DEEP PURPLE'S BURN

When I was 13 or 14 I was a metal head.

I lived for the solo, the squawk of the riff and the thrum of the Fender bass.

Christmas 1974 was key moment on my journey to Valhalla. My Mum and Dad bought me Burn.

Burn was a Deep Purple album. Its the one with the dripping band-candles cover all in red with the word Burn in blue.

But that's just the cover.

The contents are that rare item. The whole damn package. The rock chops. A perfect thumping thing.

Burn is quite simply one of the finest hard rock albums ever to be fired in the blistering furnaces of Kerrang. 

From start to finish the mix of man and metal is a recipe for head-bangin' Elysium. 

Ritchie Blackmore's noble axe and David Coverdale's regal voice are glorious weapons battling with the forces of tedious pop muzak, grand buttresses of a pounding citadel where all air-guitarists did and do find life-long solace. Paice and Glen are the mighty foundations shouldered by a solid bedrock of titanic steel and skin.

Need I go on? Hard rock is often associated with bombast and pomp. So what! Let the punks moan and the New Romantics wail, this is the music of the gods.

The Rock Gods!

Thanks Mum and Dad wherever you are.

Join me readers and be burned!

SOFT OR HARD GUMS?

I'm a sucker for sweets and every day is a sweet day. My gappy smile  tells all alas.

One of my favourites are sports mix, a delicious gum medley of tennis rackets, cricket bats and so on. Its a sporty mouthful.

Up until recently I had been scoffing Maynards Sports Mix by the truckload. These are soft and chewy gums.

But last week my Missus got me a bag of Lion Football Gums. On the bag it said original hard gums. I tucked in and boy oh, boy, I remembered the true taste of a proper sports mix - fruity but hard hard hard!

Wow! I had forgotten how good hard gums were. True dental ambrosia! I shall now be on the lookout for Lion brand Football Gums for Christmas, as well as Lion Fruit Gums and Lion Midget Gems, which I hope actually do exist.

Do you like a soft gum or a hard one readers? Have you a fave brand of gums where you are?

CENTURY 21 AND ABBA

Perhaps one of the most surprising licences for Gerry Anderson's Century 21 Merchandising company, and a late one, is for various Abba publications.

Yep, Abba. Waterloo and all that! Here's the Lyrical Collection book from 1982.

http://getabba.com/~getabbac/collection/printed/books/book_ABBA_a_lyric_collection.htm

A Trained Eye

As Woodsy struggled to find any info on the Life Buoy train premiums, here they are again in all their tiny colourful glory. On closer inspection, I can see why, as they are from Life Guard Disinfectant, rather than soap! As you can see, the whole lot fitted inside a large matchbox.

 Going back to the margarine premiums, here are the printed markings on two of the wagons. By comparison, one of these wagons is as long as three Life Guard ones! 

Desperately Drinking Chocolate

Hello Woodsy

As I sit in my living room drinking tea I read your post on Hot Chocolate. 

It proved a timely reminder as on checking, supplies are low and I'm not sure this is exported to the US. 

I brought mine back from the last visit to the UK and I'm not sure when the next trip will be.

Over the years I found the US brands are not as good and Roundtree's is just a childhood memory. I'm lazy and need instant gratification! 

Terranova47

USA

HOT CHOCCY ANYONE?

Working in winter means dark setting-offs and even darker homecomings. Its just dark in the UK. Dark dark dark.

The one things that cheers me up and warms my cockles when I get home is a hot chocolate.

There's just something about the creamy rich flavour of a cup of hot chocolate that makes me feel instantly better. Its a winter treat.

I always loved it as a kid and my Mum's brand was Rowntrees Cocoa, always served in a bone china cup. I think the only difference between cocoa and hot chocolate is sugar but Mum's pan-warmed cocoa was wonderful.

I'm not that fussed about the brand nowadays as long as its hot, chocolatey and made at least half with milk. I do it in the microwave and top up with hot water.

Do you partake in a hot choccy readers? What cheers you up on getting home in the dark of winter?

CUSTOM OTTOS DRAG RACE

 I mean, Wow!

Custom Otto in Blue

Hi Woodsy

This is a blue version of the Hot Wheels Custom Otto model, with twin white stripes.

According to the Hot Wheels Wiki for 2020 there are three different colours for this model in 2020: Metalflake Purple; Metalflake Red, and plain blue.

Yours Sincerely,

Paul Adams from New Zealand