Prom cake pops

When I was a student, I often wondered why people resented us. Twenty years on, battling my way through Jesmond Tesco with its 7 foot tall blond men and its perfectly coiffed girls in their pyjamas, I realise why - we're jealous. They look like they're having so much fun - parties, cool clothes, good music, festivals, and massive student debts. 


It's the same with sixth formers - they all look like they've stepped off a catwalk and ooze with confidence.  I wondered if we were the same 20 years ago and that I'd simply forgotten how we were, so I checked some old photos. My memory was not wrong - we were minging. Badly dressed, hairy, boyfriendless. Our idea of a good time was getting out the fondue sets our parents had been given as wedding gifts and stored in the loft. We'd make a cheese fondue and a chocolate fondue and eat until we were nearly sick. Oh yeah, I can add "chubby" to the list of our attributes.


This is David Mitchell's description of teenage life in the 1980s: "In my day, teenagers were expected to stay in, grimly getting on with their homework, shuddering at the prospect of human contact and meekly looking forward to the next series of Blackadder. That's what it was like for everyone, right?" It is shockingly accurate.


Certainly in the 1980s we didn't have the US-style prom parties that are popular today. I've been asked this week to make cake pops for a pre-prom party in the shape of little pink dresses and tuxedos.

My 18 year old self would have been flabbergasted - a dance! With BOYS! And little cakes on sticks! I might even have turned off my Blackadder video for a minute and put on some make up.