I went to buy cigarettes for someone today. I've only done it a few times in my whole life. It set me thinking about seeing some of those brands as a boy. My Nana smoked Gold Flake when I was young but moved to Kensitas I recall. I can remember her letting a flame touch the foil that wrapped the cigarettes so that the white paper would peel off and she cold keep the foil for recycling to raise money for dogs for the blind.
My Bampie smoked Woodbines and my uncle smoked Player's No 6 and Embassy. A family friend smoked Player's navy cut. Best of all, my dad would roll his own. He always used Wills Virginia tobacco in green tins as above. Even though he stopped smoking quite early on there were always tins around. I still have one or two. I used to like watching him putting the tobacco in the Rizla paper (usually green - ungummed but sometimes orange -gummed), twiddling it in his fingers, then licking it, rubbing it, putting it in his mouth and then lighting up. Sometimes a bit of tobacco would go astray and he'd have to fish it off the tip of his tongue.
All sorts of things are innocent when you're a kid.
4 comments:
I used to smoke Embassy Number 1 or rollies when I was a bit hard up!
The joy of smoking passed me by. My dad was keen we had our first one from him not anyone else. Now and again we'd try a puff. Yeuch! If I've time I'll put together a Smokin' Spurgeon post.
I used to love the smell of old tobacco tins which belonged to my Granda. He collected so many cigarrette tokens at one time that he was able to send away for a four man tent!!
Happy memories indeed.
The smell is tobacco's best asset. I remember now my grandad and granfer (gt grandfather)would smoke pipes. Then you really get the aroma. I also saw my grandad take snuff at times. What's that all about? Cigarette tokens is a whole other subject again.
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