You Paid HOW Much?

I'm old. I know I am old - because when I see things labelled '50p', I sometimes think "How much? That's ten bob! I'm not paying that!"  And my family smile to themselves, and point out that this is the 21st Century and we have had decimal coinage for almost 50 years.
Well that's true - but I had a great fondness for the old £.s.d. system. 

I loved the twelve sided thrupn'y bits, and the huge half-crowns. 



If you say "Do you remember 1001?" to almost anyone over 60, they are likely to sing this jingle...

 

That was in the days before owning a Vax, or hiring the Rug Doctor.

Black Jacks and Fruit Salad sweets were four for one big shiny round penny. That's 960 for £1 - almost a 1000! I stopped eating them aged 9, when one pulled my filling out!


There was a bloke on Dereham Market who would sell you a pair of 'American Tan' orangey/brown tights for one-and-thrupence [1/3 = 1 shilling and 3 pence] A group of us bought 8 pairs for ten bob, and then dyed them black in my Mum's potato saucepan, so we could wear them for Girl's Brigade. They came out alarmingly blotchy [and it took ages to clean the pan] 
What's brought on this reminiscence about getting my money's worth? 
I came home from M&S and announced I had treated myself to something- I'd spent ten bob on a very small piece of fruit. 

My OH laughed at me, but he agreed that I did find enormous pleasure in eating my beautiful ripe juicy purple fig, as I sat in the sunshine in the garden.
We may have lost the tanner[sixpence] the florin [two shillings] and the half-crown [2/6] - but at least I still have my very own Bob!