# Retro sweet gifts for grandparents

**Canonical URL:** https://sweeties.net/wiki/retro-sweet-gifts-for-grandparents/
**Source:** sweeties.net, online pick and mix sweet shop

## Summary

Retro sweet gifts for grandparents: the sweets of their childhood decade by decade, from wartime rationing to Spangles and Opal Fruits, and how to mix them.

## Description

A bag of the sweets someone ate as a child can be a better present than anything new. The trick is matching the sweets to the right decade.
Decade by decade
The 1940s. Sugar was rationed from January 1940 and sweets from 26 July 1942, starting at 2 oz, about 60 g, a week. For a child of the war years, sweets came in small weekly amounts: see sweet rationing in Britain and sweets in wartime BritainThe 1950s. Spangles arrived in 1950, still on the ration. Sweets came off it for good in February 1953, and then came Love Hearts, Drumsticks, Caramac and Opal Fruits: see sweets in the 1950sThe 1960s. Galaxy, Topic, Toffee Crisp, Twix, Aztec, and the Creme Egg in its modern form: see sweets from the 1960sThe 1970s. Curly Wurly in 1970, Skittles in 1971, Freddo in 1973 at 2p, then Yorkie, Lion and Double Decker: see what sweets were popular in the 1970s?
Some are gone
Not every sweet from those years is still made. Spangles, for one, have gone, so check before planning a gift around a particular sweet: see what sweets have been discontinued in the UK?
Building the mix
Our pick and mix includes old names such as SW033, SW035, SW038 and SW040, sold by the 100 g, so you can build a small, varied bag: see where to buy retro sweets in the UK
A few ideas for making it a present:
A glass jar, like the ones in old sweet shop windows: see where to buy sweet jarsA note saying what each sweet is and when it first appeared.A check on diet. If a grandparent avoids sugar, sugar free boiled sweets exist, but they carry a laxative warning: see why do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?
Every sweet's card in our shop opens up to show its full ingredients and allergens.

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