Was about 10
...nicked one of my mum's Lambert and Butlers, and went to smoke it down the bottom of the garden.

I don't remember coughing so I suppose either I'm a natural or, more likely, I didn't inhale.

Roll forward a few years, aged 13 ish, and it strikes me as completely insane that boys would hang around outside school smoking, presumably to look cool and fit in with their peers, yet were unable to smoke properly. I expect you've all seen it, puffed out cheeks full of smoke, lungs jealously guarding the clean air within, finally blowing a small puff of smoke out as conspicuously as possible. Why didn't they go and learn to perfect smoking out of sight, hidden away, and then come out as an accomplished smoker in public? Girls seemed to be much better at it for some reason.

Young fools, working hard to overcome the natural aversion to inhaling noxious gasses, and willingly get themselves addicted to a harmful habit. Madness.

Right, I'm off to the pub for as many pints of real ale as I can cram down my neck. Yes, real ale, its not everyone's cup of tea, but you have to persevere, work at it, acquire the taste. Which I have done. Over many years. The rewards are well worth it.

Smokers: I'll never understand them.
(Rich T has a clever and witty sig, Wed 19 Mar 2008, 19:04, 2 replies)

No, no
Real ale is fantastic. Pure, not too chilled... lovely. And not filled with godawful chemicals that give you a stonking hangover the next day.

I also smoke. But I want to give up. Honest.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 19 Mar 2008, 22:00, closed)

^ This ^
Abbot Ale or Theakstons OP, lovely

I'm happy with my smoking these days, only smoke when I drink & that has reduced from every night to mainly Fri/Sat

Something about a real ale & a handcrafted Golden Vag that just feels right... Roll on the warm weather, not so relaxing in the cold & wet...
(Veni Vidi Lurki had attitude constipation on, Thu 20 Mar 2008, 0:58, closed)