Cliff Babblebrook has what is generally called ‘the gift of the gab’. His son Rocky is exactly the same, of course, but Cliff is quite happy to leave all the jokes to him. Whenever Cliff is helping out in the family grocery store he likes nothing better than to reminisce with the older customers about life in Sylvania before cars, fridges or televisions. “Yet we all managed perfectly well without them, didn’t we?” is the way their long conversations always seem to end. But even the children love listening to ‘Grandpa Babblebrook’ as they call him. Although perhaps that’s because he always gives them a free lollipop just before they leave the shop!