Sweeties with Ian Gilmour
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Sweets Five
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Sweets One
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Sweets Three
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Sweets Two
IAN GILMOUR - MY LIFE IN CONFECTIONARY
OR
SOME STICKY STORIES!!!
At our last meeting we had our very own and newish arrival to our club Ian, who originally hails from a little town called Strathaven in the heart of the Avon Valley near Kilmarnock in Scotland.
It has a population of around four thousand, six churches, ten pubs and two cinemas!! Well, it did in Ian’s day…so there were plenty of opportunities for a young man to occupy himself with things such as rugby, scouting, theatre productions, musical societies and of course the golf club. However, it was his grandad’s famous sweet shop, started in the sugar rationing days of the 1940’s that put the village sweetie shop - the famous – ‘Strathaven Toffee Shop’ on the map.
So, I gave it a quick google to give me some background ideas on what it was all about:
‘So, who remembers Strathaven Toffee - and can you still get it? I remember it being a rare and favourite treat as a child, pretty hard to come by - not a gooey sticky fudge and not hard like some tablet... but golden, sweet with a teeny wee bit of a soft bite and really melt in the mouth. A pinnacle of fudge making achievement in my book!’
Now unfortunately no longer made, this particular tablet fudge was fondly remembered by many it seems……
‘Remember it had a harder texture than other tablet, a wee bite to it… I can remember it also in a wee green and white cardboard box wrapped in greaseproof paper…’
‘It was tablet nothing like fudge…’
‘Was a wee green and white greaseproof wrapper, I loved it x…’
‘Can anyone remember what the wrapper was like? I was sure it was wrapped in greaseproof paper, but my brother thinks I'm wrong x…’
That’s how I remember it x...’
‘My dad used to buy it and I got a wee bit, luv’d it x…’
‘I remember Strathaven toffee as dark on top and a lighter colour on the bottom. One was a softer layer than the other…’
‘Love it too, tried everywhere there is a lady making fudge it turned into Strava toffee she has recipe on line…’
‘Does anyone have an original green and white cardboard packet?...’
‘Used to wait for the parcel with the green and white box being sent by our Auntie in Strathaven…’
‘I grew up on the stuff. Used to have to go to the dentist in Strathaven in the fifties, and my mum would take me to buy a box of Strathaven toffee afterwards. We would make it last for ages. I can still taste it….’
‘I grew up in Strathaven and was friends with the Gilmour’s. After school Anne Gilmour and I used to go into the factory in Commercial Street to "help making up the boxes". If I remember rightly the mixture used to be removed and the secret ingredient was added privately. This was in the late 50's early 60's…’
So, this was all news to his new fellow Rotarians here in Whitley Bay where he now lives having lived in various parts of the country since leaving Grandad’s sweetie shop.
Ian gave a fascinating and very witty account of his life from the village shop to life as a property manager, consultant business advisor, etc and an active Rotarian throughout, where he completed every aspect of being a Rotarian, apart from secretary!! Watch out Ian -there is still time and maybe Whitley Bay will be your chance to be secretary!!!
A vote of thanks was provided by Eric, who for once was almost shell shocked into silence … but not quite!!
Richard
At our last meeting we had our very own and newish arrival to our club Ian, who originally hails from a little town called Strathaven in the heart of the Avon Valley near Kilmarnock in Scotland.
It has a population of around four thousand, six churches, ten pubs and two cinemas!! Well, it did in Ian’s day…so there were plenty of opportunities for a young man to occupy himself with things such as rugby, scouting, theatre productions, musical societies and of course the golf club. However, it was his grandad’s famous sweet shop, started in the sugar rationing days of the 1940’s that put the village sweetie shop - the famous – ‘Strathaven Toffee Shop’ on the map.
So, I gave it a quick google to give me some background ideas on what it was all about:
‘So, who remembers Strathaven Toffee - and can you still get it? I remember it being a rare and favourite treat as a child, pretty hard to come by - not a gooey sticky fudge and not hard like some tablet... but golden, sweet with a teeny wee bit of a soft bite and really melt in the mouth. A pinnacle of fudge making achievement in my book!’
Now unfortunately no longer made, this particular tablet fudge was fondly remembered by many it seems……
‘Remember it had a harder texture than other tablet, a wee bite to it… I can remember it also in a wee green and white cardboard box wrapped in greaseproof paper…’
‘It was tablet nothing like fudge…’
‘Was a wee green and white greaseproof wrapper, I loved it x…’
‘Can anyone remember what the wrapper was like? I was sure it was wrapped in greaseproof paper, but my brother thinks I'm wrong x…’
That’s how I remember it x...’
‘My dad used to buy it and I got a wee bit, luv’d it x…’
‘I remember Strathaven toffee as dark on top and a lighter colour on the bottom. One was a softer layer than the other…’
‘Love it too, tried everywhere there is a lady making fudge it turned into Strava toffee she has recipe on line…’
‘Does anyone have an original green and white cardboard packet?...’
‘Used to wait for the parcel with the green and white box being sent by our Auntie in Strathaven…’
‘I grew up on the stuff. Used to have to go to the dentist in Strathaven in the fifties, and my mum would take me to buy a box of Strathaven toffee afterwards. We would make it last for ages. I can still taste it….’
‘I grew up in Strathaven and was friends with the Gilmour’s. After school Anne Gilmour and I used to go into the factory in Commercial Street to "help making up the boxes". If I remember rightly the mixture used to be removed and the secret ingredient was added privately. This was in the late 50's early 60's…’
So, this was all news to his new fellow Rotarians here in Whitley Bay where he now lives having lived in various parts of the country since leaving Grandad’s sweetie shop.
Ian gave a fascinating and very witty account of his life from the village shop to life as a property manager, consultant business advisor, etc and an active Rotarian throughout, where he completed every aspect of being a Rotarian, apart from secretary!! Watch out Ian -there is still time and maybe Whitley Bay will be your chance to be secretary!!!
A vote of thanks was provided by Eric, who for once was almost shell shocked into silence … but not quite!!
Richard
If you are interested in finding out more about Whitley Bay Rotary Club, please contact us either on enquiries@whitleybayrotaryclub.co.uk or by telephoning 07419 736989.
