Things we lost in the fire. Of history

[Trollheart]

What things do you miss that are no longer available? Do you remember watching, eating, using something that is now no more? Do you yearn for things you can no longer have?

I've just been thinking, for some reason, of a cake we used to get every Sunday. It was a sponge cake, round, coated entirely in orange icing, with orange cream inside, and a small orange jelly half-crescent on the top. I can taste it now. That was probably around the mid-1970s; no such thing seems to exist anymore.

I've spoken before, I think, of "Two and Two", a chocolate bar which had dark (plain) chocolate base, milk chocolate otherwise, filled with cream fondant and fudge I think. Man I loved those bars! Also "Icebreaker", a short-lived bar which was dark chocolate with tiny little blue mint flecks in it. And Peppermint Patties. And Dad's Cookies, which were kind of an oatmeal/shortcake sort of thing, totally delicious.

I also miss the old buses without doors, where you could jump on and off as it came to a stop; the kind of rush you'd get from jumping down and the ground kind of hits you like one of those travelators? Or timing it just right to hop on one as it moved away from the bus stop. And I miss TV announcers who were real people, sat in a chair or behind a desk to tell you what was coming up next, none of this annoying voiceover shit.

And Walkmen. I miss my Walkman.

What do you miss?

[jimmy jazz]

There was a pizza shop by me that was actually run by Italians. The first time I ever tasted pizza was from here and I remember it so well, it was in the 90s. It was just a small place and there was graffiti art on the wall of a little Italian that looked like Super Mario eating a slice of pizza. When I ate some it blew my head off. I remember it was so good. Me and friends would eat from there on my birthday and I just loved it so much. They had an offer on at 12-2pm that pizza was half price for lunchtime. And it wasn't expensive anyway. It was such a great shop. It was taken over around 2016 and since then it's not the same. I've had pizza in plenty of places and nothing was as good as this shop. I really miss it. 😢

[Trollheart]

I know what you mean. In the city centre (in town, as we would call it) there was a chip shop which did the best chips I have ever tasted in my life. It was called Dimascio's (so I guess Italian too) and it was just around the corner from where we got the bus home. Initially, when we would be taken into town as kids, ma would always buy us chips from there to eat on the bus on the way home. They just drowned them in vinegar and plenty of salt. The feel of a hot wet bag cupped in your hand as you waited for the bus, the steam rising from the bag, probing in the farthest corners for bits after you'd eaten the last chip! Ma was no fool: after eating that bag of chips she didn't have to cook a dinner for us! Whenever I went into town afterwards as an adolescent or adult I always bought a bag from them. Long gone now of course.

Why do I keep reminiscing about food? I'm hungry now! 

[jimmy jazz]

I remember the chippy on the end of my road used to do cones of chips for 50p. Scallops for 20p. If you went there near closing time he'd give you free shit as well. Pies, fishcakes, and sausage and chips. It was only going to get thrown away. He was a good guy.

Was a Greek family that ran it. The man was a legend. He always have the kids lollipops and was so friendly.

Been taken over by someone else now. They do nice cheeseburgers for £2 though.

Why the fuck do so many Greeks run British chippies? One of my best mates is a Greek Cypriot and his family owns a chippy. I knew another Greek and his family owned one too.

There is one owned by Indians close by and it is absolutely shit. They just microwave the food when you make your order. Shite. Never been back.

[Trollheart]

Just as a matter of interest, Irish people called them chippers, and during my day when you asked for a bag of chips it was a single of chips. Really confused the fast food outfit Wimpys when I went to London in the 1980s and asked for a single of chips. The guy stared at me like I had two heads!  What do you mean, a single? Obviously, short for single portion, but why it became so widely used in Ireland I don't know. I doubt people still say it though. Another thing lost: three singles a fresh cod please.