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Bread and Dripping

When we lived in our back-to-back in Brighton Place just off Summer Lane our Sunday afternoon treat was to wait in great anticpation for a man who came into the yard with a basket selling what in those days we called "Pykelets", which we toasted in front of our cast iron "Workwell" fireplace. I think they were thre'pence for six, and as there were five of us in the family, it was always a fight for who had the extra one!

But why do we all have such treasured memories of such things so long ago? Was it because life was so much simpler then, or perhaps because the hardships of those times brought the community together? After all, we did have communial privvies and a "brewus" up the yard where our mums did the weekly washing, and your neighbour would "leave yer her suds" if you were next.

So what now those golden terms, like peg rugs, mangles and guzzunders? And what now how many of our kids today make a "polly morgan" from a plank and some old pram wheels, or a "fire can", or play marbles, hop scotch, conkers, and 'ackey-on-two-three - and shout "barley" if a squabble over who was the winner broke out?

It all begs the question, will kids in the future likewise have such fond memories of their first iPad, or visiting a "Whacky Warehouse" in ninety years time? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, if I bought any Pykelets today I'd have them all to myself, for all the family that I shared them with in those days so long ago are now my most treasured memories of all.

Regards to all Brummies wherever you may be, and remember - "It is darker when the light goes out, than if there had never been a a light at all"
 
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Sten Thomas said:
When we lived in our back-to-back in Brighton Place just off Summer Lane our Sunday afternoon treat was to wait in great anticpation for a man who came into the yard with a basket selling what we called "Pyklets" in those days, which we toasted in front of the cast iron fireplace. I think they were threpence for six, and as there were five of us, there was always a squabble as to who had the extra one!

Why do we all have such treasured memories of so long ago? Was it because life was so much simpler then, or perhaps because the hardships of those times brought the community together? After all, we did have a communial privvies and a "brewus" up the yard where our mums did the weekly washing, and your neighbour would "leave yer her suds" if you were next.

So will our kids of today likewise have such fond memories of their first iPad, or visiting a "Whacky Warehouse" in ninety years time? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, even if I could still buy any Pyklets, I'd have to eat them alone, for all the rest of my family from those bygone days will always be my most treasured memories of all.
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lovely memories sten.. please keep them coming...you can still buy piklets or crumpets as they are now called...i had some the other day dripping in butter.. :)

lyn
 
Sten Thomas said:
When we lived in our back-to-back in Brighton Place just off Summer Lane our Sunday afternoon treat was to wait in great anticpation for a man who came into the yard with a basket selling what in those days we called "Pyklets", which we toasted in front of our cast iron "Workwell" fireplace.
I think they were thre'pence for six, and as there were five of us in the family, it was always a fight for who had the extra one!

But why do we all have such treasured memories of such things so long ago? Was it because life was so much simpler then, or perhaps because the hardships of those times brought the community together? After all, we did have communial privvies and a "brewus" up the yard where our mums did the weekly washing, and your neighbour would "leave yer her suds" if you were next.

So what now those golden terms, like peg rugs, mangles and guzzunders? And what now how many of our kids today make a "polly morgan" from a plank and some old pram wheels, or a "fire can", or play marbles, hop scotch and 'ackey-on-two-three - and shout "barley" if a squabble over who was the winner broke out?

It begs the question, will our kids of today likewise have such fond memories of their first iPad, or visiting a "Whacky Warehouse" in ninety years time? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, if I bought any Pyklets today I'd have them all to myself, for all the family that I shared them with in those days long ago are now my most treasured memories of all.
Click to expand...
What do they call pyklets today? And don’t forget playing conkers!
 
Richard Dye said:
What do they call pyklets today? And don’t forget playing conkers!
Click to expand...
Its one of those ongoing arguments like scone and scon. Growing up in Birmingham we always called the (the 4” dia ½ inch thick) pikelets. Crumpets seemed to creep in on TV adverts for butter, these were also identical to what I had known as pikelets.

I then noticed some supermarkets seeing these larger and thinker things called pikelets, but in all honesty, they are much of a muchness. I have to admit being very fond of pikelets or crumpets with butter, lots of it.
 
Morturn said:
Its one of those ongoing arguments like scone and scon. Growing up in Birmingham we always called the (the 4” dia ½ inch thick) pikelets. Crumpets seemed to creep in on TV adverts for butter, these were also identical to what I had known as pikelets.

I then noticed some supermarkets seeing these larger and thinker things called pikelets, but in all honesty, they are much of a muchness. I have to admit being very fond of pikelets or crumpets with butter, lots of it.
Click to expand...
We have a distant version of it in the US……wait for it, called English Muffins! I like them the same way, lots of butter and marmalade!
 
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