ON entering The Northern Echo's photo-library recently, a packet of old photographs tumbled from the C shelf. "Confectionary", it said. "Sweet," we thought.

But that soon changed to "ouch" when we spotted the picture of a 7d packet of Toffos. These ridiculously hard and sticky toffee treats were responsible for numerous dental visits because their stickiness was guarantee to remove the firmest filling with just a couple of chews.

The packet also contained a couple of pictures of George W Horner's Dainty Dinah toffee tins. Dainty Dinah was a North-East icon – the Angel of the North of her day.

Mr Horner was a Norfolk lad who took over a corner of Chester-le-Street in 1910 where jam was produced in a steam-powered factory. He converted it to toffee-production, and in 1914 introduced Dinah, her dark, moony face fringed by an Edwardian bonnet. It is said that Dinah was modelled on Mr Horner's chauffeur, Alice Scott, who died in 2001 aged 102.

In the 1920s, Horner's erected a 106ft chimney, with the words "Dainty Dinah" picked out in white at the top which became a landmark. A large bust of Dinah was placed on top of the factory overlooking Horner's "five acres of sweetness".

After giving sugar rushes to several generations of North-East children, the Dainty Dinah factory closed in 1961 and it was demolished in 1985 – although the Dainty Dinah bust can now be found in Beamish museum.

If our pictures trigger any sweet-related memories or stories, please let us know by emailing chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk. What other brand names should we have included here?