my nanny was a rocker

who ate rock candy

I went to my nannies yesterday for tea.

I brought cookies. It’s a good thing that I did. The tin of Quality Steet Toffees was empty. All of the chocolates were gone. The toffees were gone too.

Nanny, have the quality of the Quality Streets declined over the years?

She looked at me like I was stunned.

What do you mean Jimmy?

Are they the same as when you were little?

She shook her head. Oh dear god. We never had these when I was little. At Christmas we each got a couple of candies that my mother made. She’d also go and cut up one of her old dresses and make me a skirt or something. She’d likely knit me a new pair of mittens as well.

This was a new story. Your mother made the candy?

Oh sure, we never bought them.

Well. I did. I had a job you know. Four of the houses on the road - they didn’t have children. I’d run to the post office and fetch the mail for them. They’d pay me five cents a week.

My nanny beamed with pride.

They even had chocolate bars down at Holman’s store. They cost a nickle. O…