Happy Valentine's Day!

As I put together this week's supermarket order, P came to suggest I should order a box of Thornton's Continental for myself and a box of J's favourite chocolate seashells, as our Happy Valentine's Day surprise. I had already stocked up with some of P's favourite Belgian beers with last week's order and hidden them under my sewing table. We're so romantic!

I was introduced to Thornton's Continental chocolates in my first year at university, in 1978, and they have remained firm favourites. I used to like buying them loose from the counter at the little shop beside Framwellgate Bridge in Durham, so that I could select my favourite varieties. Some of these are still part of the range, though in this box I think only the Alpini hazelnut praliné log still exists in its original form, the Viennese truffles now being encased in a new coating. I preferred the sugar dusted milk chocolate one, but they are still good.