So, what have we learnt today?

Sweet 'n' Sour

One week back after a two week holiday and a long bank holiday weekend in front of us. The sun is out - life is good.

More good news - last week I entered a quiz on the Podquiz podcast - I downloaded the latest episode only to discover that I'd won...a T-shirt.

I can only ever recall winning three prizes before this:

£10 record voucher in a Crossword Competition when I worked for Legal & General
A big pink teddy bear in a "Name The Bear" competition
A Haven Holiday keyring for winning 'Name That Tune', which incidentally was 'The Life & Times of Lloyd George' (don't ask)

However, my memory is haunted, in the words of Jim Bowen, by what I could have won:

At the age of 9, my school friend Alan and I decided we would run a stall at the school Summer Fair. At the time there was a promotion on the back of Sugar Puffs to collect tokens for a huge Honey Monster. There was a choice for saving 10 tokens and paying something like £15, or collecting 100 tokens and getting the monster for free. We decided to try and get a Honey Monster to raffle.

I tried to involve the whole school in a mass Sugar Puff eating endeavour in order to collect the required number of tokens. Sir Alan Sugar would have been proud of my entrepreneurial skills - there were felt-tip posters a-plenty and incentives (bring in 3 tokens and get a free raffle ticket).

Take up, I must say, was not great. Of the 100 tokens required, I must have eaten my way through a vast number of packets - it would have been in the 30s or 40s. I remember feeling particularly agrieved because Alan didn't provide a single token.

Eventually we achieved success and sent the tokens to Quaker Foods I believe. Within 28 days, as promised, I arrived home from school to discover a gargantuan brown paper wrapped parcel - the Honey Monster had arrived. The sheer magnificance of it can not be described.

The day of the Summer Fair arrived. The stall was set up and decorated by Alan and me. We displayed the monster and other assorted prizes donated by my family. Please see the photographic evidence above, which I reget doesn't show the full beauty of the Honey Monster (on the right in the plastic wrapper), but I believe it does demonstrate my satorial elegance.

The fair was opened (I believe by one of the twins from Hi-De-Hi) and we started to sell tickets in a frenzy of activity...well...a couple of people wandered over and bought a ticket out of pity.

At the end of the afternoon, the box with the tickets was taken to Mrs Cropper, the Headmistress, who pulled out the winning ticket...

...it was my Grandfather who'd won!

My heart jumped up into my throat - the monster was mine. It was a perfect end to a perfect day...

...until my Grandad said it wasn't really fair and made her pull out another ticket.

Even as I write this, I feel a shadow of that emotion deep in my heart. It would have been like Charlie opening that chocolate bar and seeing the glimpse of the golden ticket, only to have the bar snatched out of his hand.

From that day to this, I have never eaten a single Sugar Puff.

2006-04-28 18:44:26 GMT

Comments (2 total)

Author:marcusjjjjj

Something which I'm sure your teeth thank you for every day.

The Honey Monster has always puzzled me.
You'd think he'd be happier with (say) honey, rather than Sugar Puffs.
I suppose the "Sugar Monster" wouldn't have been too popular with parents.

I had that T-shirt too.

2006-04-29 08:48:35 GMT

Author:Sean

I've just found out that Henry McGee, the mummy from the adverts passed away in January this year - I must have missed the televised funeral.

I know what you mean about the monster. I was interested to read this from the advert creator though:

"Basically the advert was a nutritional message, Sugar Puffs at the time being the sort of thing mothers were keen for their children to eat. The task was to advertise Sugar Puffs to mums in a way that kids would enjoy.

"Basically the relationship between the Honey Monster and the man, played by Henry McGee, was that of a mother and child relationship. The man was responsible for what the monster was eating, and what the child wanted was honey. So he would cry 'Tell them about the honey mummy'."

Sugar Puffs - good to eat?

No mention there about them making your wee smell of them afterwards though.

2006-04-29 09:07:06 GMT

Site Home




		3 or 4 helpings of stuff and nonsense every week. Come and get it while it's hot.

		Sweet 'n' Sour One week back after a two week holiday and a long bank holiday weekend in front of us. The sun is out - life is good. More good news - last week I entered a quiz on the Podquiz podcast - I downloaded the latest episode only to discover that I'd won...a T-shirt. I can only ever recall winning three prizes before this: £10 record voucher in a Crossword Competition when I worked for Legal & General A big pink teddy bear in a "Name The Bear" competition A Haven Holiday keyring for winning 'Name That Tune', which incidentally was 'The Life & Times of Lloyd George' (don't ask) However, my memory is haunted, in the words of Jim Bowen, by what I could have won: At the age of 9, my school friend Alan and I decided we would run a stall at the school Summer Fair. At the time there was a promotion on the back of Sugar Puffs to collect tokens for a huge Honey Monster. There was a choice for saving 10 tokens and paying something like £15, or collecting 100 tokens and getting the monster for free. We decided to try and get a Honey Monster to raffle. I tried to involve the whole school in a mass Sugar Puff eating endeavour in order to collect the required number of tokens. Sir Alan Sugar would have been proud of my entrepreneurial skills - there were felt-tip posters a-plenty and incentives (bring in 3 tokens and get a free raffle ticket). Take up, I must say, was not great. Of the 100 tokens required, I must have eaten my way through a vast number of packets - it would have been in the 30s or 40s. I remember feeling particularly agrieved because Alan didn't provide a single token. Eventually we achieved success and sent the tokens to Quaker Foods I believe. Within 28 days, as promised, I arrived home from school to discover a gargantuan brown paper wrapped parcel - the Honey Monster had arrived. The sheer magnificance of it can not be described. The day of the Summer Fair arrived. The stall was set up and decorated by Alan and me. We displayed the monster and other assorted prizes donated by my family. Please see the photographic evidence above, which I reget doesn't show the full beauty of the Honey Monster (on the right in the plastic wrapper), but I believe it does demonstrate my satorial elegance. The fair was opened (I believe by one of the twins from Hi-De-Hi) and we started to sell tickets in a frenzy of activity...well...a couple of people wandered over and bought a ticket out of pity. At the end of the afternoon, the box with the tickets was taken to Mrs Cropper, the Headmistress, who pulled out the winning ticket... ...it was my Grandfather who'd won! My heart jumped up into my throat - the monster was mine. It was a perfect end to a perfect day... ...until my Grandad said it wasn't really fair and made her pull out another ticket. Even as I write this, I feel a shadow of that emotion deep in my heart. It would have been like Charlie opening that chocolate bar and seeing the glimpse of the golden ticket, only to have the bar snatched out of his hand. From that day to this, I have never eaten a single Sugar Puff. 2006-04-28 18:44:26 GMT Comments (2 total) Author:marcusjjjjj Something which I'm sure your teeth thank you for every day. The Honey Monster has always puzzled me. You'd think he'd be happier with (say) honey, rather than Sugar Puffs. I suppose the "Sugar Monster" wouldn't have been too popular with parents. I had that T-shirt too. 2006-04-29 08:48:35 GMT Author:Sean I've just found out that Henry McGee, the mummy from the adverts passed away in January this year - I must have missed the televised funeral. I know what you mean about the monster. I was interested to read this from the advert creator though: "Basically the advert was a nutritional message, Sugar Puffs at the time being the sort of thing mothers were keen for their children to eat. The task was to advertise Sugar Puffs to mums in a way that kids would enjoy. "Basically the relationship between the Honey Monster and the man, played by Henry McGee, was that of a mother and child relationship. The man was responsible for what the monster was eating, and what the child wanted was honey. So he would cry 'Tell them about the honey mummy'." Sugar Puffs - good to eat? No mention there about them making your wee smell of them afterwards though. 2006-04-29 09:07:06 GMT Site Home