GRAN’S RED LETTER DAY
A family of four generations were treated to a slap-up afternoon tea by Red Letter Days in honour of Grandparent’s Day on October 4.
During the height of the lockdown, millions of families like Sarah Ware’s were separated from their nearest and dearest. To give her nan something to look forward to, Sarah nominated her 87-year-old granny Nicolette for a special Red Letter Day treat when it was safe to meet again.
The family had been forced to cancel their holiday due to the pandemic, and even more sadly, they may now never get the chance to all go away together again as Nicolette’s husband Jimmy, 87, has since been diagnosed with vascular dementia.
Since March, Nicolette, Jimmy, granddaughter Sarah, husband Michael and great-grandson Oscar haven’t seen each other except on Facebook video chat, until last week when they finally all got together for a posh afternoon tea at the Ashdown Park Hotel in Sussex.
Sarah says, “My nan has always been there for me, so it’s been lovely to do something for her. It was a truly memorable day we’ll never forget.”
Whatever you do to celebrate Grandparent’s Day, make sure it’s a happy and safe one.
You’d think if Spartans made chocolates, they would be filled with brick dust or something equally unpalatable. Paul Kenyon in Greater Manchester remembers the old box of chocolates with fondness because they were indeed hard to eat.
Clearly a man with a full set of gnashers, Paul writes: “Terry’s Spartan chocolates were all hard centres. Oh the joy – and he healthy plain chocolate to too. oo. I lo loathe soft-centred ch chocolates, hocol so have not bo bought ough them for years. Ev Even ven T Thorntons are full of all tha that Belgian goo.”
D Don’t hold back, Paul, te t tell us how you really feel.
When she was young, Wendy Brown was lucky to get a massive box of chocolates. olates. “It ha had two or three layers like Milk Tray or Black k Magic. It was like a treasure chest of yumminess as you lifted every layer to find out what was underneath. It lasted me for weeks, heavenly!”
The story behind Rowntree’s Black Magic is fascinating. The old York firm produced Black Magic chocs for the masses back in 1933 and they cost a fiver in today’s money, but before then luxury chocolates cost the equivalent of £300. This picture at the top shows the casket version of Black Magic, which is possibly what Wendy remembers. Too many of those Big Berthas, and you’d be well on your way to your own casket!