Fond Memories

13 June

I’ve missed Trooping the Colour again this year. This time it’s because Kile is here and he was promised he could have the Wii thingy. I can’t stand these silly games things so now I have to find something to do for mesen. Of course I could go out n about with me camera but right now we have wall to wall rain out there, and my Nikon isn’t weather shielded; and we don’t have the dosh to allow me to go where the sun is shining.

Actually, it’s rather dark out there too and the scaffolding up against the building is making it even darker. There’s an elderly lady living in the flat opposite to us, Kath is a really friendly lady but I couldn’t live in here place without the lights on. Next door to her is Val. Last night Val came over to see us because we had some money for her. It turns out Val is a pleasant lady too. Last night was the first time she has spoken to us the three years we have been in here. Yes, three years; yet it doesn’t seem that long, not by a long chalk. Time flying and having fun comes to mind.

There was an item on Facebook today about Old English Spangles. I couldn’t stand them at all, preferring the fruit ones. Anyway, when I was in Asda the other day I found fruit Polos, another sweet I hadn’t seen in a long time. Now we have loads of them in. I got to thinking about other sweets and chocolate bars that aren’t available now. Do you remember Five Boys, or the Fry’s chocolate bars with different flavours of fondant in them? The one I liked most was Tiffen, a mixture of fruit and biscuit crumb. So many of these treats have now gone by the wayside.

It’s like the older shops and stores too. Debenhams here in town was once known as J C Smiths. They had a separate food section where you could buy just about everything you wanted apart from fruit and veg. Then there was old Woolworth’s store which also had a provisions section. I always remembered having to queue up there every Saturday while mam and dad bought their cheese, bacon and sausage. I still think that when Woolies got rid of that section was the start of their decline on the British high street. Another shop that was always full of people was Boffins, again, long gone. The one I’d love to see back was Reg Haddon Books, on the corner of Queens Road and Dougdale Street. So many treasures, large and small, now gone leaving the high streets of Britain poorer because of their passing.

And so for today’s photo …

Another old business that has gone, this time a Pub called the Peacock, my local at one point. Now Queens Road has no pubs at all.

Today’s groaner …

 Q: What do you call a baby monkey? A: A Chimp off the old block.