For those of us who did grow up in the 1970’s, it was the time of our lives!!
So what prompted this stroll down memory lane today you ask? Well, Miss Aimee was telling me about a boy at school whose mum makes toffee cakes in patty pans. After some further investigation it appears this politically incorrect mum (God love her) is making fete toffees. At first, it was a moment of Deja Vu, having just discussed these with Kylie from ‘A bite of Country cupcakes’ only a week or so ago.
Do you remember these?
Then hubby and I launched into a discussion on what toffees were the best. Depending on who made them, toffees could be hard as a rock so you had to suck on them for days on end OR they were the chewy kind that you clenched between your teeth and then pulled out as far as your arm would reach….mmmmmm. What a sugar high!!!!
Discussion on what we termed ‘fete food’ led to talk of how we would watch the fairy floss stall spinning the fairy floss. I don’t think my kids have ever seen this. They have only ever had fairy floss in a bag.
After that the memories just kept on coming – do you remember Spider drinks? I have made these for my kids, but back in the 70’s these were a real treat. My favourite was raspberry or lime lemonade with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Do you remember fish’n’chips wrapped in newspaper? As a young teen, my friends and I would gather our spare change between us and buy hot chips from the Fish’n’Chip shop, rip the top of the bag open like an envelope and dip our hands in to retrieve the salty, oily, hot chips. Gosh life was simple back then.
I think the only story my kids like is the one about the mixed lolly (candy) counter at the Milk Bar (general store), where you could pick and choose you own lollies. 
The lollies (candy) were all in individual jars or boxes and cost only 1, 2 or 5 cents each. In some cases, you could buy for eg, 2 milk buddies for one cent. A 20 cent bag of mixed lollies would last a whole afternoon and a 50 cent bag was guaranteed to make you sick. The fact that we could buy lollies for one or two cents amazes my kids because we no longer have these coins as currency…no wonder they think of my childhood as the ‘olden days’…LOL
On hot days we cooled down sucking on a Sunny Boy, Glug or Razz. I was a Sunny Boy (orange flavour) girl. Hubby preferred Glugs (Cola flavour). If my memory is correct, in the early 70’s when I was in primary school they cost just five cents each.
As my kids cringe and try to sneak away, hubby and I stroll down memory lane remembering when ….kids could entertain themselves – and it didn’t cost anything!! We played backyard cricket in summer and Aussie rules footy in winter. We would leave home in the mornings on our Malvern Star or Dragster bikes and play all day, as long as we were home by dinner time. No one was able to reach us on mobile phones – unthinkable!!! I always had small change knotted into a hankie, in my pocket so I could phone my mum in an emergency from a phone booth. Of course this was back in the days when phone booths were on every other corner and they were not vandalised…and yes, my mun was one of those over protective mums. I copped heaps of flak from the other kids over the phone money.
I’m quick to remind then that when I was a kid we didn’t have remote controls – we had to get up and change the channel…
ON THE BLACK & WHITE TV!!!
True…. we didn’t get a colour TV until 1976. TV shows improved a lot when watched in colour. So what were you watching? Do you remember Happy Days – Fonzie was so cool!! Then there was the Brady Bunch, Mork and Mindy, Mash and Hey Hey it is Saturday (Australia). If like me you were born in the 60’s then you were old enough to stay up for Charlies Angels, Cop Shop (Australia) and Dallas.
On the music scene ABBA was huge. As teens in the 70’s we turned up the volume on our cassette decks, so we could listen to Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Skyhooks (I was in love with Shirl), The Beach Boys, Linda Rondstadt and Rod Stewart.
By the late 70’s Disco had taken over and fashion underwent a big change too. Out went the chunky platform shoes, polyester and denim in favour of the new disco glam. Oh…and don’t forget the Farrah Fawcett hair!!!.
That’s just a few of our memories from our technology free lifestyle of the
‘Good old days’,
when life was simple and carefree!!
thanks for that!! ditto to it all, for the record chewy toffees all the way for me. and the bag of lollies thing was the best thing ever. %*_*%
Hmmmm what great memories. I was a younin’ in the 80’s but can remember just about all of thoses things. I can remember going to the general store in town & getting freckles in a whie paper bag, yummmm!
My dad is the storyteller in our family & when I was younger I used to cringe when he started, but now I love hearing him, watching his face light up & he has even managed to keep my kids interested in his stories as well, so much so my eldest Jess often asks to go on ‘history lessons’ with pop.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Sarah xxx
P.S: I love your blog makeover.
Ohhhh I love that post!
Yes,Soft gooey chewy toffees…Spiders Ugh!…Be still my beating heart.
And yep,I think you and I may be quite similar in age as it was like reliving my childhood reading that.
My Son had his first spider just last year and was addicted!!
I remeber when $1 coins first came ut and I found one at the each,staying with my granparents and Pa took me to spend it on lollies….
Gran nearly died when in I walked beaming…
I had spent the whole $1 on lollies and took back a brown paper lunch bag loaded!!!
One of My Fav memories…
And jsut one more not food related….
Playing under a sprinkler,Oh how I wish my kids could know that joy!
Yooo hOoooo….Oh me again….The sunny boys I too remeber sooooo well,I was a Razz gal,But do you remeber they had free ones you could win printed in the wrapper!!!
And for as short time they brought out mini ones that were milk based…Strawberry ect????
Hey Kerryanne! I think our childhoods were similar, though I grew up in Queensland country towns and you were in Victoria! 50c used to get us into the local pool and on the way home we’d have enough to get a banana Surfie (milk ice block) and 15c worth of mixed lollies and we thought we were eating like kings!! I also remember feeling very grown up when my aunt who’s 9 years older than me would take me on the back of her bike down to the milk bar for a spider – rasberry for me!! Mmmmm! What a shame I don’t have ice cream on hand!! Thanks for the walk down memory lane! Oh – love the makeover – can’t lose with ‘green’ and ‘spots’! Tee! Hee! Hee! Bear Hugs! KRIS
hi kerryanne loved reading this blog brought back lots of memories
Great post Kerryanne, you were feeling nostalgic today weren’t you?? I remember all of those things, I had read Kylies post too and was teling her i treated my children to toffee apples just before Christmas and they were so excited, all shiny and red…until they ate them and not one of them liked them!! I don’t know what they were expecting but it wasn’t what they had!! lol!! I also saw a carton of Sunnyboys at the supermarket the other day and was sooo tempted but then I remembered how you would suck all the flavour out and be stuck with a big triangle of plain ice!! AND you couldn’t really sit them down somewhere as they are Triangles and you had to cut one side off to eat them and well yeah, it would fall out! Also who could forget when we had to walk 14 miles in the snow just to get the milk for our little baby sister because we had had to sell the cow for some money and we bought those magic beans instead and….oh dear i think I have stepped into someone elses memories…….hehehehe
Kiss Noises Linda Lilly Cottage at home
My kids (45 and 46) are finally at the age to appreciate when I say that, chickee!! Hah…. Hey, our first tv was b/w but we loved it.
Thanks for entering my 500th post giveaway. Gooooood luck, sweets,
Smooches,
Connie
Oooooh definately teh chewy toffee’s! How I nagged my Mum constantly to make them, and fairy floss on a stick… riding up to the Milk Bar to get 20c worth of lollies! It’s brilliant when we remember all these things! Thank god the kids can’t get so many lollies for their money these days, Lol! Thanks for the memories!
I can’t say that I had the black and white TV but I certainly remember the toffees, the sunny boys and lots of other yummy things. Great to see all of the photos again.
What a fantastic blog post! We used to buy frozen 300ml cartons of orange juice or choc milk at our school canteen in Summer, you used to get brain freeze trying to finish it before lunch finished 🙂 The Muppet Show was big in our house, I have just bought series 1&2 for our kids & they love it too.
Lots of love Sweetie
Janelle xx
Yes Kerryanne – I remember it all! Do you remember the joy of opening the sunnyboy and finding out you had a “Free” – now that was excitment plus……I could go on and on – I’ve so much enjoyed this post.
You have been a very good girl and deserve all the magazines you feel inclined to order.
Hi! What a similar childhood I had to you too! Same vintage and a Melb gal too. Memory lane! I once got 6 ‘free’orange Sunnyboys in a row in primary school! One of my proudest achievements!!
LOL!
Irene 🙂
Great memories, I was in a shop the other day and they had aniseed wheels!!! I loved ABBA, still do. We have been watching Mamma Mia these holidays and my five year old Princess adores it and sits and sings to all the songs! She also loves candy floss!!! A good trip down memory lane thanks:) Rachaelxo