Jack in the cig. pack

Super watercolour. Michael. I remember Players cigarettes well, as well as Park Drive, Senior Service, Woodbines etc. Love your loose style of your portraits.

Thanks Seth. Cough cough. After I harassed her for a drag my naughty mam used to give me a sly drag from her Woodbine when I was just 14. Thank goodness I gave them up.

This brings back good memories. Many of these old ciggie packs were little works of art in themselves. This one is a favorite. Excellent work, Michael. (It occurs to me there's a pun in there...not intended.)

Thanks Lewis. You are the man for excellence.

Very nice watercolour Michael - funny how cigarettes bring back memories, they were a big part of the scene. Remember the Russian ones, Sobranie, with black paper and gold tips? Floating around with one of those....the bees knees. But yes, so glad I gave them up - in my twenties.

Ah, memories Michael, beautifully caught. My dad, a regular army man, was a Woodbine man from necessity and I smoked from being 16 till, well, 5 years ago this month. Smoking was a part of life back then, and collecting footballers from the backs of Turf packets was big interest. I even smoked Capstan Full Strength at one time. I often wished I'd smoked less and saved it for my old age and a pipe....Never recommend it now, but I won't condemn it because, as a I said, with pubs, cinemas, public libraries and the rest, they were all part of a very enjoyable life despite the bumps and pitfalls. We're still battling on regardless. Great memory jerker. (-:

Beautifully painted Michael

Thanks Marjorie, Jim and David. All noted. We’ve all lived long enough to experience cultural changes like cigarette smoking, seat belts and the list goes on. We’re all better off without them. People judged you on what you smoked too. From Woodbines (lower class) to, as you mention Marjorie, Sobranie (posh). It was all promoted by the cigarette companies so you’d buy them.

... and this portrait is excellent.

Thanks Gudrun.

That takes me back - I used to sell these, years ago: never smoked them mind - someone said you could feel them ripping the lining out of your throat....

Killed a lot of people.

Good portrait, Michael.

Thanks Cesare.

Ha ha Michael, I wasn't posh, just desperate to look cool, as were my friends.

Noted that you weren’t an elitist smoker Marjorie. Annette said to me that one of the things that attracted her to me was the fact that I smoked Embassy Kingsize Delux. I nearly choked.

Wonderful Michael, a great portrait. You have a great lineage.

Great portrait, Michael

Love your Navy paintings Michael, was this the sailor in the Senior Service cigs,?

Thanks Carole, Maureen and Linda. It was the image on the Players Navy Cut packets Linda. I recall the Senior Service packets had an anchor on them.

In this part of the world, there is a saying...."Hello Sailor"

Nice girls love them.

You are stirring some memories up with your ‘excellent’ portrait Michael. Your Jack looks like my dad! Like Marjorie I would buy a packet of the Sobranie on Friday when I collected my wages, they were so expensive I had to roll my own the rest of the week if I wanted a smoke. Smoking was a short lived affair with me, I got wise to my money going up in smoke! Lol.

Thanks Fiona. Well done for giving them up early. Strange how we were attracted to such awful things. It’s a pity they were associated with the RN. We used to get 400 a month for 8/4d (42p) when ashore. They were called Blue Liners because they had a blue line down each of them. They were as rough as bull’s lugs. At sea you could buy any brand duty free.

Four brilliant paintings Michael.

Thanks Margaret.

Cough , cough...I remember them well...untipped and lethal. Great memory.

Yes just seen Marjorie’s comment...I was very posh and smoked Black Sobranie with gold rings around them in a cigarette holder.

Thanks Sylvia. You were obviously a smooth and classy mover like me.