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I suppose the roots were what William and his gang used to make licquorice water. I also like the soft kind, Viv. Tincture of licquorice is said to be good if you have low blood pressure, according to herbalists.

I've seen marzipan fruits in Waitrose, Viv. I hated Buttered Brazils myself. Banana split toffees were great, Elmdon Boy. There were also plain ones that had a white whirl...I don't know what they were called.

I had a very "hands on" father, which is odd because he hadn't known his own. He had a couple of uncles who were role models, I think, and a grandfather. One of the uncles taught him to play the piano.

I can sort of remember these as being quite nice. Today I saw licquorice root in Holland and Barrett, several sticks in a bag for 99p. (Didn't buy any).

We had one in the 1960s.

It didn't look very nice! I suppose they were put up in the nearest Travel Lodge or equivalent.

The bit where the mother said that the stuff cooked in a jar was like dog food was quite funny! I'm sure I've seen the bacon roll recipe somewhere. Do you think they actually spend nights in the house (we haven't seen upstairs), and can't have baths and what have you?

I like the idea of a Festival of Fitness!

I'm sure I read somewhere that Tolkien used the word miskin, in real life as a child, I mean.

There's a book called Old Bordesley Green by John Beck, which might have a photo. You've probably thought of that already!

That was our doctor's surgery, and though I can remember the inside clearly, I can't visualise the outside or surroundings. I hope someone can find a photo - I'm not on FB either.

Is this the surgery of Dr Jones? I have a feeling it was set back from the road, and it was a big house, but I have no very clear memory of the outside of it.

I've been reading his autobiography, in which he writes about coming to work at the university in the early 1960s (he's a Londoner). It's odd to think that this happened when I was at junior school, as he's one of my favourite novelists. We used to refer to places like Edgbaston as "the other...

Yes, it was! I remember most of those names, but not Birds of Paradise. Wasn't there one called Rapture? And a man's cologne called Rugger, or am I imagining that?

My dad used to buy this for me in the 1960s (Pretty Peach solid perfume). It was more of a cream than a solid. Solid perfume is having a bit of a comeback, I think. L'Occitane are doing one or two.

We ought to gather all these memories into a book!

I went into Thornton's in Reading yesterday, and it reminded me how upmarket their chocolates used to seem, especially the Continental Assortment. And the Easter eggs with your name piped on them.

It was magical how Instant Whip became semi-solid as you whisked it. Angel Delight was fluffier. I bet the main ingredient was sugar!

Boots used to sell chillblain tabelts. I think they contained vitamin B5, and they made you feel very hot. They stopped selling them ages ago. Perhaps they were unsafe?

What a sad story.