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The title obviously explains it all - not Jim and Liz out of Corrie, but the world's most famous fast food restaurant which was founded by Ray Kroc in the mid 20th century. The first restaurant opened in the United States in 1955, while the first one in the United Kingdom (which was also the 3,000th international restaurant) opened in Woolwich in 1974.
In my neck of the woods, the first Nottingham McDonald's opened on Clumber Street in 1982 next to a Barry Noble amusement arcade (around the time when Noble had an offer for a jar of Maxwell House coffee of all things via coupons from The Sun, I think). I believe that Clumber Street was also the 79th British McDonald's to open, and it was also the first one that I had experienced as a "customer" for my sixth birthday in 1984 - it is still there although it had a makeover a couple of years ago just like a lot of McDonald's have. My late father used to tell me that it used to be a pub, and the amusement arcade was a furniture shop, although it could have been the other way round. He also used to think that Ronald McDonald was actually based in each restaurant - I am certain that he said something similar when an advert for McDonald's came on TV once.
I am not certain whether Happy Meals were involved back then, or whether I wore one of those paper party hats similar to what nurses wear when on duty - I didn't have one of those "parties" there although my nephew did for his sixth birthday in 1998. I do remember the family bringing me to McDonald's and having my food sitting inside the restaurant. I tried a hamburger and thought that it was too much for me to eat at the time and I had difficulty eating it, although I loved the chocolate milkshake just like I do know. This was around the same time when McDonald's were doing their "School Kits" if you remember them - it was a transparent pencil case (looking a little bit as if it was aimed towards girls, I assume); with ruler, pencil, a Ronald McDonald pencil sharpener (twist Ronald's head around to sharpen pencils), a rubber and other things included - I might have got a special meal thing on that day in order to get one of those. And then we went back home and saw Starstrider on the Children's ITV...
There is nothing quite like unwrapping the straw (which are not like the ones we have now of course), and poking it through the X-shape perforations in the middle of the plastic transparent lid which is held on tightly to the milkshake cup (as well as tea coffee for Health and Safety reasons). Sucking the straw until no milkshake was left and a gurgling noise, just sucking fresh air was something most of us did. Just like sitting upstairs with a view from the window, watching the shoppers go by was such a treat back then. And of course fries - never chips even though they were the same thing, but fries. Yes, 1984 was the year when I had officially discovered McDonald's for the very first time.
I have noticed that there is a McDonald's advert on at the moment which shows someone eating a meal in a restaurant going from the 1980s to the present day - cue a mid 1980s Paul Young-alike man changing, and so is the food packaging as well in just a few seconds. And that made me think about the packaging. Does anyone remember when the Big Mac and McChicken Sandwich cartons were made from polystyrene-alike packaging and not like the card packaging we have now? I assume was changed due to protecting the environment and going green in the 1990s.
These days I am a McDonald's regular - they do say that we are addicted to things that are bad for us including food, but I think that I have never smoked and only drink at Christmas and New Year, and so I do allow to opt out of healthy eating now and again to enjoy my favourite takeaways. As a matter of fact, I an actually eating as part of a takeaway purchased earlier on, a limited edition Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese as I am writing this! I was concerned that the Big Macs would lay victim to the horsemeat scandal a few years back like it did to the Findus Lasagne, but I was reassured that it wasn't. No, I would miss McDonald's if it did a "Woolworths" and disappeared from the High Street. Burger King is not quite the same, and Wimpy is almost extinct in this country anyway.
When did you first come across McDonald's and how old were you? Did you have those parties in the restaurant with those paper hats, or was it just a Happy Meal with a Disney toy inside? Or did you find McDonald's food too exotic? Is it something that you cannot stand because of the taste or the ingredients? After all, it was American by origin...
In my neck of the woods, the first Nottingham McDonald's opened on Clumber Street in 1982 next to a Barry Noble amusement arcade (around the time when Noble had an offer for a jar of Maxwell House coffee of all things via coupons from The Sun, I think). I believe that Clumber Street was also the 79th British McDonald's to open, and it was also the first one that I had experienced as a "customer" for my sixth birthday in 1984 - it is still there although it had a makeover a couple of years ago just like a lot of McDonald's have. My late father used to tell me that it used to be a pub, and the amusement arcade was a furniture shop, although it could have been the other way round. He also used to think that Ronald McDonald was actually based in each restaurant - I am certain that he said something similar when an advert for McDonald's came on TV once.
I am not certain whether Happy Meals were involved back then, or whether I wore one of those paper party hats similar to what nurses wear when on duty - I didn't have one of those "parties" there although my nephew did for his sixth birthday in 1998. I do remember the family bringing me to McDonald's and having my food sitting inside the restaurant. I tried a hamburger and thought that it was too much for me to eat at the time and I had difficulty eating it, although I loved the chocolate milkshake just like I do know. This was around the same time when McDonald's were doing their "School Kits" if you remember them - it was a transparent pencil case (looking a little bit as if it was aimed towards girls, I assume); with ruler, pencil, a Ronald McDonald pencil sharpener (twist Ronald's head around to sharpen pencils), a rubber and other things included - I might have got a special meal thing on that day in order to get one of those. And then we went back home and saw Starstrider on the Children's ITV...
There is nothing quite like unwrapping the straw (which are not like the ones we have now of course), and poking it through the X-shape perforations in the middle of the plastic transparent lid which is held on tightly to the milkshake cup (as well as tea coffee for Health and Safety reasons). Sucking the straw until no milkshake was left and a gurgling noise, just sucking fresh air was something most of us did. Just like sitting upstairs with a view from the window, watching the shoppers go by was such a treat back then. And of course fries - never chips even though they were the same thing, but fries. Yes, 1984 was the year when I had officially discovered McDonald's for the very first time.
I have noticed that there is a McDonald's advert on at the moment which shows someone eating a meal in a restaurant going from the 1980s to the present day - cue a mid 1980s Paul Young-alike man changing, and so is the food packaging as well in just a few seconds. And that made me think about the packaging. Does anyone remember when the Big Mac and McChicken Sandwich cartons were made from polystyrene-alike packaging and not like the card packaging we have now? I assume was changed due to protecting the environment and going green in the 1990s.
These days I am a McDonald's regular - they do say that we are addicted to things that are bad for us including food, but I think that I have never smoked and only drink at Christmas and New Year, and so I do allow to opt out of healthy eating now and again to enjoy my favourite takeaways. As a matter of fact, I an actually eating as part of a takeaway purchased earlier on, a limited edition Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese as I am writing this! I was concerned that the Big Macs would lay victim to the horsemeat scandal a few years back like it did to the Findus Lasagne, but I was reassured that it wasn't. No, I would miss McDonald's if it did a "Woolworths" and disappeared from the High Street. Burger King is not quite the same, and Wimpy is almost extinct in this country anyway.
When did you first come across McDonald's and how old were you? Did you have those parties in the restaurant with those paper hats, or was it just a Happy Meal with a Disney toy inside? Or did you find McDonald's food too exotic? Is it something that you cannot stand because of the taste or the ingredients? After all, it was American by origin...
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