Peek Frean biscuits for Christmas

Another name in biscuit manufacturer that is no more, at least in the UK, is Peek Frean. The brand goes back to 1857, amalgamating with Huntley & Palmers to form Associated Biscuits in 1921. It seems that the name lives on only outside the UK, in the USA and Canada at least, being now part of the Kraft empire, the factory in Bermondsey closing in 1989, by then owned by Nabisco.

These two colourful adverts appeared in Good Housekeeping magazines for December 1947 (top) and 1948.

Vintage Biscuits

An advert for Huntley & Palmer biscuits scanned from the programme for The Aldershot Tattoo, June 1938. It came as a shock to learn that the huge factory in Reading had closed back in 1976, although the name was later revived for a much smaller operation in Sudbury, Suffolk. I do however recall the jingle, which must go back to the 1960s if not earlier;

"Huntley & Palmers bake 'em, like biscuits ought to be!"

And now in colour.......

The postman brought another bundle of 1950s Blighty magazines yesterday. These are from 1955 onwards and now sport a colour pin up on the cover (and still cost sixpence!).

All of the models featured, Molly Stevens, Jeanette Pearce, Margaret Simons and Toni Dais, hoped, as they say inside the magazine, to break into show business. Sadly, it seems that none got very far, at least under these names.

Blighty

New arrivals into the Vintage Stuff archives are two copies of the humorous men's magazine, Blighty,  these from January 1951.

The magazine was originally published in 1916, for troops serving in the war, ceasing in 1920. It was resurrected in 1939, continuing into the 1950s, offering stories, features and cartoons (often risqué, at least for the period), again, aimed mainly at men. By the mid-1950s, pin-ups were appearing on the cover and the name was changing; by 1960 it was a proper men's magazine, Parade, continuing as such until 1974, when the contents became more explicit.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.....

.....as Keats would have it, is now upon us. Although our model is hardly dressed for autumn, she appears to be enjoying the effects of a strong breeze, as indeed are we. The park-keeper may not be so happy about the improper use of a litter bin however, she is no doubt in contravention of several council by-laws.