Where are Wibbly Wobbly Wonders? Easily my favourite childhood ice-pop, combining banana and strawberry ice-creams, lemon jelly, and chocolate on the same stick. Every year, HB take over public spaces with their summer ad campaign, encouraging Ireland to pretend that it’s not going to rain all summer, and to eat copious amounts of ice-cream.
But why should we? HB have kept Loop-the-Loops, everyone’s consolation prize ice-pop, and seem to have wiped out the wonderful Wibbly Wobbly Wonder; certainly, I have not been able to locate it this summer.
Wiping out a popular brand is nothing new. Products come and go, especially in the confectionery world. Does anybody remember Tiger Tots? I think Rowntree made them about 25 years ago, and I think they were liquorice sweets, but they disappeared without trace. I also used to love Woppa bars: nasty and cheap though they were, these mini-piles of sugar came in spearmint or cola flavours and were always affordable back when kids got no pocket money.
There were bars called Secrets, made by Nestle I think, which are probably missed by nobody because they were rank. I also remember some kind of chocolate bar, with six or so different squares, all of which had different fillings; I have no idea what it was called or who made it – does anyone remember? Then there were Bag o’Chips, a crisp made by Perri, which were discontinued because they were basically the same as Banshee Bones.
Do you remember any of these? What products – confectionery or otherwise – do you miss, and what would you like to see brought back?
Comments
11 responses to “Bring Back Wibbly Wobbly Wonders… and Tiger Tots”
I have no problem getting Wibbly Wobbly Wonders at all. I’m getting through them at a rate of knots at the moment and I am pleased to report that they still taste as good as ever. I miss Wilton Candys’ Nut Crisp bars and peanut Riesens.
As usual, Cork gets EVERYTHING while poor Dublin languishes icepop-less. Typical 😉
Freaky foots……I have never quite got over them being dis continued!!!
Peter, maybe it’s because I am eating the nations’ stock myself! I second freaky foots and don’t get me started on HB raspberry ripple. It is vile now compared to the sharp flavour I remember from the 80s.
Peter i have gotten them in tesco in Dundrum shopping centre. It is definitely harder to find them than other HB classics though
I remember all of these, except Tiger Tots. Also remember sparkler icepops, rocket pops, pink panther bars, stingers, touchdown bars, smileys, candy coloured popcorn, johnny onion rings, fun yums and postman pat penny sweets. An odd time I still come across a Catch bar and always buy it!
Johnny Onion Rings are still on the go. Ooooh, Smileys and Touchdowns, that brings back memories.
Adrienne! Yes! Stingers still on the go as well. And I also loved Postman Pat penny sweets and FunYums. Johnny Onion Rings do the trick though 🙂
Wibbly Wobbly Wonders are my ice-cream of choice, and you can get them in lots of places around Dublin – individual ones and bulk boxes in supermarkets.
On other sweets that have fallen by the wayside, I think I shed a small tear when Desperate Dan bars were discontinued. The company who made them went bust a few years ago, and the secret recipe (ie, sugar, orange colouring and more sugar) went with them.
Touchdowns.. they have tried to replicate it but I do miss the original 🙁 Applejacks and Blackjacks were fun too even if they did just rip your teeth out and make them go black.
Found them! Mace on the South Circular near James’ Hospital. Also site of this whopper 99 cone: http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/07/10/how-big-6/