Card of the Day - 2022-10-30

Askeys "Then and Now"
Askeys [trade : biscuits : UK] "Then and Now" (1968) 4/25 - ASK-030 : ASK-2 : HX27 : D396

This second clue was even more cryptic, and hoped that you knew something about the parts of the bicycle, because we were after a handlebar moustache.

Now there is a bit of a query about Askey's. They are listed in our trade indexes as being a biscuit maker, but there is also mention of wafers, and ice cream cones. However the Askey with the ice cream cone and wafer is listed at 290 Kensal Road, London W10, and our cards clearly state Askeys, Stocklake, Aylesbury. I have done a bit of research and it seems to be the same company, founded in 1910 and making ice cream cones, wafers, and dessert sauces. However the site in Aylesbury closed earlier this year when it was not possible to upgrade it to current needs. 

Updated already - apparently it was indeed the same company, but the Kensal Road address was empty by the early 1970s. We know this because it was actually used as the location for the filming of "Steptoe and Son Ride Again", a movie released in 1973. 

Our cards measure 67 x 36 m/m. 

The HX27 and D396 codes simply refer to the fact that this set is an alike series and was issued by other companies too. The D396 is from our original British Trade Index part two, and it quotes those issuers as

  • Northern Co-operative Co. Ltd of Millbank, Aberdeen, who made tea, and issued this set earlier than ours, in 1963. Their cards are a marginally different size, very slightly wider at 68 x 36 m/m

  • Tonibell, who made ice cream, rather an interesting link there from our cones to their contents!  This version was also issued in 1963, before ours. However for some reason their set was not called Then & Now, but "This Changing World". There are two printings of this set, but this is another curiosity, as it is recorded that one has a Harlow address and the other still has this, but it has been obscured beneath a large black line. The curious thing about this is that the cards with the line are listed as (a) and the perfect cards as (b) so I can only guess that the black line cards were discovered first.... However I cannot work this out as from what I see, courtesy of the Football Cartophilic Info Exchange, there is indeed a card with a black line, but the other printing is actually blank in that space. As to why this set is listed on that site - well there is actually a card showing "Soccer". 

The HX27 code adds another issuer

  • Ringtons, who made tea. This is another "Then and Now". It was issued in 1970.