Do you remember Brown & Polson blancmange?

Yes Peter, I remember it very well I never did like blancmange though. I remember Brown and Polson Custard Powder in a tin, much preferred that to Birds.

The tin was similar to this

 

Pearce Duff's product is still available, although it is not stocked at all supermarkets now. There are often some 'good buys' for packs of 12 all the same or a selection of flavours on Amazon. But do watch the price.

 

You wouldn't, it's a 1920's version I found online. The one I remember was much lighter in colour but I cannot remember what was depicted on it.

Sainsbury's wasn't around where I grew up, the closest thing to a supermarket was a Co-Op, mother wouldn't be seen dead in it! She shopped at the grocer, the greengrocer, the corner shop etc. and when I was old enough I was despatched to buy whatever.

My favourite dessert from yesteryear is the Carnation Milk Jelly. It has to be made using the English style jelly cubes, the crystals just don't do it for me!

 

Mum used to make it and I liked the chocolate one best. Often had it when it was hot and not set.

 

Well you two between you certainly know how to hurt with your derogatory comment on 'Birds' -one of Birmingham's great factory institutions named after Alfred Bird the inventor of egg-free custard making. And if that is not enough castigating the Co-op. And to add insult to injury (in the Newsletter) Peter liking Blancmange (which I will come to later). But on the two topics mentioned you should be ashamed and if either Dad or Mom was alive I would set them on to you. As it is you will have to take this rollicking from their son.

Our bus route as a child took us into town passing the Birds factory. It would be pointed out to me and Dad with some pride as he related who -in the family - was employed there (mostly of his age and generation, cousins or nieces as I recall). If Birds made a product that Mom needed to buy it would always be theirs even if only because Dad would be sure to ask if it was Birds.

Although the Co-op began in the North they soon appeared all over the country and were much beloved and patronised in Birmingham. They appealed to the working class and Dad (later a Shop Steward) - and proud reader of the Daily Herald - would always remind we should never forget our roots were working class. Mom regularly shopped in the Co-op, and as kids sent on errands we had to know her Divi number and I remember it to this day as do my sisters.

Now to liking Blancmange to which I say I suppose someone has to. I disliked it so much I couldn't even stand the sight of it on the Sunday tea table. I thought both sisters and parents deranged (which is probably not saying too much for me) for eating it and what was worse mixing it with Jelly, which I considered as a non Blancmange person should have been wholly mine as I loved all flavours of Jelly.

I am now off to visit my sister today so will have to leave things there. At least she will know better than to offer me Blancmange. No doubt the topic of Birds custard and shopping at the Co-op will also come up in conversation. (I wonder if she still makes Blancmange?)

PS I think Mom used Brown & Poulson corn flour unless Birds made it also. No sure on that but I do recall seeing the tin or packet with that name in the larder as a kid.

 

I had a rollicking of my own from my younger sister because she said she had never liked Blancmange either. She said I was mixing her up with our other sister (the one in Australia). I was 2 years older than one and 7 years older than the other, so I realised I hadn't really taken in her likes and dislikes - who takes notice of a baby sister's eating habits? She said when I went in the RAF Mom changed tactics and on a Sunday made one big trifle instead of a Jelly and Blancmange, and they both liked that. I missed out on this of course, but thinking about it I would have had a problem with the cold custard layer (too much like Blancmange) so probably for the best.

On the subject of shopping at the Co-op and Mom buying Birds custard there was no disagreement and yes she too remembers Mom's Divi number.

 

Yes I cannot for the life of me recall there being a Sainsbury's in Birmingham as a child, but it was a big town and we only lived in small part of it. I suppose I could ask the Birmingham History Forum when Sainbury's first appeared where someone will be sure to know, but see little point in asking as Mom would not have ventured outside the district to shop. So either she bought from the handful of corner shops or the Co-op and looked forward to collecting her divi on the due dates.

 

I remember Sainsbury’s from when I was a child, but I think I’m a bit younger than you, Bob, and we then lived in Kent. I think we used to go to the one in Croydon, but it may have been Bromley.

When we moved to Yorkshire it took a while to find a supermarket until we discovered Morrison’s.

 

I did not see a Sainsbury until I visited Guildford in 1971.
Only the Co-op in the North East. A little mini store near home and the big department store in town where we had to get our school uniform.

Same here, my sisters and I remember our mum's divi number to this day.

 

My mum used to make "fluffy Jelly", is that the same as your Carnation milk jelly?
It started with jelly cubes and some water to start it forming proper jelly. Then you whisked a can of Carnation evaporated milk in to it and it frothed up like a mousse.
I loved it.

 

Yes Katie, that's the one. My father-in-law called it bashed up milk
I got the recipe from a Carnation Milk Recipe book, the book has long gone except for the page with the jelly recipes.

 

Bob, thanks for your rollicking but you can't please em all as they say.

Cornflour is made of corn or maize starch. One of the ingredients of Bird's custard is maize starch. I wonder where they get their supply?

 

I think most on the Forum are younger than me Pauline, but I am aware of some who are older, and true one tends to forget about age when reminiscing. So you make a good point as our memories come mostly (not exclusively) from our formative years age (I generalise when I say from perhaps age 10 and well into our teens). I for instance relate to the 50's and others (Peter for instance) relate to the 60's and -a generation on - there are those who recall the 70's. That said, it is easy to relate to the next decade on but not so easy to go back without relying on parental memories. Many of my earlier memories are those passed on mainly by my mother, but I was also fortunate to hear even older tales from both Grandmothers, and my maternal grandfather (although I suspect many of his were apocryphal). Sadly my paternal grandfather died before I was born.

It was interesting to hear how you discovered Morrisons because I can truthfully say I had never heard of them until visiting some friends in Grimsby (both Scousers) who took us to a Morrisons store. I would say this was in the 80's so I would have been in my 40's before learning of one of the most prevalent and influential Supermarkets in the north. Since then of course they have steadily advanced south and we have a pretty large Morrisons in nearby Canterbury and a smaller version (like the Tesco Metro) in the next coastal town along.

 

Morrisons was a Bradford company; apparently it started out as an egg and butter merchant in 1899, and they opened their first (small) self-service store in the city centre in 1958 and their first supermarket in 1961, before expanding across the north of England.

It was in the late sixties when my parents got new jobs in Bradford and we moved nearby, so Morrisons was situated nicely for us. It was much cheaper than any of the more local shops or mini-markets, with the added convenience of selling everything under one roof.

 

I was going to go on and relate to some High Street grocery stores that come and go, but decided it needed a separate mention of its own.

When we first came to Kent (in 1970) our local town had a reasonably sized High Street grocery store called "Fine Fare" In fact my wife took an infill job there in the upstairs Butchery department weighing and wrapping up meat prepared by the instore Butcher. Although she had long moved on to more permanent work, Fine Fare closed in the mid 70's (I think rebranding to 'Gateway' shortly before) then under new ownerships and a store refit out, as 'Somerfield' followed by (from memory) 'Budgens' until taken over by a local entrepreneur grocer (can't remember what name the store traded under) which lasted about a year before it too closed and the store became vacant. Two years ago it re-opened after an even bigger fit out as -surprise-surprise - a Sainsbury Local store. To cater for the suburbs we have at least one Tesco Metro and of course three Co-ops (more on those in a moment).

However the decline of High Street grocery shops (Pandemic aside) has happened for many reasons, the most noticeable of which is often the inability to park. So people with cars - and noticeable sons and daughters collecting their elderly parents in cars - now prefer to shop in their favourite out of town SUPERMARKET. In my own area in Kent -within a couple of miles radius - there is a large 'Tesco Xtra'; a medium 'Sainsbury', plus an 'Aldi' and 'Lidl'. Venturing further afield (up to 6 miles) the aforementioned Morrisons(a big store) at least two larger Sainsbury's , a medium Waitrose and another Aldi & Lidl. Closer to home in the suburbs we have Tesco Xtras and not forgetting Co-op stores..

I have a soft spot for the Co-op and admire the fact they choose locations where one can park . The larger of the three town Coops, and the nearest to town centre, has just accepted the role acting as an in-store Post Office. This was because the town main Post Office was sold off by Post Office Ltd and along with adjacent buildings, has been re-developed as Flats. This has noticeably done no harm to Co-op trading as people, especially the not so mobile seniors, now use the Co-op more than ever. Not the cheapest store in which to shop, nor yet that much more expensive, but is regarded by many with affection, possibly as a legacy of the old days. Long may they survive.

 

Yes I was generalising about child memories as I have many from the post war 40's particularly running shopping errands for my mother and buying 4 oxos for a penny (1d). Getting my Dad's 'pink' Sports Argus from the Newsagent up the road on a Saturday teatime, often seeing the paper arrive delivered by a Birmingham Mail Van. I could go on.

I also remember Fanny and John Craddock cookery programmes but had little cooking interest at the time and although I can recall 50's music I too mostly remember the 60's. I remember listening to Radio Luxenberg (under the covers on an early transistor radio) and on the main radio on the BBC light Light Programme 'Journey into Space' and 'Dick Barton Special Agent. Also as a treat as the eldest being allowed to stay up to view 'What my Line' with Gilbert Harding.

 

Our first out of town supermarket, that I remember, was Fine Fare which opened in 1978 according to Google! it is now an Asda.
I was in there with my mother and nephew when we bumped into my father's cousin who knew exactly who my nephew was as he was the spitting image of her son when he was young. Both had ginger hair.
Later Morrisons arrived, but in town we had Liptons where I worked one summer, early 70s.
When I moved to the Midlands, the first large supermarket was Asda which closed on New Years Day and 2nd January, late 70s early 80s - how things change.
I used to drive back from Christmas and New Year's Eve at 'home' for work 2nd of January thinking I'll do my shopping at Asda on the way. But it was closed.
I had to go and search out a small local shop, even though my mother had given me enough food to last a siege.

I also remember Fanny and Johnny, their Christmas series was repeated on one of the Freeview channels last year or the year before. It was horrifying seeing how much butter she used and how rich her food was compared to what we tend to eat now.

There have been demonstrations outside our high street Tesco as they have rebranded it from a Tesco Metro to a Tesco Extra which of course has higher prices.
Tesco said that people did not shop there like a Metro shopper, but used it like an Express.