Sweet Dreams

Strawberries and Cream. Remember those sweets? They came in big jars which the shopkeeper tipped into old-fashioned scales before pouring them into a little paper bag. “That’s ten pee please.” Even better were Rhubarb and Custard, or Cola Bottles. Pear drops were no good. They were too heavy. You didn’t get many of them for 10p. Best were the really tiny multi-coloured pips. You could fit loads of those in your little bag.

What about Black Jacks? You couldn’t eat them in secret. A black tongue gave you away every time. But they were oh so delicious. Fruit Salads were good too. Same size as Black Jacks but without the black tongue. Ha’pny chews that became two for a penny when they got rid of half-penny coins. Competitions to see who could get the most sherbet to stick to their Liquorice Torpedo. And Traffic Lights. Oh what fun you could have unwinding the liquorice circle bite by bite.

The chewy, white Pacer mints circled with green stripes. The hard boiled fruit squares of Spangles. Sugar sweet necklaces that grew thinner as you ate your way through the beads, until all you were left with was the elastic. Checking what your Love Heart said before savouring it, as you read Jackie magazine.

But best of all, was hunting for every last toffee in Nan’s Christmas tin of Quality Street.