WHAT'S IN A NAME...?

I've just scoffed a KitKat with a luverly cup of char - a Nestle's KitKat, though I'm old enough to recall when they were by Rowntree's.  This started me thinking as to how many of today's young adults grew up never knowing anything other than Nestle's KitKats, or Nestle's Caramacs (which used to be made by MacKintosh's), and other familiar confectionery items from childhood that were once the product of other companies.  Remember Raspberry Ruffle bars, made by Jameson's?  In the early '90s, Cadbury's name suddenly started to appear on Ruffle bars, though I'm unaware as to whether they bought out Jameson's or already owned them.  After a short while, it changed from plain (dark) chocolate to milk chocolate, and it wasn't very long before the bar disappeared off the shelves, seemingly forever.  (I don't know why they didn't just have two versions of the bar, one plain, the other milk, but there you go.  H'mm, now that I think about it, maybe they did for a while, before phasing out the plain one and just leaving the milk.)

However, nothing is forever, and a few years later, Ruffle bars resurfaced, again bearing the Jameson's name, but this time manufactured by a company called Monkhill Confectionery (which, it turns out, was owned by Cadbury, but for how long that was the case, I just don't know).  Today (still with the Jameson's name on the wrapper), they're produced by a company called Tangerine (who bought Monkhill from Cadbury in 2008), proving that you can't keep a good chocolate bar down.  One of the things I really miss about the legendary Woolworth's is that I can no longer purchase (from their renowned Pic 'n' Mix counter) individually wrapped Raspberry Ruffle sweets in whatever quantity I want.  However, they are available (still in individual wrappers) in bags from pound shops and, no doubt, other stores.

Talking of Rowntree's (as I was in the first paragraph), the last time I looked (not too long ago), the only sweets still carrying the name was Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles.  (Just found out that there's also Rowntree's Randoms, whatever they might be.  Oh, and we mustn't forget Jelly Tots.)  In fact, some years ago, I purchased a tubular, zip-up pencil case which looked like a giant-size tube of Fruit Pastilles.  I dimly remember seeing some item of confectionery bearing the MacKintosh name only relatively recently, but can't for the moment recollect precisely what it was.  Toffees perhaps?  Anyone know?  As well as Caramac, MacKintosh used to make Quality Street, Rolo, and Toffee Crisp, as well as a few others, I'd imagine.  Anyway, Rowntree and MacKintosh merged in 1969 to become - you guessed it - Rowntree MacKintosh, but Nestle bought them over in 1988.

Does anyone else miss the original manufacturers' names on their favourite sweets, or am I (as usual) the only one?  And is it just me who still calls Snickers by their original name of Marathon?  Ah, KitKats, Fruit Pastilles, Smarties, and Jelly Tots - they'll always be by Rowntree's to me.  (I notice they've now dropped the apostrophe from their name.)  And Caramacs, Rolos, Toffee Crisp, and Quality Street by MacKintosh, natch!  What can I say?  I just don't like change (on the whole).  Nestle's should have stuck with Milky Bars - after all, the Milky Bars are on them.

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(Regarding the original Raspberry Ruffle bars, back in the '60s, they used to come on a little cardboard tray (like Bounty), wrapped in a deep red cellophane wrapper, lined inside in the middle with a strip of silver foil.  Anyone remember that?  I used to amuse myself by peeling the silver strip of foil from off the back of the cellophane.)

(Below - some of the above-mentioned items.)