One of my fondest childhood memories is of Sunday mornings when -- after enduring an hour of Sunday school -- we stopped at the corner store on the way home and were given 20c pocket money. I looked forward to this event every week, and much thought was put into the exchange of this high finance.
When I was a child, 20c went a long way to filling a little white paper bag with lollies. And every Sunday, I stood in front of the glass cabinet that displayed rows of brightly coloured confectionery and made my considered choice.
A couple of mint leaves, a banana or two, some milk bottles, jelly babies, snakes and a couple of big ticket' items like those splendid chocolate Cobbers... One by one as I made my choice, the lollies were extracted from the glass bowls and placed into my bag. Once my 20c was gone, we made our way home, our little paper bags clutched within our fingers. I would make my way up to my room and divvy up my rations, gobbling up some of the less cherished pieces and saving my favourites for later...
Later on and as inflation rose our allowance went up to 25c...
Years on, I still linger in the confectionery aisle in the supermarket. I pretend I'm researching for party bags for the kids... but really Im reminiscing and reliving my childhood. Today, amongst my basket of milk, paper towel, mandarins, smoked salmon and toothbrushes... a little packet of Chiccos made its way into the mix.
I tore the packet open before I'd reached the car and gobbled most of them up on the drive home. They cost a little more than 20c but the effect was still the same.
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When I was a child, 20c went a long way to filling a little white paper bag with lollies. And every Sunday, I stood in front of the glass cabinet that displayed rows of brightly coloured confectionery and made my considered choice.
A couple of mint leaves, a banana or two, some milk bottles, jelly babies, snakes and a couple of big ticket' items like those splendid chocolate Cobbers... One by one as I made my choice, the lollies were extracted from the glass bowls and placed into my bag. Once my 20c was gone, we made our way home, our little paper bags clutched within our fingers. I would make my way up to my room and divvy up my rations, gobbling up some of the less cherished pieces and saving my favourites for later...
Later on and as inflation rose our allowance went up to 25c...
Years on, I still linger in the confectionery aisle in the supermarket. I pretend I'm researching for party bags for the kids... but really Im reminiscing and reliving my childhood. Today, amongst my basket of milk, paper towel, mandarins, smoked salmon and toothbrushes... a little packet of Chiccos made its way into the mix.
I tore the packet open before I'd reached the car and gobbled most of them up on the drive home. They cost a little more than 20c but the effect was still the same.
It's the small pleasures, folks.
