RUNNEMEDE REMEMBERED

Growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey


Thursday, January 14, 2010

Weber's Bakery

Reading through some Facebook entries from the "I grew up in ole Runnemede, NJ" page, I was reminded of something I do not believe I have ever mentioned.

There was a bakery in Runnemede, on the pike. It was between First and Clements Bridge Road on the east side of the pike. It was either right next to Pitt's or the tailor was next to Pitt's and then the bakery was next in the line of stores, followed by the hardware store.

Weber's Bakery was a place I loved to just walk by and smell what was being baked. Since my mom wasn't much of a baker, I didn't know what I was missing by not getting something from that store.

My dad took me into the shop a couple of times. He would go in and get some cinnamon buns. Rarely he would get me a cream donut. We usually stopped in the store when he went to the tailor shop. I guess that tells you how often we went to the bakery. I mean, my father did get his clothes tailored very often. It seems to me that the tailor also did some shirt washing and starching. I might have that wrong, but I might have that right. If anybody reading this knows, let me know.

I know I've mentioned the cream donuts that I used to get from Kelly's Bakery, down in Glendora, but I had forgotten that we had a good bakery in Runnemede for a few years. Kelly's was a hike, but worth the hike. Weber's was a two block walk. Getting there, too, was worth the trip.

So -- here's to Weber's Bakery. See, I eventually will remember or be reminded of things forgotten but stored in the computer in my head.

ttfn

1 comment:

Bill Tracy said...

I wonder a lot about Weber's. When I asked Bill Leap about the place he didn't have much to remember. The place always seemed to have a vagueness about it, and it does now more than ever.

You mention cream donuts, and sometimes I think I was keeping them in business with all the cream donuts I tried to consume. The cinnamon buns were good too. After cream donuts, the number one delight for me there were the "tea biscuits." I LOVED those things. Try as I might I've never had their equal. Big and fluffy with that egg crust and the white raisins -- such a treat.

Anyway, I know Weber's was there when I was a donut-grubbing kid. I don't know when they went away. When they did go away, my recourse was Glendora. The bakery in Glendora always seemed more real -- with cakes and cookies and things I don't recall at Weber's.

When I finally get to make my time travel trip to October 1956, I'm stopping at Weber's -- and I sure do have some questions!