BACK in the seventies, most teas were crispy pancakes, sausages and mash, fish fingers or egg and chips – and of course we had fish and chips on Fridays and a roast on Sundays.

There was none of this spanakopita, sushi, tacos, Vietnamese rice paper rolls or smashed-avocado-with-sea-salt business.

There was no kids menu, either. Just a menu, and no kids. Because kids didn't go to cafes or restaurants. We stayed at home being looked after by some random 12-year-old who was considered 'responsible'.

The 1970s were a place that time forgot; a place where there was no designated section in the supermarket for dips, let alone bottled water and energy drinks or gluten-free bread, and we'd never heard of an air fryer!

Can you believe we lived in a house with one telephone with a curly cord, one radio, one 'hi-fi' stereo system and one television with four stations?

In the 70s we had no idea what ensuite was – there was the toilet, and the gully and an ice-cream container and a wander down behind the shed if you were desperate.

Hankies? Can you remember getting hankies as a present? Washing them, ironing them and tucking them up your sleeve. When did hankies stop being a thing and tissues take over?

''We're off to the bottle tip for the day, mum, to find some buried treasure,'' we'd say as we hopped on our bikes. No helmets. No shoes. No sunscreen. No worries! On the way home from the tip we'd stop in at the corner shop and buy some smokes for mum and some firecrackers that we'd be allowed to set off after tea if we were good.

These days it's not a kid's birthday without a party planner, bouncy castle, magician, personalised cake, catering for 60 and a gift registry. In the 70s it was hot dogs, fairy cakes, pop and crisps. And there was pass the parcel – in the middle of all the layers of newspaper you'd find a Curly Wurly and the winner had to share it with all the other guests. When I say guests, they were siblings, cousins and neighbours. There was one mum we knew who banged on so much about how gifted her three-year-old was that for the kid's fourth birthday we gave her a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Well, 4,999 pieces. I lost one corner!

RECIPE

FAIRY BUNS

Makes 20

Ingredients:

75g/3oz butter, softened

50ml/1.5fl oz vegetable oil

2 eggs

125g/4.4oz self-raising flour, sifted

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate:

250g/8oz icing sugar

Choice of sprinkles and sweets

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4, then line two 12-hole bun tins or muffin tins with paper cases.

2. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together until smooth, with an electric hand beater or wooden spoon.

3. Dollop the mixture into the cases until it’s all used up, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden and springy.

4. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.

5. Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick consistency, or a few drops of chosen food colouring.

6. Drizzle the icing over the top of the fairy cakes and sprinkle with your chosen toppings.