Childhood Memories

This video alludes to four childhood memories growing up in the sixties - the revolving ashtray (my dad smoked and we had one - great fun unless full of ash) the toy woodpecker (we didn't have one but my friend did and it endlessly fascinated me) Betta Bilda (made by Airfix - the inferior version of Lego) Minibrix an even earlier building kit from the thirties passed on to me by an uncle.

More on Saving Mr Banks 2 Modern censorship

I came across this fascinating clip on Youtube.

Government bans ashtrays

In a controversial new move the UK government has banned ashtrays.

That's what they seemed to be saying on the news Saturday anyway.

VIE

I am currently in Vienna International Airport, very nice and with free wifi (unlike Heathrow). I spotted these smoking kiosks, something I'd not seen before - somewhere to go if you're desperate for a fag.

Holy Smoke

I don't want to go on with this thread much more but I thought that anyone who'd never seen one of these might find it interesting. I believe my old pastor used to use this very product. I think it's for pipes.

Spurgeon Smoker

Following on from the last post, if you would like a reliable and full account of Spurgeon and smoking click here.

This one is unsubstantiated:

Spurgeon says to someone “If I ever find myself smoking to excess, I promise I shall quit entirely.”
“What would you call smoking to excess?”
“Why, smoking two cigars at the same time!”

Happy Memories

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.