Childhood Smells

[Limey 242]

Fresh cut grass...

But only from the neighbor's lawn!

[mick2me 3,033]

School dinners! They had a very distinctive smell.

Yes I remember that particular smell which brought to mind the Mixed veg you got, which was finely diced squares of veg and peas.

Prone for hiding all kind of stuff like swede!

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

The smell of coal fires , they remind me of the Rayburn we had when I was a child,

Also like Bip the smell of stale beer, To me it is the smell of waiting outside the back door of the The Unicorns Head in Langar, for Bob Howe the landlord to serve me with 20 Players N°6, that my Dad had sent me to buy for him.............

[piggy and babs 544]

whenever we go through newark it always reminds me of the smells we used to get in netherfield the smell of the sugarbeet and the smells of the sewage works.

having just read carnis posr about the smells of the trains passing under the bridge i remember it well but i hated that bridge always seemed to me that the gaps in the steps and the boards going over between the two lots of steps were to far apartso i would only go over it to get to the cricket field and back to chandos stas for the smell of the trains we could smell them all the time if we sat in the fence at the bottom of our terrace or went down to the siddings , when we go to butterly train station with classic bike lads it always brings back so many memories for m e those smells never change in all the years.

[piggy and babs 544]

carnie do you remember playing under the bridge at side on the lines on the big blocks jumping from one to the other.

[jackson 301]

Love the smell of coal fires when taking a walk around at the crack of twilight.

I still keep an open fire in my study; if there's one thing I treasure in my imagination, it's the sight, sound and smell of an open fire, a good book to read or something worthwhile on the radio, and last thing of all: a big cup of tea and toast made at the side of the fire - Yummy.

I can still smell and taste the Chocolate Cake my mum would make in the oven at the side of the fire - another Yummy - she was a brilliant cook. In mature age now, I'm going back to good, wholesome family cooking.

[mick2me 3,033]

Which reminds me.

Lighting the fire with rolled up newspapers like doughnuts, and placing a metal dustpan on the grate.

Then placing a sheet from the Evening post against the hearth/dustpan. This resulted in a draft being

created from below, and a rapid ignition of the coal.

The Paper used to draw would turn brown from the radiant heat from the fire and emit a smell of scorched newspaper which

was pleasant.

When the dustpan and paper was removed another smell of the tar from the newly lit coal, and a sooty smell sometimes.

In those days the post was not a tabloid and was adequate in size to cover the hearth.

However often it would busts into flames and would have to be hastily screwed up and chucked on the fire.

What fun?

[.... 23]

...Then placing a sheet from the Evening post against the hearth/dustpan. This resulted in a draft being

created from below, and a rapid ignition of the coal.

I still use that trick, Mick.

[mick2me 3,033]

With a wood burning stove the trick is to leave the door slightly ajar.

[jackson 301]

Hi Stu, had many a nasty accident using the 'trick' you mention of 'drawing' the fire.

One of my 'pocket money' jobs as a child was making the fire; it's a wonder I'm still around to tell of this as I was fascinated by fire: used to throw sugar on a troublesome, slow fire, throw Brasso on, throw nylon on, throw matches on, anything to make it go - all this to earn my 'good pocket money'. If my parents had only known!

The tale could easily have been: "there isn't one!"

[Paulus 541]

Hi Jackson, obviously a Prodigy fan;

"I am the Firestarter, firestarter, firestarter"

[StephenFord 866]

Yes, I think there were quite a few chimney fires started with flaming pages from the NEP disappearing up a chimney that was well ready for sweeping! And THAT caused quite a distinctive smell too!

[.... 23]

Hi Stu, had many a nasty accident using the 'trick' you mention of 'drawing' the fire.

One of my 'pocket money' jobs as a child was making the fire; it's a wonder I'm still around to tell of this as I was fascinated by fire: used to throw sugar on a troublesome, slow fire, throw Brasso on, throw nylon on, throw matches on, anything to make it go - all this to earn my 'good pocket money'. If my parents had only known!

Great stuff and brought back a memory or two, Christine!

Was just thinking about the old 'sugar trick' today.

Also remembered a long tradition in icy and snow-laden times of spreading the ashes from yesterday's fire out on the roads and pavements. I was out there tonight spreading the ashes in the street.

Anyway, I digress. I'd just like to add that I love the smell of a good coal fire when out in the streets - let alone one made of wood.

[StephenFord 866]

Prunings from the apple trees - mmmmmm!

[Michael Booth 7,364]

As I was reading the post from mick2me (#59), I could envisage watching my Mum making the fire when we lived in Grainger Street. It was exactly as he'd described it and I could even smell the paper burning. One smell that I've always liked is the smell of mint and I have it growing in my garden.

[mick2me 3,033]

The smell of the scorched newsprint... ans Stu I now remember the flaming paper being sucked up the chimney with a Wooosh!

[.... 23]

The old-sized Evening Posts were best! Plenty to hold on to. It was a sad day when they altered the size.

Rarely seem to need to do it these days. A firelighter, bit of kindling and I'm away.

[Beachbum 68]

I always liked the smell of creosote, even volunteered to do the fence a few times. Going back to the old rec in Netherfield, remember some pipe laying going on in the 50s and there was a night watchman with his little hut and a coke burning brazier, loved the smell of burning coke.

[Limey 242]

My dad was the fire lighter in our house. He would roll sheets of the NEP and twist them into rings. He often used the draft enhancing trick described above and I well remember the sound as it took effect!

After we moved to Long Eaton, I remember once asking him why we didn't get the Derby (sorry) paper, or a morning paper. The answer: "nothing burns like the Evening Post"!

[mick2me 3,033]

The smell of coke reminds me of being in a caravan as a kid.

In them days we never heard of Coke the drink?

Coke reminded me also of Basford gas works, and the piles of coke, plus the pungent smell of gas.

Which again reminds me of the only house we ever lived in (in Lincoln near Sincil Bank), that had gas lighting.

When lit those gas mantles had their own smell.

[Paulus 541]

Mick, do you remember the coke braziers that most roadside workmen had, next to their nissen shaped tents they would sit in for a break, coke braziers smelt lovely & recently laid tarmac...............

[mick2me 3,033]

Yes I remember the braziers, but dont know what a Nissan tent is.

The type of tent I think of is the small narrow ones like GPO put over their holes.

Often seen in comedies and for some reason Norman Wisdom comes to mind?

[Paulus 541]

Shaped like a nissen hut, curved top, made of heavy duty tent canvas over a frame, like larger version of GPO tents

[denshaw 2,871]

Or corrugated tin.

[Paulus 541]

Denshaw,

Come to think of it, there were some corrugated ones, on wooden frames so they just lifted & put on the back of lorries