Shopping baskets through the years

My Dad, who rarely drank alcohol, got through quite a lot of Gee's Linctus. My mother said he was addicted to it.

The co-op grocer used to call twice a week in a van, and sit in the kitchen writing the orders in pencil on his leather satchel.

And when I went to the Maypole (anyone remember those shops?) my grandmother would be given a chair while she dictated her order, examined the produce before it was wrapped, and had a gossip with whoever was in the shop. And I used to get biscuit! This was about 1950, I suppose.

Oh, and the order would be delivered the same morning!

And the Home and Colonial Store where the biscuits were in open tins. I just love this thread.

The currants and sultanas were weighed into coloured bags, and you could buy broken biscuits cheap. Also if you left it to the last minute on a Saturday afternoon there might be some cakes going cheap in the bakers.

You got it Ana... Victory Vs they were. And they were more oblong(it's all coming back now!) but with the corners slightly cut off? Whatever was in them? Bet you could sell them as 'legal highs' in a club now(lol)

I was once seated next to a gentleman at our dinner table (on holiday), he told me he used to work in the Victory V factory and that they used a small amount of chloroform in their production. This announcement caused much argument with some other diners as they insisted this would not be allowed.
Personally, I did not see that the old gent would lie about such a thing.

It's true - they did contain chloroform. My dad used to buy a quarter every Wednesday, when he brought home sweets for the family. He would refuse to give them to us, saying that they would knock us out because of the chloroform.

I have heard most of these. I liked syrup of figs and Victory V lozenges. Do they still have nasty substances in them?

'Dr Collis Brown', I am not sure whether they were drops or a linctus, contained a small medically effective amount of chloral hydrate. Chloral hydrate in excess is a poison and I think quite few people committed suicide by consuming a lot of it.

When I was in my late teens a good friend, whose mother was a nurse, used it as a cure-all for almost anything. But never in excess!

I loved Victory V lozenges, but used to find I felt slightly spaced out if I sucked more than a couple at a time.

I loathed syrup of figs so much that I cannot yet bring myself to try eating figs, no matter how often people tell me they are delicious!

This reminds me of my brother and I giggling uncontrollably when a friend of mother's announced that she always went to bed with a couple of Fisherman's Friends

Chloroform...blimey And to think I always told my kids I never touched drugs when I was a teenager!

I think the white stuff was called Cream of Nujol. I loved it and always licked the spoon clean.
My mother, who had five chidren, swore by something called Gripe Water for wind in babies. God alone knew what was in it but she said it always worked.
I loved Victory Vs. It must have been the chloroform.

Gripe Water contained gin pinkprincess! The formula was charged a while ago and there was panic buying when that news came out.

Love this thread.

Dr Collis Browns. My dad was addicted to this and used to send me to the shops to buy him a bottle I was under 10 but no questions were asked.

Gripe Water. I used bottles of this when my children had colic. If I'd known it contained gin I would have taken a swig.

Victory V. I used to buy these for myself when I was a kid - again no questions asked. I loved them!! now I know why.

Fishermen's Friends - still on sale and great for clearing the nasal passages.

The Maypole. Fond memories of the The Maypole. I used to get a free bag of broken biscuits. They had a huge mirror outside the shop and I watched myself grow up in it. Could be the title of a Novel - The Mirror at The Maypole.

Shopping baskets. I had a fab basket for cookery at school. It was made of wicker with a plastic covering. Used to carry home all sorts in Kilner Jars including lamb stew.

Mum's shopping bag. It was made of some sort of plastic and she had it for years. Still makes me tearful thing about it.

Tegan - my mother swore by Indian Brandy for stomach troubles! I think it was a herbal concoction that was actually make up by the chemist.
Can anyone remember Minadex? It was an orange-flavoured iron supplement in a bottle that my mother insisted I had a spoonful of before I went to bed each night. I hated it with a passion, but she thought I needed it to stop me from 'outgrowing my strength' (I was tall and thin then)! now I'm just tall and not thin

In one of "The Times" weekend supplements, I read about a new series starting next week - called something like "In time for dinner" which takes a look at the kitchen of each decade for the 50s to the present, who was doing what (women chained to the stove!) and what we were eating then.

Looks interesting - will go and find out details.

I liked Minadex for the orange flavour, but the iron in it caused constipation. So then Mum reached for the syrup of figs.

It is still possible to buy Victory V's.I keep them in my medicine cabinet.Many years ago I used to suffer from very sick migraines I couldn't keep any tablets or water down. My husband used to give me a Victory V and say just rest it on your tongue and let it dissolve gradually and the chloroform settled my stomach.Luckily I don't suffer from migraines these days but keep the Victory V just in case.

Thankyou for the info about gripe water Loopylou

I used to love the smell of it, now I know why!

Did anyone else have their hankies made out of the cotton bags flour was sold in ? My mother must have spent ages cutting up and hemming them.
I liked the malt extract which followed the disgusting cod liver oil we were all dosed with in winter - all from the same spoon so no wonder we all had colds etc together !