Here’s another classic early WoAi “blog” entry from January 1979:
“Dad said we are not allowed to buy sweets anymore without asking him because we ate sweets just before lunch. The sweets were Tooty Frooties and Freshen-Ups”
I think it’s hilarious I felt it necessary to specifically mention what the sweets were that resulted in my dad’s candy crackdown.
Does anyone remember Tooty Frooties and Freshen-Ups? Rowntree’s Tooty Frooties were launched in 1963 and were chewy fruity sweets with a polished crunchy sugar coating and contained fruit juice and no artificial colours or flavours. (Rowntree is now owned by food giant Nestle). I believe Freshen Up was a gum that had liquid in the centre that squirted out in your mouth.
gramps – i love it when you share these stories with us
You were writing a blog even back then!!
I love Tooty Frooties, they were one of my faves as a kid. Didn’t care for Freshen Up, I was more of a Wrigley’s gum girl, but then again, I am from Luton
Do you remember Galaxy Counters – I still think about them today and they stopped manufacturing them years ago. Oh I miss Galaxy Counters with the cool little math problems on the packet.
OMG!!!! I don’t believe it, I just googled the divine GC’s and Mars have reintroduced them as of April this year. I bet they don’t taste as good as I remember them.
http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/galaxy-counters/
Rich, you need to send some over so WoAi and I can do the taste test. They must sell them in Oddbins in Cambridge…
Woai – they are awesome,..I am going to buy some now!
Hmm, I don’t remember the GCs. I do remember buying half penny sweets as a kid. I remember a fizzy drink called Quatro, I think. I was never so much into chocs back then; it was more like cola cubes and cola bottles, black jacks and occasionally a packet of treats (the choc coated peanuts).
I’ll look out for your Galaxy Counters and send some over if I can find them.
@little woai – When you are bigger I will tell you some even better stories!
@Maxi – Yes indeed, one does not acquire these writing skills overnight you man!
@Kim C – I don’t remember Galaxy Counters, but will happily try some.
@Wiseman – You’re not trying to make me jealous are you? Coz if you want to play that game, I think I will win!
@Rich – Looking forward to the shipment. I remember Treets (with two “e”s), weren’t they sort of like M&Ms? Oh I just read they were dropped by Mars in 1998 because they were too similar to M&Ms but guess what? Relaunched last year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treets
Treets:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sensation_m8/2684881799/
Cool pic. Missing Wagon Wheels though. I remember seeing Wagon Wheels in my mates packed lunch every day and wondering for the longest time what it was like. If I was the bullying sort I would have just swiped it and found out there and then. The mysteries of other kids packed lunches.
What? They don’t do Wagon Wheels anymore? I was sure I saw them in Sainsbury’s last time I was there. Go have a look!
I’m sure they do. I meant missing from the pic.
@Rich – LOL, read it too quickly. Well spotted young man!
Interestng that some packaging has hardly changed (mars) where others have been completely revamped (topic, marathon, maltesers).
Yes, I like the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach. National Geographic magazine for instance have had that same iconic yellow frame look for about a thousand years.
Isn’t marathon now snickers?
I always liked the idea of Wagon Wheels, but whenever I had one they were always a let down.
Do you remember Opal Fruits? I was telling DH about them today and he (being an American) thought it was a ridiculous name for candies. I was comparing them to the Chinese Sugus and US Starbursts.
@Kim C – Opal Fruits (made to make your mouth water!) and Starburst are the same thing. They were originally called Opal Fruits but called Starburst in the US and then in the nineties they decided to drop Opal Fruits in order to have one brand name globally, same for Snickers. Both brands are owned by MARS who are a client of mine.
Sugus is Swiss, although it now belongs to Wrigley (also owned by MARS). I think they belonged to Kraft Jacob Suchard until a few years ago.