Christmas Retro

DvB

Mondalez, who own cadbury, are a client of ours, and I have to say the smell when you visit the site in Coolock is great (for a while anyway, it starts to get a little overpowering after am hour or so) but even they have said that they produce specific cadbury products only and that roses is not one of them because they use a different type of chocolate so are produced in a different factory. Creme eggs are the same, cheaper chocolate so manufactured elsewhere.

Its such a shame as roses were great back in the day, thet're a sicky sweet mess mowadays though and the last of the tubs that we'd buy (Quality Street first & celebrations our go to tubs)

Smell the glove

Foil decorations are in Dealz.

Loughc

The 80’s were better there I said it haha

DvB

The chocolate certainly was!

Smell the glove

I remember all those chocolate retro items. Especially the net socks. Actual full bars. A selection box actually had the wow factor.

washiskin

I remember Cadbury selection boxes being red.

matchthis

Ah the Caramel. That’s what has been making the emptiness feeling I’ve been getting from selection boxes

tscul32

At my brothers's wedding. All lovey dovey and a great day. I even got the cake done with plenty of time.

Loughc

Simpler times

A cup of te

I love those old selection boxes and the Roses box. Why is it that not only was the chocolate nicer but the design of the boxes was even nicer! I used to love getting a selection box and good big bars of chocolate in it. Nowadays I'd swear the chocolate in the selection boxes (and Easter eggs) is lower quality than individually bought bars. I think the sugar content is higher if you read the label. My mam caved and bought Heroes and Celebrations. I was looking at boxes of chocolate today and I'm going to just buy whatever good quality choc is on sale over the coming weeks for any token gifts of chocolate. The likes of Ferrero Rocher or Lindt or Butlers etc. Got Ferrero Rocher for aunt for 6 euro today in Dunnes, down from 8-something. Then I'm going to buy a really good box for ourselves like some local handmade chocolates. You know what I love in a really retro way, those Lemons Season's Greetings. I always loved that box and that they don't mess with a good thing. I actually got into having a supply of hard boiled sweets on hand this year. I usually only have one a day so I might actually buy a box of these for myself this year. I must be turning into an ould one ;-) all the ould ones used to have sweets in their pockets when I was a child!

freshpopcorn

Can anybody remember these?

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121178947#Comment_121178947

Oh my god yes! My parent loved them. I only like the milk/dark chocolate stick in them.

pigtail33

I'd forgotten all about Double Centres, total blast from the past. I can't remember any of the sweets in them, but we definitely used to get them at Christmas.

A cup of te

I'd forgotten those too. We only got them one year but they were lovely! Always remember seeing that box.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121178947#Comment_121178947

Absolutely, my mum loved them. Was fairly fond of them myself.

BK5

The second I saw them the song from their ad popped into my head - "Double Centres show you care....twice as much" 😄

tscul32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121180025#Comment_121180025

Was just about to post this

"double, double centre, chocolate assortment, twice, twice the taste of any other chocolates"

freshpopcorn

There used be 1400grams in the tins before.

Jude13

The net sock selection box almost brought a tear to my eye.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121184252#Comment_121184252

I saw a quote on these pictures before, they make me happy and sad at the same time.

Jude13

Just much much simpler times.

I mentioned before here but who remembers when the milkman would leave a 'minerals' form to fill out and before Christmas he would deliver (non brand) cola, orange and lemonade? Might be alone in this one. My dad would always order cream soda. Christmas was the only time we had soft drinks in the the house. Though say it was partially due to $ but mainly due to teeth/healthy diet reasons.

Heroditas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121182576#Comment_121182576

Aaaaaand it still had the biscuit with the jelly on top. Those only disappeared a few years ago I think? I was raging at the time. We'll, when I say raging, I spent the whole of that particular Christmas thinking something wasn't quite right until the better half pointed out that they were missing 🤣

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121184359#Comment_121184359

This sums up mes also. I'm a real 'look back' kind of person & love old christmas related stuff but when I do allow myself wallow for a bit despite getting great pleasure from it, it does have a tint of sadness too, a yearning for the simpler times I associated with Christmas growing up really. Still, you cant live in the past all the time and its good to look forward, I think thats why I enjoy this forum & the countdowns so much!!

A cup of te

I sometimes wonder are people who love Christmas also people who are more likely to feel nostalgia? While I would say my love of Christmas is the bright lights, decorations, having family and friends together, the food, merriment, frost, cold weather etc it's also inextricably linked to memories of years gone by and especially the excitement of when you were a child and then seeing children now being all excited. Is there something about it that is carried forward from childhood because it was such an exciting thing as a child. I've a tendency towards nostalgia in general (I'd love to revisit the 90s for real) but it's huge at Christmas. I could spend ages looking at the old photos like the ones above and just remembering. I must look at the definition of nostalgia but wouldn't be surprised if it said happy and sad because it's exactly how it makes me feel!

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187753#Comment_121187753

I think your first line is spot on. Hard to think of Christmas & not look back at years gone by, afterall its how traditions are formed, and what are christmas nuts without their traditions.

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187441#Comment_121187441

Oh there used to be trouble in our house as kids over who got the ones with the jelly on top. As far as I remember there were only 2 per layer. My brother was known to sometimes secretly dip into the second layer for one of them before the first layer was gone - sacrilege!!

CheerLouth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187400#Comment_121187400

Man, cream soda! Taking me back, I don't think you can get it now...or at least I haven't seen it in years. My Dad used to work for a certain soft drinks producer & he got a staff allowance at Christmas. It was always a sign of the Christmas season when he brought home the crates; he always split them up into mixed crates to give to friends & family. We'd be standing over him watching him in dismay lol

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187865#Comment_121187865

Cream soda is still available. Never understood the fondness for it, yucky & sickly sweet (far too sweet in fact) was my memory of it. Wouldn't touch the stuff if I was given it for free. TK red lemonade & cidona though, there's a drink or 2 from my childhood I do remember fondly, loved both of them.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121187895#Comment_121187895

As a sure sign of late 80's/early 90's, I remember playing in a GAA Blitz tournament and they had bottles of cream soda on the sidelines as halftime refreshments, it was rotten and not the best thirst quencher!

A cup of te

Ah, cream soda. I remember the big 3 litre bottle of it. Used to crop up at birthday parties as a child in the 90s along with TK red lemonade! I've got a craving now although i know if i tasted it now it probably wouldn't be the same. It's the nostalgia thing. I've often done that where I go and buy something I loved as a child and find it doesn't taste the same e.g. Hot Lips, Banshee Bones, Macaroon bar! I also vote that they bring back that biscuit with the jelly on top. While they're at it, bring back the Turkish Delight sweet in Milk Tray and the coffee one in the brown foil paper that used to be in Roses.