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Articles marked with  are from the PipeSmokers Welcome Guide
by kind permission.
Story
for starters. All the best stories are parables and Russell Gibson of Redhill, Surrey,
neatly encapsulates two lessons for starters in telling us his grand-father's favourite
pipe anecdote. "The old man was a season ticket holder for many years at Leeds Rugby
League Club and in the late 50's they reached the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley where
they were meeting Barrow. Naturally grandfather and his friends made the pilgrimage down
south. This is the story as he told it and I remember every word because he repeated it so
many times!"
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"...So there we were at
Wembley and me smoking me brand new Peterson pipe - cost me thirty bob, a lot of money in
those days. "Ten minutes left and Leeds ahead by just a couple of points. Barrow were
camped in our 25 for what seemed an eternity. Twice their wingman knocked on with the line
at his mercy. Somehow Leeds held out and my friend Spike turned round and shrieked out to
make himself heard as the final whistle went: "Ay-oop lad tha's on fire!"
"No I'm not" "Tha bloody well is look at thee pipe".
"And sure enough, there was a red hot area about the size of a sixpence on the bowl.
I'd been puffing so hard in the excitement I'd burnt out the bowl. So I left the bugger
there under the seat and I bet it's still there to this day". Russell adds:
"There are two lessons to be learnt from this tale. 1) Always puff slowly and gently
and 2) A cup final is no place to break in a new briar".
Creator
of Clays, David Cooper, trained under Gordon Pollock in Manchester and for almost a decade
has been perfecting his skills at a workshop sited in the Amberley Industrial Museum near
Arundel. Last year David acquired Eric Ayto's pipe business and now has an apprentice to
help him. As David reminds us, clay pipes were made in their millions and were probably
the first promotional "give-aways". Pubs gave them free with the tobacco they
sold. Gordon Pollock's factory was transferred to Sheffield where clays are now produced
by Wilson's of Sharrow. David has an interesting catalogue showing his range. I noted his
"Bouquet" and his "Bronte" pipe for ladies, and for gentlemen the
"Oxford University", "The Footballer" and the "Queen
Victoria". David's address is 19 Arun Vale, Coldwaltham, Pulborough, W.Sussex RH20
ILP.
I take from a Victorian pipesmoking album some advice on the lost art of
smoking clays: "A clay must be smoked for a fortnight, at least, before it is
seasoned and mellow enough to be enjoyable". "There is a little art in managing
new clay pipes. They should be kept in water. Thrust a bundle of them, bowl downwards,
into a jug half-filled with water, and keep them so and you will always have them in a
pleasant condition. In Bristol inns they place a small vessel of water before each smoker.
Into this he dips his pipe, before or after filling it, keeping it there for an instant
only; and the effect of thus regulating the heat is very good".
Bernadette
O'Neill called me from Sallynoggin, the home base of Peterson, to tell me about The
Smokers Guild, a new club for connoisseurs. Members will receive a biannual
publication covering new products, a beginner's guide to pipesmoking, how to select and
smoke a cigar, details of the Peterson 131 year history and much more. To enrol, contact
Peterson of Dublin, Sallynoggin, Co. Dublin, Tel (353) 1 285101.
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