Just as I sat down to type this I heard a rather suspicious click echo through my house, my screen dulled and all the emergency lights flicked into life (albeit a poor, pale and sickly form of life). The electricity meter had yet again been left to roll down to zero. Irresponsible housemates (me included). I shall now have to endeavour to traipse from room to room resetting all clocks and appliances. But first, some blogging.
After an hour’s lecture this morning on J.S.Mill and, in particular, his arguments against Paternalism I was feeling all political and as I strolled through Euston station to get the tube back home I decided to purchase my very first copy of the Economist. £4 it was – which is ironic… given the title.
Browsing it this afternoon I came to light upon a short article about Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury. “That’s it!” I exclaimed in disgust. “No more Cadbury for me!” Just then I noticed the two Creme Eggs rolling about sheepishly on my windowsill that I’d bought impulsively along with my copy of the Economist. “Except you.” I added politely.
Still, it seems strange that it generated such a reaction. British firms have been taken over before by foreign owners and probably will continue to do so. So why is it the takeover of Cadbury that strikes such fear in the heart of the British?
Perhaps it is because, alongside the glowing reputation that Cadbury has earned in terms of it’s ethical business practices and fair treatment of employees, it is because Cadbury itself is uniquely a British brand. The purple background and swirly white script are, I believe, just as iconic in terms of British identity as red postboxes and Marmite Jars. And whilst I don’t wish to get into discussions of National Identity and whether or not it is simply misdirected nostalgia for the most part it seems that losing Cadbury really is like losing a part of collective history for a lot of people. It must be like learning that your old school has been turned into a block of flats or that the hospital in which you were born has been razed and is now a carpark. There is no real damage done but you still feel a rather a vague and dull blow to some part of you that you can’t quite place.
Still, onwards and upwards. I shall just have to take it upon myself to become the new standout British manufacturer of chocolate, a task that I feel I am more than qualified for.
Anyway, I must be off now. I have Creme Eggs waiting.
A.E.
Tags: Britishness, Cadbury, Chocolate, Nostalgia
