Can you . . .

[Guest Jock Watt]

. . . still buy Pan Drops ?

Used to crunch on them in church !

[Kingsmills]

Pan drops yes but alas Penny Dainties are no more.

[Charles Bannerman]

Ah! Penny Dainties! Back in the 60s they weren't all that dainty either - they were huge. The standard drill on a Saturday afternoon was to make the short trip from Dalneigh to Telford Street Park, climb over the gate to avoid paying the 9d entry money and then scour the ground for empty MacKintosh's lemonade bottles (Queens Cup and so on) which you could cash in at the Caley Park Shop for 3d each. This netted enough money for a bag of crisps with the blue salt paper inside and a few penny dainties, with enough left over to fund a visit to the back stalls (1s) at the La Scala the following Saturday when Caley were away.

The standard drill with the dainties, which were effectively Cow Toffee, was to pack one into your mouth, embed your teeth in it and it would last you half the game. The problem was if Caley scored and you tried to shout or cheer - rather painful.

Dainties, of course, could be purchased from the Penny Box at locations such as the Laurel Avenue Post Office, Christison's shop and Jocky Lawson's van. (I always felt sorry for poor Jocky, married to that bellicose old battleaxe!)

Some shops also had ha'penny and twopenny boxes - I'm sure the PO did.

On the subject of old pennies... remember penny bangers at Guy Fawkes time? They were pretty lethal and you also used to get twopeneny ones which were virtually nuclear!

Which reminds me of the tale...

Jim: "I've just stuffed a penny banger up a dog's @r$e and lit the fuse."

John: "Rectum."

Jim: "Wrecked him!? Bloody near killed him!"

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Pan Drops saved by sweet package 

Pan Drops were once a household name in Scotland

A rescue deal has saved 83 jobs and the future of one of Scotland's best-known sweets, it has emerged.

A team led by Graham Wallace and Andy Allan has bought Broxburn-based John Millar and Sons, which includes Pan Drops in its products.

The two men put together a deal to save Highland Toffee maker McCowan's when it went into receivership earlier in the year.

Mr Wallace predicted a successful future for the two firms.

"The combination of the two businesses gives revenues of £10m per annum, making us one of the biggest confectionery manufacturers in Scotland," he said.

The Broxburn firm was founded in 1884 by Leith baker John Millar and now makes chocolate eclairs and chocolate limes as well as Pan Drops.

The receivers were called in after margins became tighter through a combination of production problems, increases in prices of raw materials and the power wielded by the major retailers.

[Heilandee]

When i was a kid ,my dad owned a traditional newsagents/sweetie shop in Dundee and used to let me "work" the counter,the penny tray was the holder of all delights and when no one was looking I would slip a flying saucer or football chewie in my mooth and no one would notice.Tried it one day with a McCowans penny dainty and when the old man reapeared i was bang to rights as saliva and toffee dribbled from both sides of a mooth unable to shut it for at least ten minutes.  :005: :005:

[Scotty]

Tried it one day with a McCowans penny dainty and when the old man reapeared i was bang to rights as saliva and toffee dribbled from both sides of a mooth unable to shut it for at least ten minutes.  :005: :005:

:015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015:

Penny dainties .... remember them, used to get them from Campbell's van every once in a while ........  :003:

[+L_G]

Now Campbells van, that brings back memories.  They used to come round our way and I was regularly sent to get a few bits and pieces, they were a real lifeline before the days of 24 hour supermarkets and in days when there weren't so many cars about.

I remember Campbells van for a different reason though.  I went to Central School even after we moved to Drakies and Campbells van used to leave about 4ish to head up to do the Drakies round, so I used to wait and get a lift.  They used to take the van and the car and usually I went in the car, but it was a real treat when I was allowed to go in the van.  We were so easy to please in those days.  :015:

Heilandee, where and when did your Dad have a shop in Dundee, Dave's 'uncle' was very involved in the newsagents circle, he had a shop in Monifieth for many years.

[Heilandee]

L_G,we had the newsagents up the Blackness road all through the 70's,many's a mars bar or mint cracknel slipped into meh paper round sack and latterly 10's of number 6 to smoke up the closies!!

[+L_G]

I'm pretty sure Uncle John will know of your family, he's the type of guy that doesn't miss much.  When he sold the shop he went to work for Menzies in Dundee, helping out with their distribution etc.  I'll ask him next time we phone.  Dave's Dad was a sweetie rep so he might know your Dad too.

[Heilandee]

Sure they will L_G,he was the only Gael/teuchter in Dundee!! also had one in Invergowrie,branched into general grocery,thats when eh left home and joined the forces in embarresment as they were VG stores who  sponsored Yenited!!  :blush02:

[Guest iTS ONLY ME]

Before going to work I remember buying penny dainties at the bottom of Hill street, Happy days

[Charles Bannerman]

Frankie Jew's! (Or Galloways if you're over 50)

EDIT - OK iOM, I've just seen on another thread that you're 62 so when you were a kid it must have been Tom Galloway's. On the other hand, if you left Inverness in 1973 you'd remember the shop as Frankie Jew's when you were a young man!