John Player factories - memories

[benjamin1945 16,139]

Brilliant bubblewrap,used to love that bloke is name escapes me,

[colly0410 1,181]

Re # 12,

Always reminds me of the paraffin advert "they asked me how I knew, it was esso blue".

Tried smoking to impress a girl on the school bus from Hucknall to Bestwood Village: boffed up all over her shoes, thought I'd never stop coughing, never smoked since.

Re # 15,

What Ayup says about none smokers in 60's/70's is true, nearly all my mates smoked, when I was offered a fag & said "no thanks, I don't smoke" they'd look at me as though I'd got three heads.

[catfan 14,793]

Approx 80% of the cost of a packet of fags goes to HMG in taxes, so every £10 they take £8 ! Thats enough to make anyone quit.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I was a medium to heavy smoker Steve, I'd smoke around four ciggies on the wat to work, get changed, take my ciggies to the electric shop where I had a tool cupboard, one behind my tab, another in my mouth...Had to get 7 hours of nicotine to last the shift before I went down...

Then oddly never bothered me until I was riding the shaft out at the end of the shift, then I was dying for a smoke!

I gave up smoking on the fourth attempt just before I moved to North Yorks, never looked back.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

My youngest son has given me some great news. He hasn't had a cigarette for six weeks. I agree with colly0410 (#19) regarding people starting smoking in their youth, mainly to look adult and impress their friends and the girls. Many years ago, when some of the Nottstalgians were young lads and lasses, people didn't know about the health problems that you get from smoking. They now find that, after years of smoking, they find it impossible to give up and I have some sympathy for them. People who start smoking today, knowing the health problems and cost of the cigarettes, in my opinion must be nuts.

I would like to add that I really feel sorry for the Players workforce who will be out of a job and all that entails.

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

All 4 of my grandparents were heavy smokers and died of smoking related diseases, along with my mother, Iam sorry the workers, but, to me the sooner they close all those cancer stick factory's, it will be a start in improving public health...

[mick2me 3,033]

I think we may have at least one member who is employed by JP

[Rob.L 1,088]

What Imperial and the other Big Tobacco manufacturers have begun to realise is that there is now a viable alternative method of getting a nicotine fix, which they are not involved in, and are seeing their market shares starting to plummet.

In the UK, smoking prevalence has been around 20% for decades, despite all the millions spent on stop smoking campaigns. In the last couple of years, that has started to drop dramatically.

Whats caused both of these changes? Electronic cigarettes.

I was a 20 a day smoker for over 40 years. Tried packing up a few times but always failed. Then last October, I got an e-cig. I set it up, and that was it. I haven't had, or wanted, a tobacco cigarette since. My health has improved dramatically, as has my bank balance!

There are about 2 million e-cig users in the UK already. Within the next two years, that number will double, and double again. So the tobacco companies lose their market, stop smoking campaigners, who are opposed to e-cigs, will lose their customer base, and the government will lose tax and duty. The upshot, though, is the strain on the NHS eases as cases of lung cancer and COPD also reduce.

[catfan 14,793]

Imperial Tobacco...........Purveyors of Death.

Incidentely I went to a funeral yesterday of a very dear friend who until last year had been a heavy smoker. Six months ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

[Riddo 47]

My first (& last) fag was copped one Saturday night when my mum & dad had gone down the pub. I was 13/14, can't really remember, but found Dad's packet in the sideboard & decided to give one a try. One puff and I was doubled up, heaving my lungs up. Never touched one since, & that also explains my one awful experience with cann***s, courtesy of a nameless friend - coughing, puking, dizziness. Where's the fun in that? Give me 6 or 7 pints - dizziness, puking, every time!!!

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

#25

Like you Rob I was a very heavy smoker 35 on a bad day. Gave up in the 80's for a year or so but ended up back on the baccy. Got my e-cig 18 months ago, and have managed to drastically cut down to 3 a day, hope to be smoke free soon.

Colin

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

From the age of 16 I smoke various brands. Usually cheaper ones even buying my sons cot, mattress and bath with B&H coupons. Sadly I progressed to smoking 60 Park Drive Plain every Day until 1985 when I stopped completely. Best thing I ever did.

[colly0410 1,181]

Re # 23,

My Mam & Uncle died of lung cancer caused by smoking, when it happened I wanted to burn down the Horizon factory. Bit illogical I suppose because it was their own choice to smoke, but I was very bitter at the time..

[mick2me 3,033]

Wun't uv dun us none smokers any good if you did that colly0410

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Been smoke free five years come July

Was on two 50 gram packets of Drum a week

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Another thing my father grandfather & my two great uncles all died of lung cancer.

[firbeck 859]

Nah, they're shifting production to Europe to take advantage of cheap East European labour, no, sorry, they can't do that anymore, they all live in Braintree on benefits smoking illegally imported fags. Ever tried a Hungarian made ciggy, even the locals won't touch them, very reminiscent of the smoke from the Stanton Ironworks coking plant and probably more dangerous.

[radfordred 6,284]

30 shift to go ....Pity its taken a Derby paper to show some compassion to the Nottingham folk losing there jobs?

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Nartin-Naylor-firm-set-close-loss-500-jobs-ndash/story-28993923-detail/story.html

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

When I was commissioning the air conditioning motors in the roof space in the early 70's when they were building the Horizon factory, I got into a conversation with some of Players own electricians. They told me Players knew the writing was on the wall, that's why the Horizon factory wasn't just built to make cancer sticks, they could unplug all the tobacco machinery and install canning equipment for canned goods, install frying vats and potato processing equipment to make crisps, in fact any of the food products Imperial Tobacco owned.

So whats changed for them just to close the factory in the last 45 years or so????

[catfan 14,793]

The Workplace Parking Levy in Nottingham for a start Ayup.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

It's a shame the factory won't be used to produce other products, it must have cost a fortune to build, they generated their own electricity from a private natural gas line, the only utility they used was water. The factory was totally self contained from a Dentist to a Doctor, they had plans for shopping on site, no idea if that happened. The climate could be altered to suit, with full air conditioning and total humidity control. Offices and bonded warehouse.

[Rob.L 1,088]

I suppose it's a bit too big to become a Wetherspoons.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Has no-one thought of turning it into student accommodation?

[The Engineer 614]

I heard say that it was closing because of a European Directive that makes it illegal to sell cigarettes in packets of 10 after a certain date (think that's next year) - theory is that having to buy 20 will deter some youngsters. Apparently Horizon is geared up for 10s and it's not economically viable to convert to 20s (given that Imperial Tobacco already has other plants doing 20s). Whilst the sell-by date for 10s is next year, the manufacture-by date is this year so they have been producing flat out before having to switch off. They will then have a stockpile of 10s to sell over the next 12 months. The domestic market may be diminishing due to e-cigs but the worldwide market is thriving.

I can't remember who told me this but they had connections with Imperial Tobacco so I had no reason to doubt them.

[taxi ray 170]

#41,

I was talking to someone today, who had just bought a packet of fags, she complained about the price, over £7.00 and then stated that that was only for 17 cigarettes.

I wonder if that is another way of raising the price.