Thought for today - 21 March

[AlanHo]

When I was a kid my mother used to say “Eat your toast – that’s best butter not margarine on it”

It’s only now - 60 years later – that I wonder whether there was such a thing as “worst” butter.

[andsome]

When I was a kid my mother used to say "Eat your toast – that's best butter not margarine on it"

It's only now - 60 years later – that I wonder whether there was such a thing as "worst" butter.

Do you remember National Margarine during the war?

[doug]

Are we going to have a reminisce? Snoek, Spam

[Irene]

When I was a kid my mother used to say "Eat your toast – that's best butter not margarine on it" It's only now - 60 years later – that I wonder whether there was such a thing as "worst" butter.

Do you remember National Margarine during the war?

I don't remember National Margarine... I was born in 1946 as a result of my father's demob-leave. :D

Although I do remember similar referals to Alan's margarine and best butter remarks.

[andsome]

On Sundays we were allowed a treat, (if it was available). We had tinned fruit with evaporated milk poured over it, but only if we agreed to eat a round of bread and butter with it. :D

[Watchful]

I remember a greasy substitute called 'Echo' which my mum used in baking

[AlanHo]

On Sundays we were allowed a treat, (if it was available). We had tinned fruit with evaporated milk poured over it, but only if we agreed to eat a round of bread and butter with it. :D

I recall similar Sunday afternoons. We had Carnation evaporated milk on Libbys tinned fruit cocktail with sliced white bread thinly spread with best butter.

If the tinned fruit was not available (or affordable) my brother and I would have a white bread sandwich containing sugar sprinkled on the best butter.

There was no way I would eat the margarine of the day - I loathed the taste and texture. I can recall one day that my mother gave me sardine sandwiches to take to school for my lunch - supposedly spread with best butter. However - amazingly I was able to taste the margarine under the sardines and I ended up feeding the ducks in the park with them. I can recall feeling very confused and hurt that my mom would try and cheat me - I am sure a psychiatrist would conclude that such a devastating incident when so young is likely to affect my relationships with women for the rest of my life. Especially women who like butter substitutes. There is probably a name for it - like Storkaphobia or Butterleymania.

[rong]

A modern twist on butter, I bought a roll (or whatever they call them nowadays) the other week and was asked if I would like butter so in surprise I said is it really butter, the girl went away to ask and came back with no it's not. How do they get away with it? should they not ask if you would like a vegetable spread or a chemically manufactured spread?

[catgate]

There is no doubt in my mind about "best" butter. It was a far better thing than that which is on the supermarket shelves today. Even the worst butter of those days tasted like butter.

Re "Are we going to have a reminisce? Snoek, Spam". I remember powdered dried eggs and also POM (olde tyme SMASH). They were very handy for lads going camping.There was also PREM a first cousin of SPAM.

[Irene]

I know that this was pre-war, but Echo margarine was listed at 4.1/2d in the 1930's.

Cost of living was a bit different then ....

1930's Cost of Living Prices, as reported by the Rochdale Observer in Nov 2006

[Watchful]

Irene, I have a very old advert. pamphlet from Rochdale (my husband's birthplace - for his sins ) and the prices quoted bear no relation to today but then wages were so much lower and seemed to go further

[Irene]

Irene, I have a very old advert. pamphlet from Rochdale (my husband's birthplace - for his sins ) and the prices quoted bear no relation to today but then wages were so much lower and seemed to go further

Pushkin, they certainly were, and did.

If I remember correctly, when we were first married in the mid 60's, my husband was an apprentice at English Electric - alias GEC Alsthom - and he was earning something like £10 per week!

[catgate]

I know that this was pre-war, but Echo margarine was listed at 4.1/2d in the 1930's.

Cost of living was a bit different then ....

1930's Cost of Living Prices, as reported by the Rochdale Observer in Nov 2006

Don't get me started.

1939 a small white loaf from the bakers was 2 1/4 d, as was half a pint of milk. 1d would post a postcard 2 1/2d a letter.

But a really good wage was £300 p.a. Father bought a brand new modern semi on a private estate in 1936 for £440. He felt extremely guilty when he sold it in 1950 for £1750 (..but that was my dad for you!)

[Irene]

I know that this was pre-war, but Echo margarine was listed at 4.1/2d in the 1930's.

Cost of living was a bit different then ....

1930's Cost of Living Prices, as reported by the Rochdale Observer in Nov 2006

Don't get me started. 1939 a small white loaf from the bakers was 2 1/4 d, as was half a pint of milk. 1d would post a postcard 2 1/2d a letter. But a really good wage was £300 p.a. Father bought a brand new modern semi on a private estate in 1936 for £440. He felt extremely guilty when he sold it in 1950 for £1750 (..but that was my dad for you!)

We bought our first house, which was detatched and on a new estate, in 1967 for the grand sum of £3470.

We were really hard pressed to afford it. We sold the Ford Anglia car and purchased a Mini Van for £20... Very useful for transporting building materials and prams. :lol:

[andsome]

There is no doubt in my mind about "best" butter. It was a far better thing than that which is on the supermarket shelves today. Even the worst butter of those days tasted like butter.

Re "Are we going to have a reminisce? Snoek, Spam". I remember powdered dried eggs and also POM (olde tyme SMASH). They were very handy for lads going camping.There was also PREM a first cousin of SPAM.

I remember them all. Pom was absolutely VILE. I used to love the dried egg powder, my mother used to reconstitute it, then we dipped bread in it and fried it. I seem to remember that it was delicious. Spam was OK, and is still available, I used to like spam fritters. :D

[andsome]

I know that this was pre-war, but Echo margarine was listed at 4.1/2d in the 1930's.

Cost of living was a bit different then ....

1930's Cost of Living Prices, as reported by the Rochdale Observer in Nov 2006

Don't get me started. 1939 a small white loaf from the bakers was 2 1/4 d, as was half a pint of milk. 1d would post a postcard 2 1/2d a letter. But a really good wage was £300 p.a. Father bought a brand new modern semi on a private estate in 1936 for £440. He felt extremely guilty when he sold it in 1950 for £1750 (..but that was my dad for you!)

We bought our first house, which was detatched and on a new estate, in 1967 for the grand sum of £3470.

We were really hard pressed to afford it. We sold the Ford Anglia car and purchased a Mini Van for £20... Very useful for transporting building materials and prams. :lol:

Our first car was a second hand six months old A35 van. :D

[Irene]

There is no doubt in my mind about "best" butter. It was a far better thing than that which is on the supermarket shelves today. Even the worst butter of those days tasted like butter.

Re "Are we going to have a reminisce? Snoek, Spam". I remember powdered dried eggs and also POM (olde tyme SMASH). They were very handy for lads going camping.There was also PREM a first cousin of SPAM.

I remember them all. Pom was absolutely VILE. I used to love the dried egg powder, my mother used to reconstitute it, then we dipped bread in it and fried it. I seem to remember that it was delicious. Spam was OK, and is still available, I used to like spam fritters. :D

This is what the modern world call 'French Toast'.

Yummy!!! :D

[Watchful]

We could not stretch to a £3,000 bungalow, which I would have liked, but went for a terraced at £1,100, in 1966, when my office wage was £11 per month and my husband earned about £30 p. week which included overtime, in engineering, and working 6 and a half days per week

Our weekly food bill from the Co-op, when we became three a year later, was about £7. :0