Online voices
STORY:
Why former Villa Drinks factory in Southwick is having best results in 135-year history as Clearly Drinks
Leo Mccormack: Ihada summer job on one of the pop wagons. Loved it. The driver, a small guy, insisted on knocking a crate of pop everytime we left the depot. We spent endless hours going round cafes trying to barter an English breakfast for a crate of pop. I saw days when he had so much left he would smash them. His house was literally full of crates of pop. Dandilion and Burdock was my favourite.
Kev McCoy: My first proper job was van boy delivering to pubs and shops working at the villa factory on Hylton Road up near steel social club
Margaret Steele: I remember looking forward to a Friday when the pop man came, 2 lemonade 2 orange 1 cream soda and sasparella, didn't last long with 7 kids in the house x
Kathleen Jackson: Worked at hylton Rd Villa pop factory 1964.
Gillian
ArkleyakaGodfrey: My Mam loved this pop mixed with icecream lovely memories
Joan Boddy: loved villa sasp was my favourite as a kid
Gary Chambers: Did my works experience at there garage heath and safety wasn't about then.
Bloody good it wasn't but I did enjoy it
Chris Fuller: My grandad used to be a Gaffer there years ago, early 90's I think. I always remember doing a little tour one day.
Carol Hope: EhI remember this place as I worked there in the 60s and then the owners used to look after their staff and it was like 1 knit family xx
Joan Davison: Pleased to hear that about the pop as we called it not like some of the rubbish we get today
Ivor Prestwood: What a lovely positive story about businesses in Sunderland. We need more such stories about these hidden gems
Harry Scott: Remember in 70 villa pop as it was called it was good not like the rubbish they sell now
Bob Blewitt: Best lemonade ever never seen now
Jennifer Hindmarch: I can remember as a child having hot Villa leminade when I had a cold.
Pam Render: I live in the house where Thomas Fenwick started his business
Lesley Cheal: Typical EU I used to love Sarsaparilla! Does this mean when we finally dump the EU it might be made again?
Shaun Langan: Exactly Lesley, James Fenwicks glass bottled Sarsaparilla was the best pop around and just vanished.