The Drinks Children Bought After School in 1979 That Would Be Unthinkable Today … Do You Remember These Too?

In 1979 Britain, children had astonishing freedom when it came to what they drank after school. There were no ingredient breakdowns, no sugar warnings on labels, and certainly no concerns about “energy crashes”. Sweet drinks were cheap, colourful, and widely available — and many were bought daily without a second thought.

One of the most common sights outside school gates was children clutching tiny glass bottles of fizzy pop bought from the corner shop. Brands like Tizer, Corona, Vimto (fizzy), Barr’s Cream Soda, Dandelion & Burdock, and R Whites Lemonade were staples. They were brightly coloured, aggressively sweet, and often cost just a few pence. Bottle caps were prized — some kids even saved them.

Squash was another after-school essential, but it was mixed far stronger than recommended. Orange, blackcurrant, and lemon squash were poured heavy-handed into chipped plastic cups at home or diluted straight from the bottle at friends’ houses. Watering it down properly was rare — sweetness was the point.

Then there were the drinks that now feel genuinely shocking. Panda Pops, high-sugar cordials, and powdered drinks like Quosh and Cremola Foam were everywhere. These were mixed by children themselves, often far too strong, and consumed quickly before being sent back outside to play.

School milk still existed for younger children, but once you were old enough to buy your own drink, milk often lost out to fizz. Chocolate milk, banana milk, and strawberry-flavoured cartons appeared in some shops, seen as a treat rather than a health choice.

What’s striking is how normalised constant sugar was. Children could drink sweet drinks daily without adults worrying about dental damage, hyperactivity, or long-term health. Tooth decay existed, of course, but it wasn’t yet framed as a public health crisis tied to sugar consumption.

These drinks were also social currency. Sharing a bottle, swapping flavours, or being the one who had enough change mattered. The corner shop was part of childhood independence — and choosing your drink was part of that ritual.

Today, many of these drinks have been reformulated, restricted, or quietly disappeared under sugar taxes and health campaigns. Seeing a child drink them daily would raise eyebrows!!

In 1979, though, they were just another part of growing up….. sweet, fizzy, and completely unremarkable.