Back in the 60s and 70s, Red Rose tea distributed these little cards in different sets (dinosaurs, butterflies, birds, animals, I forget them all). At the decrepit old age of 4-6, I wasn’t much of a tea drinker, but tea was and is a hugely popular drink back home, and Aunt Ethel Cooper, god bless her, drank more than her fair share. One of the highlights of visiting her and Uncle Will was that she collected these for me, and I had many a complete set all in their own little specially designed books. I regret not keeping these, but like other knick knacks over the years, you never know their value, not necessarily monetary, but memorial.
Red Rose also issued these collectible figurines at a later point, and she collected those too for me. Dad even made a little display shelf we had in the upstairs hallway back home.
While I can’t remember Aunt Ethel overly well, I do remember her as a kindly soul, with a meal to share and always a cookie or cake around to snack on when we visited. Uncle Will was, lets just say colourful, but still a man well loved (And perhaps well hated by some) for all that. I remember him well, and fondly.
Its funny how so many of my Newfoundland memories have some sort of food relation, but I think that’s one of the common features of our culture. How many times have you heard “Come in for a cup of tea?” over the years. Visiting neighbours was a regular occurrence one that seems to have lessened over the years, gossiping over a cup of tea. I guess in outport Newfoundland, in those days anyway, it was the prevalent form of entertainment.
Anyway, if you’re nearby, drop in for a cup of tea and a yarn, and we’ll recall old times and fond memories!
Raised in outport Newfoundland in a town of 65 people, I pursued a post secondary diploma in Information Technology right out of High School.
I’ve always been a geek at heart, but yet I love the rural life I grew up with. Fishing, hunting, camping and the great outdoors are still loves of mine, even if I don’t pursue them as often as I once did. Sports were always a big part of our lives, and I played many (badly) and loved them all.
