Another popular health service provided was available on ‘Chriropody Thursday’ when feet were attended to and a Dental Clinic was on hand to deal with emergencies. It was not all work and no play at Huntley and Palmers, at least half of the pages in the news sections relate to staff social gatherings and the numerous company sports clubs and teams.

The wonderfully named Bourbons Theatre Group put on a show in the Barn Theatre, entitled ‘Rope’ but the Choral Society’s concert was (it was reported) very poorly attended.

A recent staff dance included a ‘Drinking Contest’ with trophies seriously presented to the delighted winners!

‘Of interest to Women’ is the catchy title of one chapter, with tips on cooking, making sandwiches and a review of a new oven cleaning fluid called ‘Zonk’. As it was the summer holiday season, so another article highlighted what to pack in your suitcase, the emphasis being on making sure the clothes had a ‘hard-wearing quality’.

A feature on photography highlighted how to take ‘comedy’ pictures and the example of a man dressed as a woman pulling a funny face must (one presumes) have had people ‘rolling in the aisles’ with laughter.

It is hard to not laugh (or cringe) at some of the articles in ‘First Name News’ but one has to marvel at how attitudes have changed both in and out of the workplace in the last 50 years.

Huntley & Palmers ceased manufacturing in Reading in 1976, one of the original offices still stands as testament to when the town of Reading was known for its ‘Biscuits, Beer and Bulbs’.