A box of 100-year-old Christmas chocolates is due to be auctioned.
The Little Red Riding Hood themed chocolates were given to Eileen Margaret Elmes from London as a Christmas present between 1910 and 1914.
Ms Elmes, who died in 2007, kept the gift all her life as she claimed that the chocolates were too “pretty” to eat.
Hansons Auctioneers, who will sell the chocolates to the highest bidder, claim that the box releases a “delicious smell of cocoa” when opened.
Ms Elmes’ niece said: “The chocolates were so special to her she wanted other people to see them and asked me if I could do anything about it."
Inside the box is four chocolate dolls including Little Red Riding Hood, a baby in a cradle, a man dressed as a sailor and a lady in a bonnet and dress.
According to her niece, Ms Elms hoped that the chocolates would one day be bought by a museum.
They were created by James Pascall, a former Cadbury’s agent who owned a shop near Oxford Street, London in 1866.
Charles Hanson, owner of the Auctioneers said: “It’s a magical Christmas story. To think that this little girl loved her special box of chocolates so much she couldn’t bear to eat them – or part with them.
“Chocolate is very much a part of our Christmas celebrations and many of us eat far too much of it. This is a humble reminder that in days gone by people appreciated and valued things far more than some of us do today.”
The old chocolates are due to be auctioned on 19 December and are valued at £70- £100.
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