Do you mean those in the round tins?
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Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now
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Or in packets. There were however different types of boiled sweet including barley sugar in round tins with the sweets being coated with a sort of powdery sugar. Someone else may recall who manufactured them. They were particularly popular for car journeys.
GusB
Established Member
I don't recall anyone mincing leftover bars of soap, but I do remember my next door neighbour having an electric boiler that she used for towels and sheets. It was kept in the shed and the stuff she put in it wasn't like ordinary washing powder. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I do remember her asking me if I wouldn't mind going to one of the local shops to "do a message" for her (rewarded by a "penny for a sweetie" - usually 10p). The word "snow" rings a bell, but I'm not 100% sure.
If I walked into a supermarket today and asked for a kilo of the stuff, I'm fairly sure I'd get some funny looks!
madannie77
Member
The round tins of sweets my family bought were made by Simpkins of Sheffield, and they are still avaliable. It is several years since I bought any (the last purchase was from Morrisons) but my father always had a tin or two in store which i took advantage of when visiting him.
Travel Tins Collection
Simpkins Travel Tins Collection Simpkins are proud to be the ORIGINAL manufacturer of Travel Sweets – blended and manufactured with care to meet the highest standards in confectionery worldwide. Back to product index
alsimpkin.com
Springs Branch
Established Member
Book Tokens as mainstream gifts for a child's birthday or at Christmas sounds anachronistic in the era of iTunes & Amazon vouchers, or gift cards for major retailers or shopping centres.
A quick Google tells me Book Tokens are indeed still available - although probably only bought by elderly aunts and the like these days. It seems the Book Token landscape is a bit more complicated now than in the past, with both "National" and other competing products which are restricted to specific bookstore chains (e.g. a Waterstones or a Blackwell's gift card)
There's also some adverse commentary about difficulties in redeeming them in certain circumstances. Sounds like using today's Book Tokens might be a bit like offering RTVs as part of a payment - i.e. usually works OK, occasionally will get an annoyed tut and raised eyebrows, in rare cases "can't use that here!" and a flat, non-negotiable (but incorrect) refusal.
Personally, I never minded receiving a Book Token for Christmas or a birthday, as it was always promptly exchanged for one of Ian Allan's fine products. However, some of my schoolmates were less impressed when they received one in lieu of cash, or some other specific present they had dropped strong hints about.
In similar anachronistic vein: Premium Bonds - bought by favourite aunts & uncles, or happy grandparents on the occasion of one of a child's life milestones. Christening - confirmation - passing the 11+ and that sort of thing.
I was mildly surprised to see Premium Bonds are still "a thing". All online now, of course, but still seeming operating according to the original 1950s model, with HM government holding nearly half a billion quid of these funds.
This reminded me I probably have a few (literally) Premium Bonds floating around somewhere from five or six decades ago. If I can ever find the numbers and cash them in, the principal might just about pay for a couple of bus fares or a cup of coffee - unless I happen to have won one or more of the big prizes (up to £1million) over the intervening years.
A quick Google tells me Book Tokens are indeed still available - although probably only bought by elderly aunts and the like these days. It seems the Book Token landscape is a bit more complicated now than in the past, with both "National" and other competing products which are restricted to specific bookstore chains (e.g. a Waterstones or a Blackwell's gift card)
There's also some adverse commentary about difficulties in redeeming them in certain circumstances. Sounds like using today's Book Tokens might be a bit like offering RTVs as part of a payment - i.e. usually works OK, occasionally will get an annoyed tut and raised eyebrows, in rare cases "can't use that here!" and a flat, non-negotiable (but incorrect) refusal.
Personally, I never minded receiving a Book Token for Christmas or a birthday, as it was always promptly exchanged for one of Ian Allan's fine products. However, some of my schoolmates were less impressed when they received one in lieu of cash, or some other specific present they had dropped strong hints about.
In similar anachronistic vein: Premium Bonds - bought by favourite aunts & uncles, or happy grandparents on the occasion of one of a child's life milestones. Christening - confirmation - passing the 11+ and that sort of thing.
I was mildly surprised to see Premium Bonds are still "a thing". All online now, of course, but still seeming operating according to the original 1950s model, with HM government holding nearly half a billion quid of these funds.
This reminded me I probably have a few (literally) Premium Bonds floating around somewhere from five or six decades ago. If I can ever find the numbers and cash them in, the principal might just about pay for a couple of bus fares or a cup of coffee - unless I happen to have won one or more of the big prizes (up to £1million) over the intervening years.
I received a Waterstone's gift card from my dentist, because I helped them with a promotional video by appearing in it and talking about them - I hadn't wanted to be paid but the gift card was the right gesture I think. I used it to buy a physics text book which ordinarily I might have baulked at buying, so it worked out well I think.
dangie
Established Member
Friend of mine received a Get Well Soon card from his local pub. It made him realise he probably spent too much time & money in there
eoff
Member
I'm a fan of Premium Bonds, even more so when interest rates were really low. So I think they can only be considered in the paper form as out of fashion.
Now I need to get my plastic snow shovel since the metal ones don't seem to be a thing any more.
Last edited:
lyndhurst25
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,548
Book Tokens seem to be in a bit of a confusing mess. My dad recently won one in an online competition and was emailed an electronic version, basically a barcode. However it seems that, while the paper version is more widely accepted, many bookshops (mainly independent ones) do not accept the electronic version.
Nowadays, Premium Bonds seem to be mainly used as a tax-free savings vehicle for the wealthy. If you look at the list of winners, many are holding the maximum amount of £50000.
Nowadays, Premium Bonds seem to be mainly used as a tax-free savings vehicle for the wealthy. If you look at the list of winners, many are holding the maximum amount of £50000.
swt_passenger
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 33,069
The boxed washing powder, (or was it flakes?), was “Fairy Snow”. Part of the same brand as Fairy Liquid.I don't recall anyone mincing leftover bars of soap, but I do remember my next door neighbour having an electric boiler that she used for towels and sheets. It was kept in the shed and the stuff she put in it wasn't like ordinary washing powder. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I do remember her asking me if I wouldn't mind going to one of the local shops to "do a message" for her (rewarded by a "penny for a sweetie" - usually 10p). The word "snow" rings a bell, but I'm not 100% sure.
If I walked into a supermarket today and asked for a kilo of the stuff, I'm fairly sure I'd get some funny looks!
Same here. We have some bonds bought by an aunt in the early 70s through the mid 80s - which have won exactly nothing.
Shimbleshanks
Member
Wasn't there also a stick version that was two strands twisted together and encased in cellophane?The round tins of sweets my family bought were made by Simpkins of Sheffield, and they are still avaliable. It is several years since I bought any (the last purchase was from Morrisons) but my father always had a tin or two in store which i took advantage of when visiting him.
Travel Tins Collection
Simpkins Travel Tins Collection Simpkins are proud to be the ORIGINAL manufacturer of Travel Sweets – blended and manufactured with care to meet the highest standards in confectionery worldwide. Back to product index
uglymonkey
Member
- Joined
- 10 Aug 2018
- Messages
- 613
A growing Economy????
Sun Chariot
Established Member
Ireland's economic strategy and resuls shows the UK how it should be done.
Ireland’s decision to cut corporation tax to just 12.5% in the late 1990s raised eyebrows, but, by attracting Google, Apple, Pfizer and other top tier organisations, Ireland created jobs, boosted investment, and drove economic growth.
Ireland is sitting on a €25 billion budget surplus. Meanwhile, the UK is sitting on a £40 billion deficit.
I'd totally forgotten about that but yes you're right - barley sugar sticks were an alternative to the standard size boiled sweets.
BingMan
Member
- Joined
- 8 Feb 2019
- Messages
- 540
I never found that sticking barley sugars in your ears helped prevent sore ears. More likely to make them sore
I like how much work "and other" is apparently doing there. I had no idea Ireland is being funded almost exclusively from the corporation tax returns of those three companies. Seems a little unwise given who is about to become the Internet Guy / Pharmacist In Chief.
If you're referring to Musk, he's a tiny player in the Internet space, mainly due to destroying Twitter.
Killingworth
Established Member
Beef dripping.
We had a joint of beef this weekend and no fat so no chance of taaty bread and dripping sandwiches today. 50 years ago there'd have been a layer of fat on the joint to provide the dripping that would have been kept for later.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean.
We had a joint of beef this weekend and no fat so no chance of taaty bread and dripping sandwiches today. 50 years ago there'd have been a layer of fat on the joint to provide the dripping that would have been kept for later.
Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean.
GusB
Established Member
I bought a beef joint from Tesco just before Christmas and I was quite surprised to see that it had a layer of dripping across the top. It came in handy for the roast tatties.
You can keep your bread and dripping sandwiches, though! (Blergh)
That said, you can buy blocks of beef dripping the same as you can get blocks of lard. As noted by @GusB it makes for excellent roast tatties.
Amos
Member
Bread and dripping was my mother’s cure all for everyday ailments,and if we ever claimed to be too ill for school out it would come.Usually worked though because we rarely got ill!
With salt on them. For added unhealthy eating.
Was beef dripping not the magic ingredient in Clootie Dumpling? (Along with the sixpences wrapped in greaseproof paper.)
CastlebarKeith
Member
Blue Carbon paper
Rolls of fax paper
Rolls of fax paper
Well I suppose they are - who wears 'coms' these days?
D6130
Established Member
I'm afraid that reference will be completely lost on anyone from South of Gretna.
I remember my grandmother’s gas powered ‘copper’, a large drum to boil water and manually agitate the contents. It had a flexible hose to connect to a gas tap in the same way that bunsen burners did in our science classes.
At my parents’ home in the 60s we had a plug-in gas poker to get the coal fire (coke in our case) started.
Springs Branch
Established Member
That reminds me of one of the Dilbert comic strips . . .
Pointy-haired boss: "The Management have been doing a review. We've concluded Our People are not actually the company's most valuable resource. In fact, they're number eight."
Dilbert: "Just out of interest, what was number seven?"
Boss (consults piece of paper): "Carbon paper."
Something else you no longer find in the office stationery cupboard - pads of pale blue printed graph paper.
And, if you happened to work in a scientific function, its more exotic cousins - pads of log-linear and log-log graph paper*.
In fact, in most cost-conscious companies in the 21st century, there won't even be a stationery cupboard.
* - nowadays, if you really want to draw a plot with pencil & ruler rather than use graphing software on a screen, you can download pdfs and print sheets of blank graph paper from the internet. And for the real sticklers for scientific tradition with a generous boss, Amazon still sells the old-fashioned pads, at a price.