Sarsparilla
 

Can anyone remember having sarsparilla delivered by Stanton's,I think they were based in Clayton-le-Moors,they were stoneware bottles.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Yes....I do.
Stantons used to come to the bottom of Riley's Hill every Friday night and we used to trade an empty stone jar for a full one...it was one of the few treats we got.
Ma used to buy Sarsaparilla and ginger beer....i think they did other flavours too, but we never got anything other than these.......I lie!
Sometimes we got Dandelion and Burdock.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

They did D & B also a Lemonade along with sarsaparilla and GB. I think it was 1 shilling per bottle providing you returned an empty one. That was in the summer of '54 and they were based at the top of Oswaldtwistle then - Summer job.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

I remember it well ... and the ginger beer was good too.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

the ginger beer was damn fantastic...especially when drunk straight form the bottle neck(though I have to say this practice was severely discouraged by a clip round the lug'oil).

Re: Sarsparilla
 

My mother used to use the bottles for hot-water bottles .

Re: Sarsparilla
 

That was my spending money when I was in my late teens- delivering Stantons.
He was a very short, quite fat man, the recipe was secret, nobody was allowed in the mixing room except him and a little old man.
We set off at 6am at the latest(we'd loaded up by then). The wagons were red and black Bedfords and the drivers drove like demented F1 drivers- all over Lancashire and Yorkshire. They were on some sort of bonus system and could make good money so you had to learn how to run up and down streets delivering 4 stone bottles at a time- they were heavy but you could hook each index finger into two bottles if you tried.
I remember running up streets in Yorkshire ducking under rows of washing, even in Accrington you never saw that.
Back 10 or 11 pm, shattered. I remember if the drivers were pleased with your efforts they'd buy you pies for lunch(and free Stantons).
Without that money I couldn't have taken my girlfriend to the Con Club on a Saturday when I wasn't delivering- the good old days!
I think when he retired(or died) the business closed down.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Mine to

Re: Sarsparilla
 

My family hadn't much money, we'd never have afforded Stantons( 1 shilling a bottle? Can't remember but you had better have the right money at the end of the day).
But I remember, even as a thoughtless teenager, wondering, on those little narrow cobbled streets with the run down terraced houses and the worn out washing, 'How can these people afford three or four bottles of Stantons every week?

Re: Sarsparilla
 

We only ever got one bottle......and not every week.......it was our treat, and we savoured every drop

Re: Sarsparilla
 

We used to like the Dandelion and Burdock

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Yes, I remember Bradford, Bingley and all sorts of foreign towns. Seem to remember his daughter took over the business but I moved away so not too sure of dates.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

I am sure this is mentioned on another thread - I worked with a German ex-POW, Hans, who had married a local girl. Probably Cashy will provide some details on this.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

There was a similar firm, also based in Ossy, called Beech's

Re: Sarsparilla
 

My dad used to brew a large plastic barrel full of sarsaparilla when we were kids and it tasted fantastic. He also used to make dandelion and burdock too, I still love the taste of them. You can still buy sarsaparilla by the glass on Blackburn market!

Re: Sarsparilla
 

I once bought the extract to make my own,I decided to just make half of it,I halved everything but forgot to half the yeast,when I came downstairs the following morning it looked like there'd been a blood bath in the kitchen it had all exploded !!!

Re: Sarsparilla
 

I had the virtually identical job for Stocks who were located up Burnley Road. You have me remembering the deliveries to most of the chip shops in and around Accrington. I also remember the great secrecy of the mixing room with all the recipes. Slogging yourself to a frazzle for a few shillings. Happy days though!

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Local lad Les Bond has written a very funny song about Sas. I have asked him to post on here a link that will enable you to hear it. The chorus refers to Sas as being 'Nature's Viagra'

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Didn't need Sarsaparilla in those days, Bob!

Re: Sarsparilla
 

I don't suppose you get many urges these days, Gordon, but I urge you to listen this when it is posted - hilarious. With slick marketing, it could be hi
t parade material.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

You're right Bob.
But I've just put Sarsaparilla on my shopping list, I'll update you when I've drunk a few bottles.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

You could go intravenous:D

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Nah ... if he hasn't done IV before, he would probably make a cock up of it.;)

Re: Sarsparilla
 

It may work if done when you are standing.

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Is that standing on a hard standing?

Re: Sarsparilla
 

Worth trying, it might work better if you stand erect.;)

Re: Sarsparilla
 

I do know that The Sarsaparilla song can be found on this link
http://www.thephilknightexperience.co.uk/
Odin