So carrying on, when you were young, what things did you think where a treat but now realise were really simple?

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

I have loved reading the other thread i started, so now i was wondering what you all thought were great treats but were actually really simple.

Walking to Grandmas houes alone (only down the road but a huge adventure when your 6)

All three of us sleeping in my sisters "big" bed.

My mum letting me camp out inside a Duvet cover.

Being allowed to sleep in a cammp i had made in my bedroom at 4pm with snacks and a good Enid Blyton book.

Sleeping in a tent in the Garden.

Going to work with my mum.

When my Dad built an Extension onto our house, my mum told me it was going to be a bathroom and i was staying the week at my Nans when it being finished off, they had actually made me my own bedroom as a suprise, i cried i was so happy...

It was about 1981 round our way I think. I wish they'd bring it back - might encourage more recycling.

Staying at my nan & grandad's, sharing a bed with my nan, and having my grandad bring us tea and biscuits in bed in the morning with the electric blanket on (no central heating!).

Picking out the side shoots of the tomato plants in the green house.

Laying on a blanket outside eating bread and butter and drinking bitter lemon.

Lucozade and heinz tomato soup when ill.

Mashed potatoes mounded up into a volcano shape and then a dip in the middle where mum would pour the gravy a la vesuvius

Dad doing 'The Dukes of Hazard' ie driving too fast over a humpback bridge.

My dad Doing A Ton on the roman road on the way to Granny's house. Dad driving without his hands, using his knees to steer.

Ooh - getting to do the gears in the car with dad.

Dad not a very safe driver, it would seem.

Crunchy Nut Cornflakes on holiday. We went to the very holiday house with my DCs recently and I swear I could taste the Crunchy Nuts.... sadly DS1 has nut allergy so Never More..

Brooms at the back of the sofa with a blanket over them and the sofa cushions inside to make a den!

Jelly whipped up with Carnation milk.

Grandad letting me play inside the fairy rings that appeared on the lawn.

Climbing trees and making a 'nest'.

Going up and down the escalator in Sunwin House, the only escalator in town.

Being allowed to count and bag up my dad's coppers and being allowed to to roll his cigarettes.

Going to the shop with 10p to get a 10p bag of penny sweets. A very special treat.

Anything with squirty cream on it.

Helping gran put the washing through the mangle (I'm only 31, she was just reluctant to move on to an automatic!)

Joining thr Famous Five fan club and paying 50p to get a little badge.

Getting into Grandparents bed in the morning while they drank tea from their Teasmaid - we had to be very careful not to move when they were passing each other the tea.

Similar Dad driving one - all 4 of us in the back (no seatbelts) and him driving fast and zigzagging so we would all be shaken about (very at this now!!).

Having Kitkats at grandparents.

Going to visit a great-uncle (i think, never sorted out who he was exactly!) who had a whole sweet trolley next to 'his' chair. he would always insist on giving us loads when we left

When growing up abroad: chocolate & crisps as they were hardly ever in the shops.

Packet asparagus soup at my grandparents - I mean powdered stuff you mix with water.

My mum made every thing fresh, to this was a huge treat.

Bizare - I wouldn't touch the stuff now!

Cheese cut into little cubes (this was called "sweets" )

Lucozade when I was ill and getting to lie on the sofa under a blanket with no-one allowed to tell me to "budge up" or sit on me.

Cherry tomatoes straight off the plant in my Grandma's greenhouse

Being allowed to mow the lawn at Grandma and Grandad's house - they had a sit on mower We called it 'The Tractor'

Making a den out of the upturned sofa when Mum tipped it up to vacuum under it.

Making a den out of the climbing frame with sheets in the garden

Dairlylea sandwiches alone with Mum when I came home from school for lunch (I am one of 4 and time alone with Mum was precious)

Being allowed to ride my bike to Grandad's butchers shop (it was only down the road) and being allowed to help all day. I used to put eggs in boxes, make burgers and black pudding and get sent to the back of the huge walk in freezers for bits of meat - all in my little matching outfit of white coat and pinny. I'm sure I was a brilliant marketing tool - the old ladies used to love it.

Being taken to the newsagents next door for my "pay". Picking a sweety for me and my siblings, then getting an extra one for me

Choc Dips - actually, that one is still a treat

Sweets on the way home for the dentist if we'd been good and the dentist had said our teeth were perfect.

Going to the beach! It was only 3 miles away and easily reachable by bus, but I guess they were too busy/couldn't be bothered. Sandwich spread sandwiches and warm orange squash, and an ice cream if we were lucky.

love this thread!!

Playing newmarket with my gran - she would bring out a bag of really old coins. Great fun.

Making dens out of blankets and dining chairs and eating our tea in the den

Having a Bass Shandy with our big meal at the weekend.

Satying up to watch Eurovision (I can't believe I enjoyed this, but I did!!)

Baking with my mum

Going on the train anywhere

Going out for a "drive" to the little chef - that was a real once a year treat going there.
Knickerbocker glories.

Our annual chinese takeaway (served in the hostess trolley)

Fish and chips sitting on Southend pier

Actually stopping anywhere where you had to pay to park.

Being allowed to stay up to listen to the 10 o'clock news chimes (sat on the stairs then straight to bed)

Drinks out anywhere (we always had a huge orange thermos that smelt of cheap orange squash no matter what it had in it)

A sip of dads famous parsnip wine
The dandelion 1978 was also a particularly potent brew.

Mum plaiting my hair

Bonfires (we had loads for some reason)

Shooting tin cans with dads air rifle

Drinking Babycham and Snowball at Christmas. I always drank it in a posh glass and pretended that i was an adult.

Those were the days

.

Travelling in the boot of my Dad's estate car.

Baking cakes - my mum never baked so when we stayed at my aunties house that was the ultimate treat

Going strawberry picking

A small bag of picnmix from woolworths

Sausage roll and chips in the cafe at the big local supermarket, fish and chips from the chip shop and Dad's chocolate treats on a Friday night.
Spot the 'food theme'. What a porker I sound!!
Okay then, something non-food related: I also loved looking for new books - usually Enid Blyton - at the big department store in town.

Yogurt, at the end of the supermarket visit we were allowed to choose one yogurt as a treat.

An ice cream float,usually ginger beer or cream soda,from the local cafe.

A coffee at the local cafe.

Raw rhubarb to be dipped in a brown paper bag with a little sugar in it.

A new book.

arctic roll. even now i get all excited seeing it at the supermarket "ooh look mrwilkos, arctic roll! ooh i love arctic roll!" etc etc

toasted malt bread

we weren't allowed to toast it unless it was actually stale - toasting fresh malt bread obv decadent and a waste of electricity

Wimpy knickerbocker glories (annual birthday treat)

Campbell's Meatballs.
I shudder to think of it now, but when I was at my best friend's house I often stayed for dinner, and sometimes they had Campbell's meatballs.
My mother would never have allowed them in the house so it seemed like a real treat.

Being allowed to choose a 30 pence mixture.

Playing in the communal back garden and having my Gran throw down a strawberry jam sandwich,from the veranda.

Going to the library each week.

jelly cubes

going for a drive with my dad when he visited