York Chocolate Story

[Gemini]

GS2, OH and I are going there on Friday!

OH and I went a few years ago with some friends.

We think GS will love it. He is very interested in facts and history and of course chocolate!
We have a great chocolate making history in York with Rowntree's, Terrys and Cravens.

I will report back.
I would love to take all the GC to Cadburys World, but it's a bit far!

https://www.yorkschocolatestory.com/

[Daisy]

Gem my mother went to Rowntrees factory several times when I was a child. It was organised for shopkeepers, but was always in term time so I never got to go. Cadbury's did the same, but was usually in August so I had a couple of trips there. One year it was too hot and they had to stop the production line because the chocolate was melting!

I'm sure GS2 will adore every minute!

[Plantaholic]

I love York chocolate. I am sure he will enjoy his visit.

[Oma]

Oh he will love that , A chocolate lovers dream 😁

[Lizzie48]

I think I have mentioned it before, my father was a long distance lorry driver and his cargo was often from Rowntrees, I have been to the factory, it being the loading bay!

When I worked in the Esso shop, being one of the first at the time we used to get privileges from the Esso, one was a few days away visiting the factory where they made Mars bars etc, it was interesting.

[Gemini]

My family on mum's side have quite a history with Rowntrees, but I have never set foot in the factory (a lot of which is luxury housing now!)
My grandfather worked on the factory floor. My uncle worked in the design department for them, before he emigrated to Australia. My 3 aunties on mum's side all worked on the production lines.
My mum, always different, was horrified at the idea of factory work and found herself an office job (where later she was to meet my dad ) when she left school at 14.

[Daisy]

Slightly off topic, but my parents also left school at 14, able to write neatly, spell accurately, use good grammar and do mental arithmetic, including Imperial weights and measures, and pounds/shilling/pence money. If would be great if all 18 year olds left school with those skills today.

[Lizzie48]

Daisy, my mother had no schooling after her 11th birthday, she had to go and earn money!! I was always amazed at how well she could write, mental arithmetic etc etc. My father was from a good family, he was very well educated, his father had coal mines, my father was the youngest of them all.

[Daisy]

Lizzie, your Mum sounds a very clever lady, but what a pity her education was cut short. Unfortunately, it happened a lot, didn't it.

Apart from people like teachers, doctors, etc, I didn't know anybody of my parents' generation who had been educated beyond school leaving age until I met my OH! Yet they all seemed to be good at the "Three Rs".

[Nanto2girls]

Gem, i bet GS will love it.

[Gemini]

Daisy, mum was very bright she taught me a lot. She was very knowledgeable on literature, history, grammar, theatre etc. Sadly she failed her 11 plus, so went to secondary modern school and they had to leave at 14. Her parents thought factory work was good enough so no way could she have gone to college or anything like that. She did do an English language O level in her 60's, of which she was very proud

[Lizzie48]

Daisy, my mothers father was killed in France when she was just a baby, her mother re-married, second family etc and at the time the step father wasn't a nice man and my mother had to go into service, at 11 years old!!! In later life it was my mum that cared for the step father!

As you say, everyone seemed to be good in the three R's!

[Plantaholic]

Lizzie, the 3 R’s was all you needed to know to get a job those days.

[Gemini]

We had a great time, and got to make a chocolate lolly each at the end!


I also got a box of 6 handmade chocolates , worth £7, for free with a voucher I kept from the back of a car park ticket a while ago