My little tobacco crop

:hiAll, Just a couple of photo,s of Shunter,s small Tobacco plantation

Planted them out a couple of days ago, raised them from seeds, With a bit of luck they may save me a few bob this winter.

If I can stop my evil cat Meow from digging them up or sitting on them in the sun :roll:

regards,

Derek.

I'll bet Benson & Hedges are worried!!

Cheers,John.B.:thumbs

Hummmm better keep it quiet or the excise man will be on to you and no doubt the fine will be hefty :hmm

:hiJohn B, Great to get your post, I have a couple of fine virginia varieties planted. If they survive and then the curing works out, I should get a nice blended smoke out of them.

 I always hated Benson,s bloody things gave me a cough!

I don,t think the excise men will bother me, Tobacco can be grown for home consumption in Ireland, Very few people grow it although the way the economy is screwed that may change

They grow acres of it around us Derek.  Bergerac was the French tobacco centre and it carried a very useful subsidy before the leaf became "non-PC"  It's mainly black tobacco - much stronger than Virginia.

Still strictly regulated but the local farmers always manage to snaffle the odd leaf for home consumption.

That mixed with the ubiquitous garlic makes market days "interesting" ……………..:roll::roll::roll:

Courtesy of Bob Newhart………

''Are you saying "snuff," Walt? What's snuff? You take a pinch of tobacco (starts giggling) and you shove it up your nose! And it makes you sneeze, huh. I imagine it would, Walt, yeah. Goldenrod seems to do it pretty well over here. It has some other uses, though. You can chew it? Or put it in a pipe. Or you can shred it up and put it on a piece of paper, and roll it up – don't tell me, Walt, don't tell me – you stick in your ear, right Walt? Oh, between your lips! Then what do you do to it? (Giggling) You set fire to it! Then what do you do, Walt? You inhale the smoke! You set fire to it! Then what do you do Walt? You inhale the smoke! Walt, we've been a little worried about you… you're gonna have a tough time getting people to stick burning leaves in their mouth…."

Derek

 

:hiPeter and Derek. Thanks for the posts.

Thats interesting Peter about your region, I love the smell of French Markets

I used to puff the odd French ciggi, By heck you knew it was a smoke, A good cough, watering eyes, and a thirst for liquid seem to go with them.

Thanks for that Newhart classic Derek!

Does make you wonder how it caught on.

Some say it was the native Americans revenge on the Euro,s

Regards to you both,

Derek

Those Newhart recordings were a hoot Derek (Super D) - my favourite was the Driving Instructor.

It also seems we both have the same memories of Gitane, Disque Bleu and Galoise Shunter1.  I'm sure they made them just to balance out the "essence de garlic" and encourage you to drink more of their crushed grape juice ……….:roll:

I don't think either Galoise or Disque Bleu are made anymore.  "American" cigarettes are the order of the day here now but, like almost everywhere, it's a dying art ……….:roll::roll::roll::roll:

I think slugs are a greater danger than the cat.
If you see a snail with a nasty cough that will be a clue.

[user=394]ddolfelin[/user] wrote:

I think slugs are a greater danger than the cat.
If you see a snail with a nasty cough that will be a clue.

maybe a saucer of beer left out for them will make their day.

Ah yes Peter, Brings back memories, Pop into your local Tabac, Then onto a cafe to meet your friends, A bite to eat, lashings of wine, good conversation and an atmosphere that reminded one of a good old London fog in its heyday.

Yes Derek - you can still do most of that but the London smog has disappeared since they banned smoking inside in France.  Nobody thought it would stick but it has.  The evidence is in the bars that no longer open their doors - definitely the end of an era (and, some would say, a way of life !!)


As in UK, people now buy their booze in the Supermarket, their fags at the Tabac (Supermarkets are not allowed to sell them) and stay at home.

I don't think "Zank evans for leetle gerls" would have sounded quite the same without Maurice's 60 a day.

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Yes Derek - you can still do most of that but the London smog has disappeared since they banned smoking inside in France.  Nobody thought it would stick but it has.  The evidence is in the bars that no longer open their doors - definitely the end of an era (and, some would say, a way of life !!)


As in UK, people now buy their booze in the Supermarket, their fags at the Tabac (Supermarkets are not allowed to sell them) and stay at home.

:sad: Same in Ireland Peter, Although you can still buy the smokes in a supermarket, All sellers by law have to have them hidden from display, God damn it! You feel like one of those furtive raincoat jobs getting his special mags

The bars are doing badly, People got sick of going out in the rain for a quick drag, So its home drinking and isolation for the addicted and their social life has collapsed, Although its quite funny if your non smoking friends ask you out for a drink and you turn them down, Although I have found those nicorette inhalers quite handy for the cinema and other social engagements.

Must confess one looks a bit odd sucking on a tube of plastic

Who can we smoker,s blame for this state of affairs across europe, A bloody Irishman I am ashamed to say.

AH yes I remember him well, Poor old Maurice would never understand the new PC order that runs our lives.

[user=477]shunter1[/user] wrote:

…………………………..God damn it! You feel like one of those furtive raincoat jobs getting his special mags

……………………………..

I have no idea what you're talking about Derek. :shock::shock:  Can you only buy "Good Housekeeping" if it's raining in Ireland ? :roll::roll:

Also, who's the Paddy responsible for the demise of the pub culture ?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

[user=477]shunter1[/user] wrote:

…………………………..God damn it! You feel like one of those furtive raincoat jobs getting his special mags

……………………………..

I have no idea what you're talking about Derek. :shock::shock:  Can you only buy "Good Housekeeping" if it's raining in Ireland ? :roll::roll:

Also, who's the Paddy responsible for the demise of the pub culture ?

The name of that chap Is Michael Martin, He was minister for health in the old Government, Lead a huge anti-smoking campaign after a visit to New York, Where they ban everything. Anyway he got the ball rolling and got an anti smoking in public places bill passed in parliment. Then he went on a crusade around Europe and roped in the French it snowballed from there.

Not many politicians would stand against this type of campaign too gutless.

Anyway this miscreant is now leader of the opposition after his party was practicaly wiped out in the last election, He only saved his seat by a whisker

That's interesting Derek.

Most of these politicians can't see beyond their noses.  I wonder what the real cost of the smoking ban is throughout Europe - billions I'd guess - loss of tax revenue from retailers, tobacco companies, advertising companies, pubs, clubs etc.to say nothing of the damage done "behind closed doors" to those poor souls who become alcoholics etc. because their peers aren't there to support them.

On the plus side, it's probably saved a few hundred lives - people to whom they now have to pay either unemployment or pensions and who probably wish they still smoked - and saved a few coats of paint in pubs.

I'm perfectly happy to segregate smokers from non smokers.  Why should non-smokers be inflicted by our filthy habits ?  On the other hand, who are they to tell us we can't smoke ?  Understandably, there would be an outcry if smoking was compulsory but the other way round seems to be OK. ……….:twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted:

It used to be said that, in UK, tobacco and alcohol tax revenue was roughly equal to the NHS budget.  Where will that money come from now ?

I thought 55 million people had died in Europe between 1939 and 1945 so that we could retain our freedom of choice !!!!

Merci beaucoup Mr Martin :cheers

I'm not a smoker, but fully support the freedom of choice that ought to be the guiding principle of any thinking society.  Let the bar/cafe decide if it is to allow smoking, or allow smoking in designated areas, and then let the market decide if it's going to be profitable or not.

As for the effects of secondary smoke on, say, bar staff - that must be considered, but with modern air conditioners and vents in their work space the amount of smoke can be minimized.  It's also about being creative about where the bar is located.

It's a completely dead horse in a PC world, I know.  The nanny state knows best, even if it can be proven that a person inhales more carcinogens walking along Fifth Avenue for a hour, as opposed to being in a bar with a couple of smokers.

As for the nanny state:  Don't get me stated on New York's food police culture…:twisted:

Here here Tim.  I'm all for freedom of choice - within the limits of what's acceptable in a civilised society.  Unfortunately, others don't feel that way and they're the ones making these idiotic laws.

There was a time when public transport ruled - and went everywhere.  One polluting engine carrying hundreds of people.  There was more "profit" in getting rid of that and making everone buy a vehicle.  We all know the ecological, financial and political results of that particular bit of "long term" thinking and it's not restricted to Fifth Avenue ……………………

:hiTim and Peter , FFFFRRRREEEEEEDOM in the words of that Great Scot Mel Gibson is becoming more of an illusion each year, The more our Governments scream Democracy for all, the less choice the individual seems to have in their personal life styles.

Never mind I shall do my own thing with my little plantation :roll: and to hell (sorry Tim) with the begrugers.

:cheers Derek

Don't smoke the begrugers by mistake.
They carry a liver fluke which can be deadly.
Other types of slug carry them too.
One chap died when he swallowed a slug for a bet.