Free gifts

Oh, yes! I'd forgotten about those gondola baskets - I remember taking home a lamb stew with barley that we made in domestic science and it was stuck all over the basket weave when I got it home. No-one even tried it!

Yes, we used those baskets for cookery too, kitty! I think it must have been one of those 'crazes' - as you say, they were such an awkward shape nothing fitted properly in them, especially tupperware boxes!

It was all the rage when we were at school to collect the plastic flowers and thread them through the 'gondola' basket we used for cookery. I seem to remember lots of daffodils. And why we insisted on using those basket I have no idea - nothing fitted into them!

I'd forgotten about Greenshield stamps. I remember the excitement of cutting out 'things' from the back of cereal packets - masks and a twizzle through which you threaded string?? I have some dessert spoons which my Mum got from Kelloggs in the 50's - still going strong. I used to collect tokens from Brooke Bond loose tea and got all kinds of wonders - towels, mugs, toys. These days I use Tesco tokens - in fact, I got 3/4 of the laptop I am using 'free' from Tesco and also a magazine subscription. I know some people work on getting freebies - maybe it's possible to live off tokens?

I still have a few wooden handled knives and forks from Green Shield stamps kicking about. We were so poor then, and I thought they were the height of sophistication!

Did they, I dont think I knew that, but you can see the connection.

Didn't the Green Shield company become Argos?

I still have Esso champagne flutes and wine glasses in good condition. Perhaps I haven't used them enough.

What about Green Shield Stamps.

Does anyone remember when you could get gifts from petrol stations by saving tokens? I've still got 6 of each bone china coffee cups, saucers and side plates.

I can remember when I was about 4, my step-grandad (who was beginning to go a bit crazy - he committed suicide in the end) found a white plastic dinosaur from a cereal packet and was overcome with excitement as he thought he had found a real ivory antique - I remember being very puzzled and not quite knowing what to say.

My Gran colected the plastic roses (Daz, I think?) But I was a demon for the Robertsons Gollywog badges! And some brooches in the shape of pets, with sparkly stones in, I seem to remember I had a budgie one and a sort of dacshund?

I also collected the plastic roses, also the Wades Wimsey kittens and bush babies that came with Fairy liquid, that was in 1963.

When my GC have a Happy Meal the freebie reminds me of The Good Life when Tom used to make plastic toys for free gifts. Nine times out of ten the Happy Meal free gift gets looked at and then forgotten. Perhaps they'll become antiques in a few years time - especially if kept in their cellophane

I liked the masks on the back of cornflake packets. Mum used to cut them out for me. I had loads - or so it seemed at the time.

They're a waste of resources really aren't they?

I remember collecting the plastic soldiers from Kellogs corn flakes! I had a mini-army!

Tried to give you more cake than you should have

Happy Birthday Mr A [cupcakes]

annika my Mum had the whole collection of flowers too, then from the Coop it was plates, teddies the list was endless and she had to have them all some of the plates are still in circulation.

I think we are harder to please than our Mums . I certainly wouldnt buy a soap powder for a free plastic flowers