No matter if fools say we can't win, I know I'll fall in love again

So, as Young Ben and I tucked into our umpteenth chocolate egg earlier today I recalled a recent conversation I had with my youngest son who now lives in London.

He said he had been sitting at his desk on a hot day eating a Twister ice lolly and the taste of the Twister triggered a memory of warm days in Rothesay, in years gone by, eating the same product. This was a new one on me. I have songs that I hear that remind me instantly of a time or a person in my life but the thought of food doing this intrigued me

I tried to recall what tastes made an impression on me when I was young and the earliest recollection I had was from Primary School in Ayr when we used to walk down to the shops at the bottom of Heathfield Road and buy collecting cards sets like Flags Of The World or The American Civil War. Now these sets contained a flat stick of chewing gum which was one of the few forbidden fruits of my childhood. Chewing gum was one of my dad's biggest foibles. He hated the stuff. I think he would have accepted his sons committing Treason, Grand Larceny or even Patricide before seeing them chewing gum, so for years I would buy my cards and put my gum in the bin or swap it with Gordon Smith for the flag of El Salvador

I recall my dad was fond of a 'jeely piece' (which is bread and jam for you folks south of the border). Nothing strange about that I hear you say, but he also liked to have cheese on his 'jeely piece'. Now I cannot honestly say that this taste reminds me of my dad, because I have never had jam on my cheese sandwich

The food that reminds me of my mum is pancakes and syrup. She used to make them for me when I was young, which might help to explain why I am the size I am today but at the time I remember them as being delicious

I have to confess that I am not the most adventurous of Epicureans. I like my steaks well done, actually very well done, actually almost burnt. I know that makes me a bit of a pleb but I don't want my meat to be bleeding or making mooing noises when I cut into it. I want to make sure it is dead

Also I don't eat seafood. The only good things to come out of the sea were Ursula Andress in Dr No and Jacqueline Bisset in The Deep. I recall one time in Mallorca with my ex making the almost fatal error of sharing a seafood paella. There were tentacles and all sorts of squidgy little things in there. It was awful. It took several Cervezas that night to wash away the taste

I also recall I was in my twenties before I discovered coleslaw. It was a sunny day in Ayr at my brother's house and his wife had concocted this superb buffet type lunch and there it was. At that time I don't think coleslaw had reached darkest Crook in County Durham. My sister in law was always ahead of the game though. I remember she even served broccoli sometimes instead of beans or peas. I mean, what was that all about?

I also remember when our family was in Australia some years ago staying at a different sister in law we had watermelon straight from the freezer. Frozen watermelon and a cold tinnie on a blistering day in Perth....one of life's great pleasures

I wonder if in years to come Young Ben will be eating a Cadburys Creme Egg and think back to the day he spread one all over his old grandpa's face

I leave you this week with my Top 10 Food Related Songs

1. Strawberry Fields.....The Beatles
2. Rock Lobster..........The B52s
3. Chocolate Girl........Deacon Blue
4. Honey.................Bobby Goldsboro
5. Green Onions..........Booker T. and the MGs
6. Life is a Minestrone..10CC
7. Banana Republic.......The Boomtown Rats
8. One Bad Apple.........The Osmonds
9. Peaches...............The Stranglers
10. Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight (sorry dad)....Lonnie Donegan

....and I hope you appreciate how much effort it took not to include Give Peas A Chance by John Lennon