Walter Bailey (Par) Ltd
Small enough to care, big enough to deliver.
(01726) 812245
Our History
Our journey into becoming an agricultural store began back in 1928 with Walter Bailey mixing and selling animal feed. Although he didn’t have a shop, he had a tin bath in his cottage to mix the feed which he later delivered using a wheelbarrow and that was where the story began…
Beginnings
Walter Bailey delivered the feed himself in a wheelbarrow to customers who kept a small number of animals such as chickens or pigs. As Walter became more successful and the business grew, he was able to upgrade from the wheelbarrow to a pony and trap. Further down the line, Walter managed to get his own small lorry to deliver to Walter Bailey customers. A shed on St Andrew’s Road was used as a storage holding, and that same shed is still used by the family today.
In 1933, Walter’s store was built and we’ve still got the date clearly on show above the door. Walter then began a family with his wife Winifred, and as the years went on his three sons became involved with the business.
By 1940, the Walter Bailey company had seen sales increase and so a new store with grain processing machinery was put in place. Walter then began to purchase grain from local farms to mix, grind and crush. What’s more, Walter was then able to become an agent for national suppliers and soon the Walter Bailey Par establishment was selling compound feed, potatoes, cement, coal, and much more!
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Andrew Bailey took over the business from his dad, and along with his two brothers ran it for several years before handing over the reins to son David in 2001. Ever since then, he could be found in his trusty tipper, always ready to lend a helping hand. On the flip side, he was also ready to fire off a string of expletives should something go wrong – sure to be accompanied by the sight of his cap flung across the yard in despair!
An unprecedented turnout to his funeral in the summer of 2021 only served to cement his reputation with local builders and farmers alike. AB (as he was affectionately known) was an integral part of the company in his lifetime, and his practices and advice continue to influence us today.
Walter Bailey (Par) Ltd Today
As the business stepped into the 70s, 80s and 90s, Walter Bailey’s three sons Jeremy, Andrew and Peter took charge of the company and were able to keep the business at the forefront of agricultural supplies, even as the farming industry undertook some drastic changes.
The Walter Bailey business has strong family roots and now, Andrew’s son David runs the company and is able to keep Walter Bailey not only as a favourite supplier to the businesses it has long-standing relationships with, but also as a forerunner for winning new customers too.