London Transport Catering staff stirring a Christmas pudding mixture

Three people in this photo are using a giant spatula to stir a huge vat of Christmas pudding mixture. From left to right they are Edson Braithwaite, a doughmaker; Valerie Coppleston, a bakery assistant; and Aston Benjamin, a table hand. All three worked together at the London Transport Food Production Centre in Croydon. Fred Lawrence, on the right, is the bakery manager. He is pouring sherry into the mixture, which is going to be divided up to make hundreds of puddings. The sherry would help preserve them until Christmas - they were actually being made in August! In 1971, when this picture was taken, the centre produced food for 90 London Transport staff canteens across south London.