Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

[odgarcushion]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

'Tring' comes from the letters on the tubes that fall BETWEEN the characters' fingers.

In order, from the first poster to the third this gives you:

'T' (ignore the 'Fru' as these fall to the left of the fingers)
'RI' (ignore the half an 'M' and 'S' as these fall to the right)
'N' and 'G' (ignore the 'F' and half 'S' as these fall to the left and right of the fingers)

It must be significant as

• the fingers are in such awkward positions
• there's no 'N' in Fruit Gums (as has been pointed out before)
• those half letters would have been full letters if significant, surely?

Interesting what you're saying about competition winners being published in the comics that the poster appeared in. I'd forgotten about that. I wonder if 2000AD would have published similar.

Unfortunately, all the old back issues of 2000AD that were in my parents' loft were recently cleared out.

Rowntree Mackintosh are no more, and it seems unlikely that someone at Nestle is going to trawl through old competition documentation to answer a question on an internet forum!

I quite like the notion that it will never be cracked though, like one of the ancient mysteries it will eventually die with its creators...

[rossobantam]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

hello & welcome OC!

how this was meant for KIDS I don't know! I've check my old issues of Battle comic and I've removed the posters (one each in July, Aug & Sept 1982) although I don't remember entering the competition

I also picked up on 'I like them'...just sounds kinda out of place?

The fruit tree (Avenue must be correct) is tricky as you'd have to take a guess WHICH fruit? (Most likely apples? colour fits...most common fruit tree?)

I still think the 7 ages of man is relevant...number 7 is there, the man ages in stages (there ARE 7 in reality,not just the 4 shown!)

I don't see how your friend got Tring from the letters..covered or uncovered there are lots of letters, and so lots of combos! One little thing I ntoiced..one the 3rd picture there is a letter 'N' on the packet she's holding...why?

I am desperate to track down replacement issues of Battle late 82-early 83 as they normally published comp winners lists 2-4 months max after it ended

Dave

[odgarcushion]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

A friend has just pointed out that the letters inside the fingers on the packets spell out TRING - which is in Herts.

So how about:

Keith Lime
79 _______ Avenue
Tring
Herts
HP73 5FG

(although Tring is actually in HP23...)

Tempted to say something along the lines of Cherry Tree Avenue, as there are clearly fruit in the trees and it's a fruity competition, but this isn't definite enough.

[odgarcushion]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

So glad someone else remembers this. Spent ages with my dad and brother trying to crack this back in 1982. Annoyingly, we had two copies of each the posters (one from 2000ad, one from Buster/Jackpot). Would kill to have copies of them around still - they're nice bits of art in their own right - very Roger Hargreaves in style.

Anyway, can't remember what, if anything, we cracked in 1982, but looking back on the posters now the badge - 'I Like Them' could well be the name part.

'Keith Lime' would fit into the fruity theme.

The postcode's clearly there already. And the tree lined road on the picture suggests 'Avenue'.

I like the Herts/heart bracelet bit too.

After Googling this looks like the only reference to the competition on the net. Perhaps no-one ever solved the thing...

[rossobantam]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

ah but you try making 'Hemel Hempstead' from any of the 3 posters though

Seven Ages ---------- Stevenage...surely too much of a coincidence NOT to be right?

[Fearmint]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

That's what I'd have thought . Or maybe the postcode area simply doesn't exist any more. I can't remember in what way, or even if, postcodes have changed in the last 25 or so years.

So how about this so far...

79 Cherry Tree Lane
Hemel Hempstead
Herts
HP73 5FG

Still stuck on name and not sure about the house number. Or the street name either cos that lane doesn't look exactly choc full of addresses.
Of course, if the address never existed, no amount of googling will help

[rossobantam]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

I'd have thought that if you were going for a town in the Hemel Hempstead post area you go for, er, Hemel Hempstead

I guess HP73 means its a longgggg way out of town (I notice it doesn't exist, not nowadays anyhow)

Presumably the address was 'semi-real', and the Royal Mail were consulted/aware, a bit like sending letters to "Santa, The North Pole"

[Fearmint]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

ok using logic....towns in Herts include STEVENAGE

re 1st poster...emmettman mentions the 4 ages of man, but as Shakespeare's version states, there are SEVEN ages of man. That fits with the number 7 formed by the birds, and the man ageing in each picture

so..STEVENAGE has to be right..you just lose the 'T' somehow

? name
? house number & street
Stevenage
Herts
HP73 5FG

I'd have thought that if you were going for a town in the Hemel Hempstead post area you go for, er, Hemel Hempstead

I think its a Q, not a 9..look at the way the lower two flowers are placed.

From that, you COULD make the case for 'Kew Gardens' (I know the real one isn't in HP postcode area -Hemel Hempstead-but it fits the picture.

waddya reckon ?

Erm...

Final poster

See that girl ; ( goes into rap-speak) 'She a Ho'

See that poster ; those are seasons

HoSeasons? ---Well they did do holidays in eighties

Hmm...

Are they the australian version then?

They have dual citizenship.

[Heather74]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

Blimming heck I thought this was aimed at kids!!!!

[rossobantam]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

ok using logic....towns in Herts include STEVENAGE

re 1st poster...emmettman mentions the 4 ages of man, but as Shakespeare's version states, there are SEVEN ages of man. That fits with the number 7 formed by the birds, and the man ageing in each picture

so..STEVENAGE has to be right..you just lose the 'T' somehow

? name
? house number & street
Stevenage
Herts
HP73 5FG

[rossobantam]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

ooh yeh ...Hemel Hempstead is in Herts, and the girl in poster 3 is wearing a bracelet full 'of hearts, so that must be the last 2 lines (the county) we have

ie

Herts
HP73 5FG

[rossobantam]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

In the first poster, bottom right square, the flowers to the left of the old geezer look like a 9 ??

I think its a Q, not a 9..look at the way the lower two flowers are placed.

From that, you COULD make the case for 'Kew Gardens' (I know the real one isn't in HP postcode area -Hemel Hempstead-but it fits the picture.

waddya reckon ?

[Danny]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

Final poster

See that girl ; ( goes into rap-speak) 'She a Ho'

See that poster ; those are seasons

HoSeasons? ---Well they did do holidays in eighties

[HG]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

Are they the australian version then?

[Fearmint]

Re: Can you solve the Fruit Gums secret?

Here are scans of the reverse sides of the posters. Now you know as much as I do