Things you don't see anymore

factormax said:
Did those same men offer a straight razor sharpening service...?
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From memory, just scissors, shears and kitchen knives, the stone was about 700mm diameter and powered by a foot treadle, I suspect it was a coarse stone such as mill stone.

Eta, I looked to see if I could find a pic of the machine, I was surprised to find that people still offer this service, a mobile knife sharpener who takes his van to housing estates. Having said that I know of someone who makes a good living going round restaurants and hotels on a set day of the month providing a knife sharpening service.
 
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hotmetal said:
Smiths Crispy Tubes crisps.

The Tufty Club

Pacers (like Opal fruits but mint, probably what the Green Cross Code man would have in his pocket). Disappeared mid 80s.
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I had forgotten Pacers.

I was about to reminisce about Wilko mints, these were large licorice sweets like a torpedo but very strongly minty, they are still available.

As a small boy I asked a relative about WW2, he said his ship had been sunk by a torpedo, I told people that granddads ship had been sunk by a torpedo holding my finger and thumb one inch apart.
 
factormax said:
Sweets in jars (too many varieties to list), sold by the quarter pound or two ounces in paper bags.

Actually, I've come across a few shops selling them, but they tend to be a gimmick.
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Exactly that. I remember the dusty old sweet shops often run by grey haired old ladies with a sign on the door saying "only 2 school children at a time" or some such. At the end of the road where my primary school was, there was exactly such a shop, called "The Little Shop" and we all used to call her Mrs Little, presumably because somebody had thought it must have been her name above the door, and it stuck. On Fridays we'd get 5p each to go and get a paper bag of 'prawns' (ha'penny each!), UFOs, Blackjacks, Rhubarb and Custards, and aniseed balls. Well, that's what I would probably have got.

Now they're all pastiches of that, with all the "authenticity" of an Irish pub in Japan. Usually far too well lit, with fake bottle glass shopfront and plastic veneer MDF old style shelves with the aforementioned jars of sweets, with "gimmick" pricing per 100g (not a qtr lb, mark you!)

Mind you if they're selling those "sweet peanuts" I'll be in like Flynn!
 
factormax said:
Sweets in jars (too many varieties to list), sold by the quarter pound or two ounces in paper bags.

Actually, I've come across a few shops selling them, but they tend to be a gimmick.
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We have or had around four here in York. I am not sure how hygienic they are so I avoid...
 
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hotmetal said:
Exactly that. I remember the dusty old sweet shops often run by grey haired old ladies with a sign on the door saying "only 2 school children at a time" or some such. At the end of the road where my primary school was, there was exactly such a shop, called "The Little Shop" and we all used to call her Mrs Little, presumably because somebody had thought it must have been her name above the door, and it stuck. On Fridays we'd get 5p each to go and get a paper bag of 'prawns' (ha'penny each!), UFOs, Blackjacks, Rhubarb and Custards, and aniseed balls. Well, that's what I would probably have got.

Now they're all pastiches of that, with all the "authenticity" of an Irish pub in Japan. Usually far too well lit, with fake bottle glass shopfront and plastic veneer MDF old style shelves with the aforementioned jars of sweets, with "gimmick" pricing per 100g (not a qtr lb, mark you!)

Mind you if they're selling those "sweet peanuts" I'll be in like Flynn!
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My favourite were Monkey Nuts, soft chewy toffee in compound chocolate...


Chewing-Chewy-Chocolate-Monkey-Nuts-Sweets (1).jpeg
 
hotmetal said:
Exactly that. I remember the dusty old sweet shops often run by grey haired old ladies with a sign on the door saying "only 2 school children at a time" or some such. At the end of the road where my primary school was, there was exactly such a shop, called "The Little Shop" and we all used to call her Mrs Little, presumably because somebody had thought it must have been her name above the door, and it stuck. On Fridays we'd get 5p each to go and get a paper bag of 'prawns' (ha'penny each!), UFOs, Blackjacks, Rhubarb and Custards, and aniseed balls. Well, that's what I would probably have got.

Now they're all pastiches of that, with all the "authenticity" of an Irish pub in Japan. Usually far too well lit, with fake bottle glass shopfront and plastic veneer MDF old style shelves with the aforementioned jars of sweets, with "gimmick" pricing per 100g (not a qtr lb, mark you!)

Mind you if they're selling those "sweet peanuts" I'll be in like Flynn!
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The brand 'Swizzels' comes to mind!
 
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