a trip down memory lane for the more mature lifer
i remember part of the preamble to christmas was taking the pram to the off licence (on corner of northover and verdant lane) to stock up on drink ...we didnt have a car ..not many would have done
the list went something like this
babycham
sandemans port ...for port and lemon
gordons gin ..for gin and orange (not orange juice-squash)
vat 69
warniks advocaat ..for snowballs ...that was as close to hedonism as you d get in my house at the time
cherry brandy ..for gran
bottles of light ale
watneys cream label stout or mackeson
c and c lemonade
tizer
have i left something out ?
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R Whites?
In those days I hadn't graduated past R Whites, which had a taste all of its own.
Can remember whenever there was a party on for the "grown-ups" there would be
Watneys Red Barrel, as immortalised by Eric Idle. Apparently this was what was in the party 4/7's
Babycham
Johnnie Walker
Worthington E
Double Diamond
Martini rosso
Barley wine
Sherry
bottles of guiness for Nan
bottle Captain Morgan rum
Cream Soda for the kids
peppermint cordial
Lime Cordial
Packet alka seltzer
packet of aspro
packet of Woodbines or Weights
Get an extra few drinks off the Mackintosh lorry: Limeade, lemonade, cherryade, cream soda and tizer being the favourites.
Stones Ginger wine, worthington white shield, Mackesons stout, Harveys Bristol cream.
Cocktail Cherries
Grappa ( mum was italian)
Mateus Rose and Blue Nun or was that a bit later?
Do 'ave a Dubonnet
Also Cherry B.
Remember quietly mixing Babycham with Brandy.
A packet or two of proper (and I do mean proper) crisps. Smiths, there's never been anyting to touch 'em. Would often have a packet of KP Roasted Peanuts as well.
Washed down with a bottle of R.Whites Cream Soda..........hate to think how many calories that lot was!
Talking about 59/60/61 when I was 12 or 13.
Saw one or two mention Blue Nun.............don't think that was around until the mid 70's to be honest, though Mateus Rose became popular around the mid 60's.
Used to get these from the offo at the cross roads of Verdant Lane and Brownhill/St Mildreds Road in Catford.
Happy days!
Blimey Len: the Mackintos lorry. I'd really forgotten them, remember putting ice cream into the cream soda: delish! When we moved to Kent it was Moore's of Swanscombe for fizzy drinks. Remember that my dad had a book of cocktails that he brought out every Christmas but inevitably he either didn't have, or had run out of, the correct ingredients so he'd bung something else in. Most people who came to our house left it either very drunk or very ill
Captain Morgan rum.
Campari.
Boxes of Cheeselets and Twiglets, turkish delight,and sticky dates.
No problem anyway as a seven or eight year she used to give me a knowing wink and a secret sip whilst no one was looking. Just the one of course. God bless her.
Edit: just googled it - dear god, you can still buy it, now known as Emva Cream Fortified Wine. It is from Cyprus. Score one for the EU, I reckon.
Mackies, ah there's memories. It looked good, tasted good and by golly it did you good.
It was originally brewed in a Hythe brewery in Kent and this milk stout was considered beneficial to health. It was actually prescribed to some hospitalised elderly people in a Canterbury hospital as was a drop of brandy. We woz more human in them days.
A Double Diamond works wonders works wonders works wonders