I CAN’T believe it. Say it isn’t true? Sadly it is – though the 10-year-old girl I used to be is shedding a tear at the news. Drinks company A.G. Barr has announced their iconic glass bottles of IrnBru will no longer be returnable to retailers as of next year.

For 110 years fans of the fizzy Scottish drink have been returning glass bottles to retailers with a payback being offered, most recently priced at 30p.

I know it’s the way of the world that all things eventually come to an end and change is inevitable but this is a wee piece of history and nostalgia that will be sadly missed, for me anyway. Gingie bottles were my currency as a child, my glass cheques if you like and let’s face it my first bank account.

When I was younger my friends and I used to search our neighbourhood for them to see who could collect the most to take to the ice cream van that night. Clearly I didn’t stay in the shape I’m in by losing that particular game very often.

At the time I think we were getting 5p or 10p a bottle – which was a lot of money to a kid in the 80s – and if you had more than 10 bottles you were practically a millionaire to your mates.

I remember I’d collected nearly sixty bottles over the course of my summer holidays one year and had to do nine runs down to our local corner shop where I exchanged them for the latest copy of the Smash Hits magazine.

It had the lyrics to the new Jason Donovan, below, song in it and had a free multi coloured pen taped to the front cover, enough sweets to make my friends suitable jealous for at least a week and a small pot of Astral cream for my gran as I’d seen it on her dressing table when I stayed over and I knew she’d like that as a wee present.

It wasn’t just the glass bottles of Irn Bru though, it was the brand as a whole – as even back then the adverts were just brilliant.

I remember being at school and singing the entire Irn Bru song from the advert during our lunch break while my classmates recreated the entire advert around me. I can still remember the lyrics to this day.

“Don’t you know it’s one of those ads, lots of kids with white teeth and giant shoulder pads, it’s not a drink from those crazy Yanks, because it’s made right here, you know it’s tougher than tanks.

“Made in Scotland from girders, Unpronounceable too, Made in Scotland from girders, It’s called Barr’s Irn Bru.”

Maybe that’s the comeback single I’ve been searching for! I understand more people are quite rightly recycling at home – perhaps there’s no need to continue offering the payback service but it’s so sad to see a much cherished and old school tradition end.

THE last day to get money back on a juice bottle will be the December 31 and I think I may just have to get my hands on a glass bottle and take it back to my local newsagent for old times’ sake.

Although, as it will be Hogmanay, I might need more than a few if Barrs are going to be sponsoring my New Year carry oot.

Thank you so very much to everyone who has come along to the Edinburgh Festival so far to see my show Michelle McManus Reloaded. We’ve had sell out shows and the most lovely feedback from you all and I’m just overwhelmed with the response and support from everyone.

I can’t believe I’ve only 10 shows left as I’ve just loved every minute of this year’s Fringe.

If you haven’t seen the show and you fancy a wee day out in Edinburgh – come along!

It’s a 50-minute sing song with some comedy stories thrown in for good measure.

Buy tickets by visiting here

Follow Michelle on Twitter @LadyM_McManus