THE name Crosfield is indelibly woven into the fabric of Warrington’s history.

This week I’m going to share memories of key people associated with the company of Crosfields. I hope it releases other memories we can revisit via this column.

Before that, some context.

In 1814, Joseph Crosfield established a soap-making factory at Bank Quay. In 1911 it was bought by Brunner, Mond and Company, then taken over by Lever Brothers, which in turn became Unilever. It has since passed through the ownership of ICI, Ineos and PQ.

Thanks to my two previous columns about comedy writer Richard Curtis, Guardian reader Barry Jones contacted me about his father, who worked for Richard’s father, Tony Curtis, chairman of Crosfields.

Barry says: “My dad was Jack Jones and his official title was ‘chairman’s chauffeur’. However he was the face of the company for many visitors over the 20 years he was chauffeur as he would often pick visitors up from the airport or travel to London to collect people from Heathrow.

“He would also take Mr Curtis and the other chairmen he worked for, including Mr Fox and Dr Edelman.

“Mr Curtis was the one my dad liked the most. Even after Mr Curtis retired, my mum and dad kept in touch with him and his wife, Glyness, sending Christmas and birthday cards, presents etc.

“My dad made the wedding cake for Richard’s sister. In the photo of him with one of his cakes he is in his work suit and the photo was part of a batch taken for the Crosfield magazine.

“He was a master confectioner by trade and had been bakery foreman at Bennetts before joining Unilever.

“Mr Curtis was an unconventional kind of chairman, very business-like but very approachable and friendly.

“He once phoned our house early one Saturday morning to see if me and dad would like to accompany him and Richard’s younger brother, Jamie, to watch Liverpool at Anfield.

“Of course we went, even though I was a United supporter. I was only 11 and had never been to a live game before as my dad wasn’t that interested.

“Jamie was a huge Liverpool fan. My dad did the driving and I sat in the back with Jamie, nattering as kids do – him the Papplewick public school boy and me a product of Bewsey Primary School.

“I was also told by my dad that Jamie once received a present for one of his birthdays from Joanna Lumley – the fake gun she used in the New Avengers.

“One other thing I was told by my dad which may interest is how Richard’s father became known as Anthony J Curtis. Legend has it that when he arrived in Australia from Czechoslovakia, he was advised to take a more un-foreign name.

“A name at the time belonging to a rising Hollywood actor caught his eye: Tony Curtis (Curtis was always credited as Anthony Curtis in his early career) and that was the name he chose. “The actor Curtis was also part-Czechoslovakian (his mum was Slovak) which may have also been a deciding factor, but who knows.

“The other photo by the way is my blue MK1 3.0 Ghia Ford Granada parked outside Crosfields. At the time that Mr Curtis became chairman, that was the car my dad drove. I took the picture last year as a bit of a daft tribute, because that is where my dad always used to park when he was in the factory.”

Thank you for that, Barry.

Does anybody else remember Tony Curtis and his chauffeur Jack Jones?

Or perhaps you have more general memories of Crosfields?

Let me know.