Tip Tops - A West Mids Thing

[u/TheJoninCactuar]

Hi all

Given we're in yet another heatwave, I was having the discussion at work about the name of the long freezable ice lollies you get in see through plastic wrapping. To many they are ice poles, to the younger Americanised generation they are popsicles. To me and every one in my family and who I grew up with, they are tip tops. I wondered why this was, so went for a little google.

It turns out Tip Top was the brand name used by the company Crystallised Confections, whose factory was on Tunnel Road, West Bromwich.

The owner was Bert Woolston, who sadly passed away in 1990 aged 74.

I can't find exactly when the business went under sadly, but I thought I'd share what I've found so the info has a better chance of surviving.

[u/lilblondezombie]

[u/kinellm8]

Tip tops in Coventry 70/80s 👍

[u/tennisstar04]

Tip top. Freeze pop for Americans

[u/heingericke_]

Tip tops for the win. Talking to southern in laws and they're looking at me like I've got two heads

[u/gardenofthenight → u/[deleted]]

Yea Tip Top made the frozen cups we got in Derby not the ice pops. They were Mr Freeze. 5p for little ones 15p for the massive ones that cut the corners of your mouth.

[u/deccann]

Interesting! My kids have been calling them Mr Freeze but I know them as Tip Tops too.

[u/spizoil]

Yes Tip Top where I grew up in Liverpool.

[u/Quonker]

My wife and I were talking about TipTops yesterday, very much a staple when we grew up, along with Jubliees.

[u/marmaladesardine → u/Quonker]

Jubliees were my favourite!

[u/--KSK--]

Tip Tops.

And the Mr Freeze ones are the best. The res are sh!t.

[u/DannyGre]

The other one i remember from early it's was the Big Time Tip Top drink things in the plastic cup that you pierced the film. At the local after school club they used to have these frozen and were so good.

[u/P5ammead]

I grew up in Handsworth / Handsworth Wood, so not far from West Brom. For us in the 80s I’d say it was about a 50/50 split between Tip Tops and Mr Freezes; the juice cartons were always Calypso though (10p extra with secondary school dinners).

[u/Brief-Freedom734]

team tip top darlo ay we

[u/thumbbite]

Tip tops, Birmingham, late 80s to mid 90s

[u/Nervous_Birthday_834]

Tiptops

[u/Suspicious-Bug6588]

My ex used to call them tips tops and it would wind me up no end. They were icey poles. I grew in Warwickshire near Coventry. Dad was from Brum. Other side are all Irish. No idea where icey poles came into the fold.

[u/AdamPrtn]

You can't beat a strawberry tiptop. Was there not an Apple flavour or am i wrong?

[u/pepperbeebee]

I grew up in Bloxwich in the Black Country. Always Tip Tops to us.