Cadburys and my Grandad...

Even if you live in a cave, Im sure that over the last few days you will have seen the copious amounts of press generated by the proposed sale of Cadburys to American plastic cheese maker Kraft.

Now I have a personal interest in this story as my Grandad worked for the company for most of his life (as a taster ... jammy bugger)....as well as living in Bournville. Some of my fondest memories of the time spent with my grandparents revolved around Cadburys and the all encompassing feeling of community in the area. So Im sure I have no need to say quite how sad I feel about the likely sale of the company. I know in the modern world these things happen (due to greed... plain and simple), but I feel that in this case there is so much heritage that is likely to be lost (even the sign posts at Bournville station are painted Cabdury purple) that it really is a significant nail in the coffin of this (once envied, and now derided) country.

Which brings me onto the main thread of this post. Something fundamental needs to change with regard to the political and economic outlook in our country. Now Im no economist (as my A level economics teacher will no doubt agree), but surely the endless quest for growth regardless of consequence needs to change. Im aware of numerous companies who in the desire for growth prior to the reccession employed more and more people than really neccessary... only to make countless employees redundant when the sand upon which our economy is so ‘soundly’ based got washed away and they found that all of a sudden work dissapeared.

And the very fact that the financial sector is our economy quite simply scares me. And yes, before I forget, the bid for Cadurys is apparently being financed by RBS !! So if jobs are lost, and what truly is a British Institution dissapears... it’ll be our money that has paid for it...... oh what a pleasure it is to be governed by such geniuses (and if you think a change of government will make one iota of difference, think again ..)

I could waffle on for ages and no doubt make a complete fool of myself so heres a link to a post I read today..... I think it sums up perfectly what Im trying (and failing) to say...
http://blogs.birminghampost.net/business/2010/01/a-cadburys-chocolate-teapot-uk.html

Anyway, this post is for my Grandad, who once a month took me to the Cadburys Chocolate shop and bought me a bag of broken biscuits, and taught me how to bowl on the greens in Bournville. Cheers old boy and ‘Vive la revolution’ .....