Catch is sold to this very day in the United States as well. I saw a wrapper on the streets in Times Square the other day.

Silvio,

You just said the economy was cash starved.

no; it can also be used as an adjective

as in “confectionary goods”

Our next door neighbour was an Air Malta hostess, we used to get our monthly fix from her.

Remember Tomato in Republic Street? It looked so good it felt bloody expensive.

@Silvio,

that is exactly what they did in the ex-Communist Eastern Europe of Tito, Caucescu, Hoxha, Hoeneker, Breschnev and the rest of Mintoff’s Buddies.

AND IT WAS ALL SO UNNECESSARY TOO.

Could be because we had loads of money to spend and they did not.

The Italians have the talent to spot a sitting-duck at first sight.

You must surely remember the junk they used to buy. It was a disgrace to say you are Maltese.

Most of the stuff, apart for chocolate, for some, was available in Malta, but you were expected to come back home loaded and proud of telling your friends how much you were charged as duty.

There used to be a massive scam to avoid customs when the MV Ghawdex started twice-weekly day trips to Siracusa. Gozo Channel crew members used to stock up on chocolate/ TVs and whatever else they wanted.

Then they would lock eveything in the cabins, and pass thorugh Customs in Malta with nothing in their bags. The next day, when the Ghawdex did its normal trips, they’d get friends/relatives to take their cargo down.

It also used to mean a place where confectionEry is manufactured/prepared.

[Daphne – Neither confectionary nor confectionery is an adjective. They are both nouns. The one is the place, the other is the product, as with stationary/stationery (place/product). Obviously, stationary is also an adjective, but a total different word – i.e. not moving. Desserta was confectionery, not confectionary. It was sold, in among other places, in confectionaries, which had little else to sell in those days and so mostly closed down.]