I blame Underwood’s yellow lemonade

The writer in residence and mesel found ourselves in the yard reminiscing. The reminiscence had to be, Twentyman's ice cream. Yeah we are agreed - plain vanilla with red syrup (even though it 'meks amess'). We were transported back to a time when Mr. Underwood of Maryport could have a good living making 'pop' and supplying the local pubs and some shops with yellow lemonade; dandelion and burdock; American ice cream soda and…. I think that was it. Once a week the pop van would come to Gote Road in Cockermouth. We would have left the empties on the step with the correct money and 'as if by magic' we would receive 2 full bottles of yellow lemonade which would last me and my Gran and a couple of visiting friends and family a whole week. I don't remember them being rationed but the 5 pints of bright yellow liquid (tartrazine, water, sugar, lemon essence, some gas and more tartrazine) would see us through the week. Come to think of it …. It wasn't actually called yellow lemonade. It was just, well, lemonade! Only, when new fangled 'white lemonade' arrived in the 60s, was there a distinction. Now here's a little test. If you can still find yellow lemonade (I doubt it 'cos tartrazine became one of those 'E-substances') try a Bitter Dash – 7/8ths of a pint of Jennings Bitter filled up with a dash of yellow lemonade. Nectar! I usual have a headache within 15 minutes being allergic to E102 and burnt sugar (oh and sheep wool) but for 14 minutes all is well.

We have become over stimulated by choice. How much better food tasted when it was simple and satisfied locally.

New potatoes fresh from the garden boiled in their skins, some farm butter, a little mint and a fried egg. At 9.30 pm just before going to bed.

The Co-op's choice of cheese – crumbly white or cheddar with white bread with my uncle Ted's tomatoes and a little salt (crushed with a rolling pin in a tea-cloth and kept in one of those funny jars). Saturday afternoon

Tinned peaches and evaporated milk. Sunday afternoon.

Pastry squares – Sunday Dinner with real gravy.

Rice Pudding, jam and the top of the milk (as anybody seen the top of the milk in the last 20 years?) Bi weekly Sundays.

My Gran's meat and potato slab pie with oxo gravy and HP sauce … and a cup of tea. AND a tin of peas. Monday

A pork chop, apple sauce, peas and homemade chips, white bread and butter (sometimes a fried egg!) Wednesdays when Gran got her pension.

Pickled Herring with …. I wish I could remember .. I have a feeling that it was brown bread and butter. Saturday teatime. Sometimes Thursday.

Tatie Pot, chutney and tea. Tuesday

Haig's Pork Pie with peas. .. 3 times a year!

And.. Twentyman's ice cream when Mr. Nicholson took me and Gran for our Sunday afternoon drives out.

I like a pea - as my dad used to say.