By Bernie Bell

All the Jubilee malarkey got me remembering – Jubilee year 1977 – my final year at Uni – not much money – on a student grant – remember those?

I sold filled rolls in the Union Bar to make a bit of spending money. Probably  wouldn’t be allowed to do that now unless I got a licence and insurance – which would cut my profits enough to hardly make it worth my while doing it.

I remember one of the lecturers asking me why I bothered, as I then immediately  spent the money I’d made.  I explained that – the rolls were sold in about half an hour, and that provided me with the money for a night out which I wouldn’t have had the money for otherwise. He was a Senior lecturer – it was a long time since he’d been a student – and he’d forgotten.

As it was, I managed it all on the cheap – the bloke in the Co-op let me have the off-cuts from the cooked-meat slicer cheap, so I was able to get some choice bits & pieces – ham, honey glazed ham, salami, which I wouldn’t have made a profit from otherwise. That also wouldn’t be allowed now – I’m not sure what happens to the off-cuts,  but I don’t think they’re allowed to sell them off cheap – unfortunately.

The Jubilee Rolls were…Corgi Delight – salami with a trace of mango chutney.  Princess Anne Special – ham with a trace of mustard.  Phil Yer’ Face – egg mayonnaise……..to be honest…..salad cream.  I wouldn’t get away with that now either – Trading Standards and all that – but Mayo cost a lot more than Co-op Salad Cream!  Cheesy Charlie – Cheese & Onion.  Can’t go wrong with cheese and onion, and you get a lot of onion from an onion, when cut carefully.

It may come as no surprise that I like the character Greengrass in ‘Heartbeat’!

Happy Days – making money from the Monarchy!