A WIDNES bakery brought an end to three generations of family trading on Saturday when it closed its doors for the final time.

The Hughes family has run Kirkham's bakers, on Albert Road, for more than 50 years but after much soul-searching, has decided enough is enough.

Barry Hughes, 46, who has worked in the shop with dad, Don, 77, since he was 11, said: "We still enjoy what we do but it's just become too much for us. I've been working 14 hours a day and haven't had a holiday for two years.

"My grandfather bought the shop in 1950 from a woman called Mrs Wigglesworth and it was already called Kirkham's then.

"One chap, Tom Cook, has been coming here for 70 years and he's 88 years old now."

Barry described the last day as 'sad' but added: "Our customers are upset we're closing but they understand."

So, after working in the shop part-time since he was 11 and full-time since he was 18, what is Barry going to do now?

"I'm going to have a holiday and think about it, just a case of having a rest. I am going to work again though, I'm definitely not retiring," he said.

"I would like to thank all our staff and customers from over the years who have been very loyal. A lot of small bakers close down because they have lost customers to supermarkets but our customers have stuck with us to the end."