[Misc] Old skool ciggies

[Shropshire Seagull]

A genuine "well done" to all the regulars that have given it up long term.

My dad was a 40 a day Piccadilly tip until early 70s. He's now 97 and a picture of health.

I dabbled with Players no 6 and no 10 and Consulate - just didn't like it ...

 

[Insel affe]

I was rather partial to an Embassy when I first smoked. Though I was never brand loyal at any point as I took the word of Mary Poppins that "a change is as good as a rest" and if I ever saw a packet I'd never tried I'd go for that.
I did rather like bidis when in India though I expect they are actually incredibly rough if you haven't been hitting a chillum recently. The Chinese Wujiang cigarettes that made their way through the mountain passes into Ladakh also hold fond memories.

Embassy seemed regional to me anyone else notice that.

i started smoking up north, consulate at school, then progressed to Embassy Regal (Blue) king size.
then when I moved down south everyone seemed to smoke Embassy (red) so I switched.

then quit about 16years ago, smoked mini cigars (cafe crème blue) when I went out for a bit.
gave them up about 12 years ago, now the occasional vape, if going out or stressed.

 

[papachris]

I only ever smoked as a teenager because everyone else did. First time was one of my mum's No.6 that I had pinched. Later on myself and all of my friends were smoking 555's.
I never tried my gran's Capstan extra strength but I remember all of the ceilings being brown in her flat and the extremely strong smell of tobacco, yuk!

 

[Justice]

Years ago I was partial to players weights and then embassy no1 although I liked the slightly shorter one.
I’ve given up for years at a time and then fancy a pack and go back smoking for a bit currently smoking Blue L&M’s someone for me from abroad £4 a pack. It’s more a work thing for me and have maybe one or two in the evening.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Benny Hedgehogs (Benson and Hedges)
Dunhill
Dunhill International when I was feeling posh.

 

[Man of Harveys]

School trips to Germany were great, the fag machines there used to take Deutschmarks which were exactly the same size as 10p coins

It was the old 5p coins that were the same size as the old 1DM coins - which at the time I was living there was worth about 25p, ie 4DM to the pound. The bureaux de change in Dover used to run out of them, such was the demand.

How we never got rumbled I’ll never know: the only part-British family in the small provincial German town, filling those streetside cigarette vending machines with 5p pieces. We got away with it before they somehow improved the detection mechanism and put paid to our family’s international narcotics crime wave.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I was rather partial to an Embassy when I first smoked. Though I was never brand loyal at any point as I took the word of Mary Poppins that "a change is as good as a rest" and if I ever saw a packet I'd never tried I'd go for that.
I did rather like bidis when in India though I expect they are actually incredibly rough if you haven't been hitting a chillum recently. The Chinese Wujiang cigarettes that made their way through the mountain passes into Ladakh also hold fond memories.

I had the misfortune of travelling overnight sleeper class in a 6 berth train carriage in China in 1992. Me and my mate both being non smokers had the top bunks. Everyone one else smoked. Oh my god, it was like sleeping in a cloud the amount of smoke in there. Never forgotten that.

 

[Crispy Ambulance]

Anyone here ever smoked ‘proper’ cigars? Although a lifelong non smoker, I always liked the richer scent of cigars.

Cuban’s are usually the best. The trouble is they’re such big buggers and take ages to get through so you can’t just nip outside (a pub or restaurant) to have one. You really need to be in an outdoors environment and take your time.

I’ve got a rather nice Romeo y Julieta Cuban one from Robusto House which I’m looking forward to having on my 60th birthday in Albania in a couple of weeks time.

 

[The Wookiee]

Whenever I was on holiday to one of the Canary Islands back in the 90’s. First port of call was always the local shop to buy 200 Fortuna which, if I remember correctly, only cost around £7 for 200

 

[Guinness Boy]

B&H in my teenage years. Marlboro Lights in the 90s. Everyone smoked Marlboro Lights in Brighton in the 90s. Fact.

All kinds of different ones when I lived in Taiwan, when they were so cheap that smoking was practically compulsory. “Gave up” when Mrs GB was pregnant with The Boy. Still have the odd Marlboro now and again, big parties and gigs being a particular weakness but not smoked 20 in a day for over 17 years.

 

[Louis MacNeice]

3 pages and no mention of Players Navy Cut? Or Chesterfields for that matter.

I no longer smoke, but when I did I liked a fag with some flavour. Thanks for the many Happy reminders this thread has provided.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[pasty]

Other random ciggie memories:
* Cinemas being divided into smoking and non-smoking sections. With the smoke cloud engulfing the non-smokers after about 10 minutes of the film starting
* Being allowed to smoke in Tube carriages. Even in the 70s you knew that was wrong
* Smoking on planes. Rear seats only of course

The smoking ban on aeroplanes helped me get over being a very nervous flyer.

When you couid smoke, as you say I was always sat at the back. The first flight I took after it was banned, I randomly ended up in a seat that was forward of the engines, and was much less nervous from then on as there seemed to be much less engine noise. Could be rubbish, but it definitely helped me and I now chose a seat as far forward as I can without paying silly money.

 

[Boroseagull]

It was the old 5p coins that were the same size as the old 1DM coins - which at the time I was living there was worth about 25p, ie 4DM to the pound. The bureaux de change in Dover used to run out of them, such was the demand.

How we never got rumbled I’ll never know: the only part-British family in the small provincial German town, filling those streetside cigarette vending machines with 5p pieces. We got away with it before they somehow improved the detection mechanism and put paid to our family’s international narcotics crime wave.

I remember listening to the late John Dunn on BBC R2 back in the late 1970's when he presented his evening show from the Boat Show in London. One of his guests was the MD of one of the British power boat manufactures who stated that a German customer had turned up on his stand that morning to put a deposit down on a new boat. He had driven all the way over with his car full of bags of 5p pieces - he had the cigarette machine concession for all the major cities in Germany! I seem to remember him saying it was something like £10,000 that he thought the British should have returned.

 

[golddene]

What were your favourites?

From the pack of Peter Stuyvesant bought from a street vending machine on a school trip to Germany age 13 . . . .
American import Lucky Strikes (with no filter)
The slightly more civilised (but still import grade) Camels with filter
To the somewhat more challenging filter-free French (Algerian, I recon) Disc Bleu....

Mmmmmm.....in these desiccated and smoke free days....one only wonders at the horror we pursued in the persuit of that . . . sensation.

Thanks Harry, after 55 years of smoking, the last forty years on bacci I gave up proper smoking four weeks ago tomorrow at 11 pm, now I have a vape, which though not as bad as tobacco (fingers crossed) you had to start a thread like this mate ! Favourite fags were Rothmans when I could afford them, the worst were Abdullah’s ( couple of old geezers who we were fitting a central heating system into their house on Goldstone lane, overlooking the Goldstone, when I was an apprentice) they had shares in the company that produced them so gave us a few packs. Tasted exactly how you’d expect camel shite to taste. ( love one right now though)

 

[BadFish]

Marlboro Reds, B&H or occasionally Chesterfields for me.

I still enjoy a smoke or five if I am drinking and was delighted to procure these in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago.

$18 and none of the nasty pictures showing me what I'm doing to myself.

 

[BadFish]

B&H in my teenage years. Marlboro Lights in the 90s. Everyone smoked Marlboro Lights in Brighton in the 90s. Fact.

All kinds of different ones when I lived in Taiwan, when they were so cheap that smoking was practically compulsory. “Gave up” when Mrs GB was pregnant with The Boy. Still have the odd Marlboro now and again, big parties and gigs being a particular weakness but not smoked 20 in a day for over 17 years.

All the birds smoked marlboro lights!!

Only thing worse was silk cut.

Sticking a rizzla around the perferations make them bare able if one absolutely had to scrounge one... I often did

 

[Taybha]

First Ciggy was a 5 park drive, didn't like smoking so packed up when I was 9,next Ciggy at 17, a 555,I liked smoking them at half time playing football I then packed up again at 21,my next Ciggy would be 22 years later,JPS black,FFS hooked until I was 52,packed up for 4 bloody then................

 

[Man of Harveys]

I remember listening to the late John Dunn on BBC R2 back in the late 1970's when he presented his evening show from the Boat Show in London. One of his guests was the MD of one of the British power boat manufactures who stated that a German customer had turned up on his stand that morning to put a deposit down on a new boat. He had driven all the way over with his car full of bags of 5p pieces - he had the cigarette machine concession for all the major cities in Germany! I seem to remember him saying it was something like £10,000 that he thought the British should have returned.

Well it sounds like he didn’t suffer too much financially from that scam then. Good on him.

Some lovely death sticks in the German market at that time: HB, Astor and the super strong Roth Händle, whose purple packets are/were a work of art.

 

[el punal]

When I was 13 I snaffled a pack of No.6 (20) and decided to smoke the lot on a Southdown coach going to London. Needless to say I heaved up and haven’t touched a fag since. (Am I allowed to say that? )
There you are folks, the best way to give up smoking before you get hooked.

 

[Auckland seagull]

Have always admired anybody that has packed up yet is still able to have a fag occasionaly without tempted back.

I have gone from being a 40 a day bloke for most of my life to a luxurious position where I smoke three or four packs a year and find it easy to quit. It means I absolutely love those rare weekends when I combine a good drink with a box of smokes. I still miss an Embassy filter though (can't get them in NZ).