Editor’s Desk: The imminent end to iconic lolly, Fantales, is a shock and a slap-in-the-face to my childhood

As a young kid growing up on Brede Street, I have a vivid childhood memory of running down the hill to the shops on Durlacher with a few coins in hand, eager to get a sweet fix. Whether it was lollies from Rigters, the fish-and-chip shop or the video store, I remember those treats so well decades later. There was so much choice (and a $1 or $2 could get you far) but it’s a shame so many of those cherished childhood confectionaries are no longer in existence. There were these blue shark-shaped lollies that I have never forgotten (although for the life of me I can’t remember their name, maybe they were just “sharks”), killer pythons so much better than the ones you can get today, Polly Waffles and so on. And in the summer, such fond memories of those tetrahedral-shaped treats, Sunnyboy Ice Blocks, and Paddle Pop Frozen Thick Shakes. And I have never forgiven Starburst for taking away their delicious jelly babies. Although some things popular from my childhood are better left in the past. I’m thinking of those stick lollies, with an unfortunate name I won’t repeat, that were marketed as pretend cigarettes. This week, another popular sweet treat bit the dust and it came as a shock to most of us. After 93 years, Fantales will soon be no more. Fantales is up there for me. As a kid, I’m not sure if I loved the chocolate-coated caramels or the film and celebrity trivia questions on the wrappers better. Toss of a coin. They were like a budget Ferrero Rocher — not quite as flash, but still a special treat. Whether it was saved for the movies, or a road trip or an extra bribe from mum and dad, it was more than your average lolly. Despite a strong sense of nostalgia, Nestle said Fantales no longer made sense to its bottom line. Simply, people were fond of them but stopped buying them as much. But social media erupted at the news, with one post calling it “un-Australian” while another commented: “Not Fantales! How can the combination of chocolate and trivia ever die”. It’s a little twist to the heart when things disappear from your childhood. It’s hard to accept, when things are so strongly linked to our earliest memories. We will all survive, of course. But what’s next to go for good? I dread to think. Please not Clinkers or Snakes Alive! In the meantime, I’ll pop down to the shops to stock up on some Fantales to give them a proper, bittersweet goodbye.