YES Mrs Jagger (Mailbag, February 15) being born in 1941 I was given pobs at night, with a spoonful of cod liver oil to wash it down, my parents telling me: “It will make you big and strong.”
The pobs were good but how about Fennings fever cure, Scotch emulsion, Parishers chemical food (pink medicine), slippery elm food, extract of malt and let’s not forget “pink pills for pale people”.
A glass of Dr Dan’s health drink from the old bottom market tasted like champagne after that lot.
In those days, the art of making Spanish juice in a pop bottle was passed down from father to son. Supposedly to be kept in a dark cupboard for at least a day to ferment, but out it came after about an hour, for tasting by you and your mates and usually leaving pobs floating in the neckend of the bottle.
For picnics, condensed milk sandwiches and a bottle of Spanish juice, no problem with constipation in those days.
I’m heading towards 70 years old, got no hair, not many teeth and I have to wear glasses, but I’m still going strong. I think it was the pobs.
william j whiteley
Waterloo
