This week's columns: settling in to 'big' school and newsagent bars.

Forgive the repetition, there’s bound to be a little when you’ve been writing professionally for 33 years. My parents had a cafe on London’s Bayswater Road, they sold chocolate bars, but none of the bars I really wanted. I wanted Flakes, and Crunchies but if they had sold those, instead of the Cadbury Fingers and Bar Sixes which I soon tired of, I would very probably have become obese and no longer been able to fit down the spiral staircase in my parents’ cafe that led to the stock rooms.

The first time I remember being able to go to the newsagent with my own money - and therefore choice - I went with my cousin Mary and I bought, very probably, a Flake and a Crunchie. I remember this day with crystal clarity, the way you do seminal memories and I learnt an important lesson that day that stretched far beyond confectionery: that having your own money gives you autonomy.

I’ve always had a ‘thing’ for newsagent bars even though I no longer eat them unless I’m working. So it was exciting finding an entire shop dedicated to them (but no Flake) in Barnaby’s. They aren’t perfect, and as I say in this week’s Observer column, they’re not as good as the bars from some other places, but also not as expensive and I’m glad such a shop exists to bring posh newsagent bars to the masses. It may make people think there’s chocolate life beyond the usual favourites. Talking of which watch out for the chocolate column in a few weeks which talks about the new Twirl.

This week’s Guardian column was from a very thoughtful father worried about his son who has Autism Spectrum Condition, settling in to ‘big’ school come September. There was an interesting comment in amongst the hundreds (I read them)

from someone telling me to ‘be careful’ of minimising (my word) the issues faced by people with autism. It’s always a tough road to tread, between trying to help someone not feel so isolated and thereby normalising how they feel, to batting away their issues. Which I don’t think I did given I spent an entire week working on this man’s problem. But perhaps you disagree?

The wonderful psychotherapist Naomi Stadlen, who sadly died a few weeks ago (I’ll be writing her obituary for the Guardian) taught me something that has stayed with me: the only correct response to new information is curiosity, anything else is about you. It neatly describes projection and I keep it in mind with every word I write.