[Varley]

I have just taken delivery of latest consignment (via London - being unable to afford chartering GD for the cargo).

I started the pipe with Erinmore (why I know not as that did take some determination, almost as foul as Uncle Teddy's Digger Flake). Then, until my first trip, it was Amphora. Condemned to Three Nuns or Balkan Sobranie I could not then taste any of the Amphora when I returned on board with an armful from Bottlek Stores first time back. Since, it has Balkan Sobranie (despite the formidable Chief Super, Eddie Bruce, accusing me some 10 years on of only doing to because my boss, Ryan O'Hare smoked it too). Not available now there are one or two very good imitations although I put on the pipe rarely these days. A single Havana of an evening is 'it'.

In an effort to stop a young friend (thirty somethings are now young to us?!) from smoking cigarettes I proposed that he might switch to a pipe and/or cigars (as Pa's plot to prevent me from ever taking them up). One size does not suit all. After a month he was smoking all three (later on he found hypnosis quite effective although I notice he still takes the odd fag).