Party Bread
When I was a child, my mother always made Fairy Bread for our birthday parties (a party was not a party without fairy bread). She also made the most incredible Club Sandwiches (old fashioned way), Pin wheels and Cheese & Bacon Slice for special occasions.
She would visit the local bakery, and have the bread sliced length ways (the opposite direction to how the bread is traditionally sliced). I have carried on the tradition. When preparing party food or specialty sandwiches I visit my local bakery, Gails in Barnes where the staff slice the bread for me upon request.
By slicing the bread length ways you maximise the surface area to cut the bread into various shapes, it makes the sandwich making process more efficient. The off cuts, we take down to the park and feed to the ducks.