The sweet life of sugar-coated memories

But whichever camp you fall into, I think for most of us there's a traditional sweet that will always have you saying 'don't mind if I do'.

I can get quite nostalgic about certain sweet treats, and there's something magical, at any age, about a traditional shop, walls full of shelves with jar after jar of colourful goodies.

As a youngster my RAF dad was based in Germany, and I'd join packs of other children on a bus headed to the cinema on camp for the Saturday matinee.

Without fail, my purchase of choice on the way in was a bag of humbugs. Even now, one of the stripy sweets has me back on that bus.

Flying saucers.

And then there were those hard candies in a round, gold tin (filled with icing sugar that went everywhere) that my parents only ever bought for long car journeys. It simply wasn't a holiday without them!

A rather amusing sweet-related memory was the time I gave my son, then only about five-years-old, a super sour ball.

His face was an absolute picture, and he then took great pleasure in making his unsuspecting grandparents try them.

Discussing this topic with my editor, Susan Perry, she said: "I loved pineapple cubes and cola cubes, and flying saucers.

"We had pocket money and every Saturday we were allowed to go to Miss Hughes' sweet shop in the village (Weston Rhyn) and were mesmerised by jar after jar of sweet treats."

The Leader's big cat specialist, Matt Warner, said: "Toffos. The original and the multi-flavoured ones. At a certain age you were guaranteed to lose at least one tooth per pack. So you could spend the tooth fairy money on more Toffos."

Another colleague had a penchant for Refreshers, "the chewy ones in a yellow and blue wrapper" and monkey nuts.

And Woolworths' pick 'n' mix got a lot of love in a quick ask around the office (actually living and bedrooms as we're working from home).

Cola cubes.

A friend of mine has sugary memories linked to both of her grandmothers.

One always had barley sugars and the other was armed with chocolate eclairs to give the bus drivers.

A visit to either was always an extra treat, as being the daughter of a health visitor, she wasn't allowed sweets at home.

I asked the members of the Leader's Local Bygones Facebook group for their favourite childhood sweet treats, and going through the list definitely put me in the mood for some retro sweets.

Even as I type, I'm sat next to an open bag of newly bought chocolate limes.

Jackie Aitken said: "Blackcurrant liquorice sweets, reminds me of day trips out in the car with mum and dad."

Chris Brown said: "Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, they were made in an area my dad was brought up and they were the only sweet we ever heard about off him."

Michael Davies recalls: "After rationing ended, my favourite was Archie Andrews ice lollies."

Sugar mice.

Rob Owen clearly has a sweet tooth: "Midget Gems, liquorice torpedoes, pear drops, Caramac, and full tins of Quality Street (instead of the half-empty ones seen today.) Beech Nut chewing gum, Bubbly bubble gum, Camel chocolate cigarettes..."

For Anne Adams, it was a drink: "Cream soda poured over a tall glass with a blob of ice cream at the bottom."

Helen Harrison remembered something most of us have done: "Sherbet in a bag, you dipped your wet finger in."

And Neil Edwards had an eclectic mix: "Pineapple chunks, Spanish wood (liquorice wood) and tea cakes."

Margaret Muir said: "Rum and butter, peppermint creams, Penny arrows and gobstoppers. Also sugar mouse and sherbet."

So many other sweets were mentioned. Is your favourite on the list? Let us know, email claire.pierce@newsquest.co.uk

• Chocolate and lime

• Pineapple cubes

• Cherry lips

• Cough candy twists

• Cola cola cubes

• Black Jacks

• Gobstoppers

• Fruit Salads

• Chewing nuts

• Sherbet pips

• Flying saucers

• Flumps

• Spangles

• Pear drops

• Aniseed balls

• Fudge cubes

• Chocolate covered bananas

• Popping candy

• Apple tarts

• Ruffle bar

• Bulls-eyes

• Sweet tobacco