Last summer, I was sat outside a local eaterie and a young chick (can I say that?) engaged me in conversation. At first, she thought I was some kind of meet and greet man for that establishment, but no, merely a customer. Then I filled my pipe with flake and lit it - she was utterly fascinated by the whole thing - and said that I was only the second person ever she'd seen smoking a pipe. That last kind of shocked me, I mean, London, big place, so few of us per square mile.
UK pipe smokers
- Thread starter CurlingWhisps
- Start date
@MisterBadger I like to smoke my clays in churchyards; my favourites being Cromford & Old Brampton.This virtual world of pipesmagazine.com concentrates us all - maybe a dozen of us non-expatriate Brits - into one single, intimate, virtual space. The real world, by comparison, is the acme of desolation, especially if you live out on the sticks as I do. other day, walking through the market in Ludlow, I actually saw a passer-by smoking a pipe. Population 10,000 and I've lived here six years, and that was a first for me. Thing is, you won't see me smoking a pipe when walking around the town, as I prefer to give it my full attention - so I'll sit outside somewhere, like in a pub garden or a churchyard, or I'll smoke at home or when taking a break at work on the farm (where out of the dozen people I might see in a day aside from visitors, I'm the only one who smokes anything at all). How many of us, I wonder, are invisible in this way?
I quite enjoy solitude when smoking, and I wonder how many others in the town are pipe smokers I simply don't know about for the same reason. Maybe I should advertise. But here's another thing: in these forums, talk of politics, religion and such is strongly discouraged and - though I am a religious man and a political animal, I like the feeling of peace when I'm floating off into the empyrean on a cloud of sublimated nicotine: much as I might rejoice at first if someone asked to join me and took out his pipe and lit up, I would dread him starting a conversation about what's wrong with the world and how it should be put right (unless, of course, I happened to agree with what was said).
- Having stocked up on G&H twists I am looking forward to treating the visitors to the Victorian working farm next season to the full ritual of slicing, rubbing, stuffing, and smoking. If the likes of us are going to be treated as breathing museum exhibits, I'm dam' well going to act like one
Oh, and I hadn't heard anyone call a girl a chick since the late 1970s. Thank you for reminding me
I've heard that British miners used to chew the twist first, and then dry it out for their pipes. Might want to try that, in the interest of authenticity!- Having stocked up on G&H twists I am looking forward to treating the visitors to the Victorian working farm next season to the full ritual of slicing, rubbing, stuffing, and smoking. If the likes of us are going to be treated as breathing museum exhibits, I'm dam' well going to act like one
Oh, and I hadn't heard anyone call a girl a chick since the late 1970s. Thank you for reminding me
I've been doing that now and again with GH sweet cherry twist, dry overnight and smoke next day - it's pretty good!
@BingBong I met a couple of clay pipe smokers at the Sealed Knot / English Civil War Battle of Nantwich event last weekend & shared my pipe with 2 others.
Does anyone make clays nowadays? I was looking a while ago and Wilsons seemed to have stopped.
@BingBong A shame! If they still made clays I'd probably be their biggest customer.
Thinking of booking a clay pipe making workshop at Ironbridge this year:
Clay Pipe Making Workshop with James Ashwell
Have a go at making some traditional clay pipes in a range of styles and shapes in this workshop led by heritage pipe maker James Ashwell.
www.ironbridge.org.uk
I love to get my Pipe Club of London quarterly newsletters here in the states. Also, the PCOL’s Pipe of the Year is always a treat.
Simon of LCSBriars is located in London and makes incredible pipes. Follow him on YouTube under London Calling With Simon. There are also a few other good YouTube content providers from the UK.
Carry on, mates.
Mike
Simon of LCSBriars is located in London and makes incredible pipes. Follow him on YouTube under London Calling With Simon. There are also a few other good YouTube content providers from the UK.
Carry on, mates.
Mike
Of course you do! As my wife sings, "Everyone has a place in the choir, some sing low, some sing high"
That sort of reminds me of what my old church pastor used to say about my singing. "Even a crow can sing".