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I’m sorry yesterdays post was a bit brief and lacked a musical link but songs with a chocolate ‘flavour’ are not all that common.
But I did find this in my music chest.
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As you might expect, the papers are full of articles and analysis so I won’t add to it except to say that :-
Cadbury’s are no longer a British company.
Most of the Cadbury’s shareholders who will shortly vote to sell their company are overseas individuals and institutions.
The Cadbury family ceased to own and control it years ago.
The Cadbury Family floated the business in 1962 and it was later merged with Schweppes in 1968.
In this world today, one group of overseas shareholders will sell to a new group of overseas shareholders.
Nobody knows who owns who or what any more.
Sad but true.
And as for British jobs…..did you know that fewer than 10% of its employees work in the UK.
I was part of the Cadbury ‘family’ from 1942 until it was broken up in 1962.
Over the next few weeks I will dig through my archives and relate a few tales that you will not have read about in the news.
The following song was written in 1965 and the words have an uncanny similarity to life today don’t you think.
Everyone's Gone To The Moon
Streets full of people, all alone
Roads full of houses never home
Church full of singing out of tune
Everyone's gone to the moon
Eyes full of sorrow, never wet
Hands full of money, all in debt
Sun coming out in the middle of June
Everyone's gone to the moon
Long time ago
Life had begun
Everyone went to the sun
Hearts full of motors painted green
Mouths full of chocolate-covered cream
Arms that can only lift a spoon
Everyone's gone to the moon.
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Enough said today.
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Oh dear. A melancholic post again today. Poor old Cadbury's. Part of the family, eh? Employee? Tenant? I look forward to the post.
ReplyDeleteI've tried thinking of songs with chocolate as the subject matter but apart form a few with tiny references to it, I can't.
But speaking of food, have you tried the peanut butter yet, and was it Sunpat, and was it crunchy or smooth?
The song echoes that odd feeling of alienation I now get as I go shopping. Walking through the vast cathedrals of Tesco with their amphetamine driven shoppers who bustle and rush by as if the previous isle were on fire.
ReplyDeleteNot wishing to stoke anymore 'melancholia' but what exactly do we Brits manufacture anymore?
Think I will go and shoot a shop assistant!!
;)
I have fond memories of the Cadburys factory in Bournville, as Mum and I spent our centenary birthday there.Our birthdays are 3 days apart, she was 60 and I was 40. It was a wonderful day out learning about the process and sampling chocolate.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAh chocolate!Look forward to those stories Bernard.
ReplyDeleteHere we have an old family company called Haighs, they use quality chocolate and make a quality product.They still use some of the Victorian machines.Young friend worked for them quite a while and tells the story of the day the tanker brought the melted chocolate to the part of the operation where they pour and mould and hand-finish.An accident occurred and a ton of chocolate went down the drain,literally!! Tragedy!!I'd have been licking the gutter!No pride when it comes to chocolate!
Sad about Cadburys and the state of shopping.
Foody: Mom, Dad and brother Colin worked there. We were all tenants from 1946 onwards. Dad lived in a Trust house until he died (1999).
ReplyDeleteQuite a tenant.
CJ: What do we manufacture? Not a lot!
It never ceases to amaze me how any foreign currency comes into this country, and from where? What are other countries buying? The Americans buy Whiskey I suppose, but that's about it!
Kath: A visit to the factory before this "Cadbury World" thing popped up, was much more interesting. I am tod it is now more like a theme park. In the 'old days' you went on a tour of the whole factory. I expect it was all stopped due to 'Elf 'n Safety'.
Liz: Yes, sad indeed. I love that tale....I have a vision of you 'licking ' the gutter! LOL. A bit like that film....what was it... Whiskey Galore?
Is this post old enough not to publish automatically? Just testing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I firstread this post I remembered a play we had read at school with a chocolate cream soldier in it. I have just remembered the name: Arms and the Man. I didn't like it. Didn't understand it.