Firstly I want to say a humongous thank you for all of the kind and compassionate comments I've had recently. When I'm feeling a bit low I'll read through them all again as I know they'll always lift my spirits and I do feel very privileged to have such generosity and warm-heartedness sent in my direction. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Our half term break was over relatively quickly – probably because we made the conscious decision to keep very busy. The plan was to exhaust Toby by day in an attempt to get him to sleep through the night but boy is he stubborn and he still hasn't slept a full night this year. We're tweaking dosages on the melatonin and continuing to try out everything we can think of including amended bedtime routines and weighted blankets.
Anyway, in the course of half term keeping busy I did a lot of driving and during a particularly bad traffic jam on the M25 Amy and I decided that our car was not really properly equipped for long journeys – there were no sweeties in the car, not even a three year old, dust covered toffee lurking at the back of the glove compartment! Obviously this needed remedying quickly and we headed off to our local Mr Simms Olde Sweetie Shoppe – what an emporium of delights!
I got all nostalgic over chocolate limes and aniseed twists as we always had a sweetie tin in the car on childhood holidays. We finally settled on acid drops, fruit rock, butter mintoes, sherbert fruits and butterscotch and we found the perfect sweetie tin (part of a set) so we're now properly equipped for our next road trip.
Have a sweet weekend won't you x
little cotton rabbits 
Lovely tins! We always had sherbert lemons, pear drops, barley sugar and those tins of travel sweets – happy journeys, Julie. These days I just take knitting – I’ve just finished a throw by having to sit in carparks and hospital waiting rooms over the last few weeks (pics on my blog).
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Glad you had a plan for dealing with the halfterm. I was wondering how you would get on.
I think you and Amy made a grear find with that tin. And an even better one by putting chocolate limes in it 😉
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I hope you succeed in trying to make your boy to get some sleep and you too. I think sweets are part of our days even if you are on a diet! Take care.
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Oooh what is it about old fashioned sweets and sweet shops mmm lovely almost makes me want to be in a traffic jam.
Emma x
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Gald you’ve survived half term Julie. That sweetie tin looks very tempting!
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We have a Mr Simms’ here in town, lovely displays… liking your retro tins as well there!
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I adore chocolate limes. I now want to buy a tin and fill it full of sweeties too, but I know that I will eat them all, so I won’t.
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We’ve learnt from past long car journeys and so we have a jar of sweets too – love it!
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What a wonderful idea keeping a sweet tin in the car!
Being the Auntie of a wonderful austic boy I know what it’s like coping with sleeping problems. Hope he sleeps through again soon.
Frances x
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What a fun post! I love that you call candy sweeties — that’s such a perfect term. And those cans for your sweeties are just adorable!
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mmmm, chocolate limes, one of my all times faves along with liquorice blackcurrents. Not had them in ages, going to have to go hunting for some now. Gorgeous tins! x
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What a lovely idea. However, I spend so much time in my car that I would be so big I wouldn’t be able to get out if I had a stash like that available all the time!
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I thought acid drops were only in fiction by roald dahl! what do they taste like?
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oooh they’re mouth-puckeringly lemony – made with tartaric acid and very bad for your teeth no doubt!
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Acid drops were my favourite sweet as a child and I used to want to buy them all the time but my mum wouldn’t let me (sensible mum)! I was allowed them now and again and can still conjure up the taste of them.
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Oooh! I’d buy those just for the tins! Such sweet tins. Pun intended…. I’m afraid our vehicles aren’t equipped for such outings either. The Native’s gobble everything up too quick! I can’t keep up. I need my own secret stash…
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Oh lovely!
Can I come with you on your next journey!!
Just the mention of acid drops makes my cheeks prickle on the inside, yum!!!! 🙂
Vivienne x
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Hi Julie
Yumpty chocolate limes and acid drops two of my favoutites plus sweet peanuts, sherbert lemons, kola cubes oh I could go on!
Have you visited the website ‘aquarterof.co.uk’ you won’t leave there empty handed once you have emptied your lovely tins take a look.
Davina x
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We had lemon or orange barley sugar sweets, covered in sugar with a round tin that defied opening by anyone. (I have been known whilst travelling for work to have a tin in the car and arrive at my meeting covered in icing sugar – not a professional look) Hope the spring is better suited to Toby’s internal time clock. much love
x
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mints. I want mints.
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How good does that lolly shop look! and those tines – divine xxBrenda
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My bedroom has a chocolate lime colour scheme. My favourite! Enjoy your treats. Bx
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oohh I had chocolate limes at my Nans yesterday, so nice 🙂 re the sleeping have you tried putting him to bed earlier? Sounds strange but my little girl who hasn’t slept all night for about 3 years seems to be (and I will wisper this) sleeping through the night! We have been putting her to bed a bit earlier and for some reason she sleeps better and longer – not sure why but might be worth a try. x
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I can totally relate to you with regards to keeping your son busy on those long days off from school. Many times, my husband and I feel compelled to hop in the car and go somewhere, anywhere, to keep my Jack amused, happy and engaged. I have never heard of any of the sweets you speak of. The names of your candy so sound other-worldly to me. Chocolate limes and aniseed twists? So poetic. Are these common English treats? We take along pretzels, potato chips, and perhaps Skittles on a car ride.
Last week (President’s Week) we went to Vermont to go skiing. A resort there, not far from Stowe, had an INCREDIBLE adaptive program for kids with special needs. We’ve been going there for the past 7 years. My son, with all his communicative limitations, etc., has actually learned how to ski!!! I wonder if you have anything of the sort in Europe?? If you do, please let me know as I’ll take any excuse to cross the pond. All the best to you, Toby and family!
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A sweet shop selling all the old fashioned sweets has recently opened up near us. I have to limit myself going in otherwise I would be bankrupt, such delights.
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Mmmm – a quarter of Bensons blackcurrant and liquorice sweets were/are my favourite. If I was very good then a stick of coltsfoot rock would be chucked in for good measure! Ooh – I just remembered kayli (no idea how it’s spelled – a zingy sugar crystal mix that I’d dip a stick of liquorice into). Gosh – it’s a wonder I have any teeth left!!
I do hope you get Toby sleeping through soon.
Pen x
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Chocolate limes… Now you’re talking!! Oh, and those peanut ones… in the shape of a peanut with salty bits in the middle! Car sweets are an absolute must 🙂
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O my! Most of those I have never even heard of. It must be a singularly British collection! They sound lovely. May your days be sweet. And your nights be restful! God bless you and yours.
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Hi,
I realize you’re very busy so please don’t think I expect an answer anytime soon… I’ve written into this blog once before, but on a knitting related issue. (I’m a newbie knitter as well!) My 3.5 year old son has STILL not been diagnosed with autism. There is no doubt as to his diagnosis, just getting one from the NHS has been like squeezing blood from a stone. I have been voicing my concerns since he was a year old and more strongly since he was 18 months old, but it took us until he was nearly 3 to have a proper speech and language therapist. We have paid for a private one as many times as has been possible (very expensive so not as much as we’d like) and apart from that we’ve had a bit of support from an early autism service (not much since he hasn’t even been properly diagnosed yet!)
I was really writing in to find out if you had any tips, any ideas of private therapy we could look into. We have a 7 month old daughter who along with our son takes up loads of time, but I’m looking to stop being a SAHM and find a job (with night shifts so it doesn’t affect our routine too much) so I could pay for extra therapy. I don’t know where to start and most internet searches have come up with nothing!! Or at least, barely nothing. We can’t afford ABA so I was wondering if there might be anything else you recommended? Sorry for all the questions. I hope things get easier for you as well.
Another question I wanted to ask was if you knew anything about making feeding easier? I though I’d found a post on feeding on your site, but then when I looked again I couldn’t find it so now I’m not sure. It was a post a bout a book that had been helpful in incorporating play into food and helped deal with some of the food aversions autistic children might have.
Anyhow, you were brilliant helping with my knitting problem so I just wanted to say thank you once again. I came across your website years ago, before I even suspected autism in my son and I must say I found your website really lovely, compelling and interesting. Then when I found out about my son, I remembered reading this site but it tool me ages to find the right one (you’ll be surprised how many results come up from a knitting+autism search!!) Fortunately I found it in the end and there’s no danger of me losing it this time round!! lol
Best wishes and I hope you have/have had a lovely weekend!!
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My Grandmother always had a tin of sweeties in the car for driving…similar looking tin I am sure you know the ones. This post reminded me of her xx 🙂
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Blackcurrant fruit pastilles. Those and Callard and Bowsers Almond Nougat which I’ve been told they stopped making years ago. If anyone knows if it is still available I will buy the world’s supply.
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We Lockets have been over indulging in sweeties lately – my favourite being sherbert fruits – but not from a lovely sweet shop….. from Lidl of all places! And we don’t have such a beautiful tin. Mr Locket’s dad used to be a dentist so Mr Locket is getting concerned about the state of our teeth! Lucy xx
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Fruit pastilles, jelly tots, and from the old school sweet jars: cola cubes, pineapple chunks and those dusty white bon bons with toffee in the middle.
Glad your tiny treats have cheered you a little x
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Yumm! I’m heading to my last remaining morsels of valentine chocolates right now!
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Ohhhh…can I come on a road trip? Isn’t if fun how old fashioned sweets stir memories of childhood?
Marie x
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oh my my… those sweets look lovely! And so do the tins! I love that you call them sweeties… We call them treats here… but I think we may have to start calling them sweeties!
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Oh goodness won’t you share after all you are sweet enough already.
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I love peppermint creams and buy myself a quarter of then now and again from a sweetie stall in our local market.
Weighted blankets sound like a great idea – I have not been sleeping well recently but they may keep me dozing – how are they weighted?
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I admire your honesty and creativity. Your work is beautiful. My husband has a brain injury and, I did not realize until I read your blog, why I have always been engaged in so many creative projects-sanity! Thank you for sharing. You are all in my prayers.
I would like to be added to your e-mail list and am posting as requested.
Have a Blessed Easter.
Thank you.
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