Our Sepia Saturday prompt image this week features a group of children being instructed in healthy eating by "the Health Fairy". And what is healthier that a fizzy drink and a plate of iced buns?
This photograph must have been taken in the early 1950s when I was about five years old. That is me in the silly hat with the Mona Lisa enigmatic smile and that is my brother Roger next to me with the kind of label attached to his blazer that would allow him into the Winners' Enclosure at Ascot. I am not sure about the girl sat opposite us, but no doubt she grew up to be a British seaside resort boarding-house landlady (if you have never been acquainted with such institutions, count your blessings and imagine). The occasion would have been one of the annual Christmas Parties organised by the firm my father worked for - the toffee and sweet maker, Mackintosh's. The Health Fairy never put in an appearance at one of their toffee-chewing, chocolate-licking Christmas parties - but you could hardly expect her to.
FLY ON OVER TO THE SEPIA SATURDAY BLOG AND FOLLOW THE LINKS TO SEE MORE OLD IMAGES AND NEW REFLECTIONS
That is a classic photo. What fun to have a party put on by Mackintosh. I remember those tins of toffees and chocolates from when I was a kid in England.
ReplyDeleteAs A Kid In Halifax ,in Those Olden Days ,It Was All Smells & Aromas! Walking Past Ramsdens Brewery & you got a lungful of Hops/Barley whatever...(somehow ,The Building Society that replaced it never smelt the same..in those days Banks didn't smell?)
ReplyDeleteAnd,the bottom of Town ! The Sweet Aroma of Macks! Nostalgia Never Smelt So Good!
Wot no chips? I see you had your endearing smile from way back when Alan.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that well brewed, cask ales have the healing qualities necessary for balancing the system against iced buns, toffees and chocolate. You are living proof, Alan.
ReplyDeletePut a mustache on that little boy and you haven't changed a bit. Still cute!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
You definitely have a mischievous smile there. Looks like that girl has had too much fizzy pop:-) A party hosted by a sweet and toffee maker sounds like every child's dream.
ReplyDeleteI think children did not get as many sweets then, well I did not, so events like this were a "god send"! I had to laugh about the girl opposite, she actually has the looks, you figured her out very well. Excellent
ReplyDeleteAlan I enjoy your humor.
I bet you got a lot of sweets when you were little.
ReplyDeleteSince my arrival into Toronto I have had the pleasure of chewing on those toffees. A package cost 10 cents and I would save up just for that but more often I gave into cheaper sweets, the penny ones.
ReplyDeleteThis brings back memories of boarding school Christmas parties. I can't say that boy no 3 along looks too pleased to be there either - perhaps he was contemplating a life of drudgery ahead working at his elder sister's British seaside resort boarding-house? Either that or he was already feeling a little bilious from imbibing a few too many Quality Street confections.
ReplyDeletePretty interesting as it shows activities from another time. I guess it wasn't cool for your brother to wear a party hat.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to avoid British boarding houses at all costs! Was she really a young girl? If so, she obviously didn't consume sufficient fizzy drinks or MacKintoshs' toffee, poor thing. I adore your "look" and the festive hat!
ReplyDeleteIf we'd had a brigade of seaside landladies fighting for us in WWII, it would have been cur short by 4 years....
ReplyDeleteOh, the power of a photo! This brings back vividly the Christmas parties I used to have to go to at my dad's work. I didn't much like them, seeing as I never used to know anybody else there. I'd rather have partied with my friends. But you did get a gift, as well as plenty of jelly and cakes.
ReplyDeleteAt first I took the girl across from you for a grown woman. And I wondered what "iced cakes" were - were they frozen? Then I realized they had icing on them, of course. I probably didn't get a full nights sleep and need to go take a nap. now.
ReplyDeleteI see lots of silly hats. How did Roger dodge that bullet? It looks like a fine party. A clever twist on this week's theme, Mr. Opposite.
ReplyDeleteOMG ... you were just a doll! The girl across from you and your brother caught my attention first though, she didn't look too pleased. Wonderful photo, Alan.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Wonderful memories!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pic...I love seeing the little you Alan...and laughed out loud at the notion of the girl opposite becoming the seaside resort boarding house landlady...
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I expect the Health Fairy NOT to have been on the guest list...
ReplyDeleteGreat hat, man!!
;)~
HUGZ
You are just so very very cute! You make this photo. And your mention of fizzy drinks, I'm wondering if they sold Fizzies in Britain. They were small flavored tablets that you'd drop into a glass of water. They'd fizz up and pretend to be some sort of fruit flavor. They were pretty dreadful, but for a kid they were a lot of fun. We used to take frozen orange juice cans and fill them with water, drop a Fizzie in, then we'd freeze them. They didn't taste any better, but the anticipation was part of the fun.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great mix of expressions, Alan. Amazing the variety of effects of sugar. And there's a little fairy too peeking out from above your head!
ReplyDeleteYour hat is very cute! Roger seems well..a bit under dressed without a hat!:)
ReplyDelete