Pipe up if you want to overturn this ban
Thursday, July 5, 2007 
In my experience, some of the more stubborn smokers are pipe smokers. Perhaps it's because they are - in general - older and more set in their ways. Or perhaps it's because they are genuinely wedded to their pipes and all the accoutrements that a committed pipe smoker needs to enjoy his habit.
Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, who founded Forest in 1979, was a pipe smoker. Legend has it that the idea for a smokers' rights group came to him when he was standing on the platform at Reading railway station when an old biddy marched up to him and demanded that he put his pipe out. A fighter pilot who later became the RAF's commander-in-chief in Germany and chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Pilots' Association, Sir Christopher was made of sterner stuff. When he died, aged 86 in 2004, Lord Harris of High Cross (above left) wrote:
"Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris was a veteran of the Battle of Britain in an era when aircrews drew enormous comfort from their pipes and shared cigarettes. Having fought for freedom, today's attempts to clamp down on smoking would have struck him as, dare I say it, almost Hitlerian."
Lord Harris, who succeeded Sir Christopher as chairman of Forest in 1987, was another pipe smoker. Speaking in the House of Lords, in July 2005, he declared:
"My Lords, in what has turned out to be rather a grim end-of-term scrap, I cheerfully declare my interest as a contented pipe smoker of many years' standing and a former chairman - now honorary president - of the smokers' defence group Forest. The obsessive, highly organised witch hunt against smokers - deaf to reasoned argument- reminds me of my early days as a campaigning economist. Then it was equally difficult to win a hearing for plain common sense on economic freedom.
"Other free spirits this evening have rebuffed the spiteful attack on the everyday civil rights of millions of smokers and tens of thousands of pubs, hotels and restaurants. My single purpose is to assert the commonsense implausibility that so-called passive smoking can actually kill non-smokers. After much diligent study, I have concluded that all this agitation is mere puffed-up propaganda to punish smokers for exercising a traditional freedom - at their own risk. My smoke may irritate the noble Viscount, Lord Simon, but it cannot kill him or anybody else."
Ralph Harris repeated this message right up until his death, late last year. A courteous smoker who was not inclined to break the law, he would nevertheless have been tickled by the Rev Antony Carr's protest (see below) and I have little doubt that he would have invited him to one of his famously hospitable tea parties at the House of Lords, if only to offer moral support to a fellow pipe man.
Reader Comments (25)
Perhaps people could put forward some ideas about types of action that could be organised that would involve protesting against the law without directly breaking it while its in force? I would happliy get involved in some form of protest, march etc.
I dont know if this will work,but, talking to some of my regulars last night ,they would seem more than happy to put £50 each into a fine fund ,and,cary on smoking,so, when the smoking statsi turn up we have the money to pay the fine!!,our steward has said that as long as she has told us to stop,then the club would not be penalised, has anyone else got any more thoughts or ideas on this??
Carl. Numerous bars in America have been getting around the law this way for years. However, you need to ask your local council, but I'm willing to bet that your bar could be done on the basis that failing to report a crime is a crime in itself.
On the flip side of the coin, is it your job to enforce laws? Are you legally oblidged to *make* people stop smoking on your premises. Are you oblidged to force them outside if they refuse to stub out their cigarette?
Hi Rob,
You certainly raise some interesting points there,the basis for the idea above was a quote from our local paper stating that the council have only one smoking control officer for the whole of our area,and our natural assumption was, that as a local government employee he would only be on duty monday to friday 9 til 5.
I am however not that niave as to think that this was not a deliberate piece of misinformation on the councils part designed to catch people off guard!!.
I also do not feel its my place to become an unpaid government snitch,so I will not stop anyone who lights up,nor will I throw them out.
As a customer, I've been thinking of offering to contribute toward any fines that pubs may have to pay if they ignore this law.
In fact it seems to me that, if a pub faces bankruptcy as a consequence of this ban, it would actually make sense to tear down the no-smoking signs and bring out the ashtrays. They would have nothing to lose.
And here's a photo of P/O Francis Bassett, who was one of the Few, and whose name is on the Battle of Britain memorial on the Thames Embankment. Judge the photo for yourself whether this was a rebel and a free spirit.
This is just my observation, but,....
Can anyone here say that they have EVER had a boring conversation with a pipe-smoker?
I have never heard of such a thing. Every single pipe-smoker I have ever met has been extremely interesting. I haven't seen any studies on this, but I reckon that intelligent and naturally adventurous people are drawn to pipes.
They are a great bunch of people. They usually get the best seats by the fire, and regale us with great stories. Mind you, they are equally adept at mooching drinks, too. But thats okay. A price worth paying, in my opinion.
Get 'em back inside where they belong!
Here in Derry, N Ireland my local has been visited by the fag police at least once a week since the ban came in. They come in the evening and probably claim overtime and mileage in doing so. Yet my office has 160 staff and we have yet to be visited once cos we are open 9-5 so no extras for them there. My rates pay for these touts and I really object to their persecution of pubs and the patrons. This ban is an attack on the hospitality business and at least they could admit that.
By the way- our overpaid bureaucrats can now drive around in Mercs thanks to their additional earnings.
A friend of the family whom I used to call 'grandpa' (as I had no grandparents living as a child) smoked a pipe. He was a soldier in the British army and one of the most wonderful people I ever met. He fought in the trenches in France in World War I and gave me a French prayerbook and rosary (which I still have) which he found at the ruins of a village church which had been shelled during action. Yes, he was interesting - he recalled the time when Edward VIII, when Prince of Wales, visited the troops to boost morale back in 1916 Whenever I see pipes and smell pipe tobacco I always think about him - he, for one, would turn in his grave today seeing what is happening today. He died in 1981 aged almost 90 and was a very interesting man. These fag police and today's authorities are nothing compared to the man he was and all the others like him. Men like him were true heroes, whereas those who snoop on others to derive personal benefit are inferior beings.
Jenny & Colin ,
I know what you mean about pipe smokers,very interesting people, we have one working for us part time, would you believe that hes 75 years old and fit as a fiddle,and, always has an amusing story to tell.
Colin: I am uniquely qualified to inform you that your theory of the intelligence, wit, charm, grace and good looks of all pipe smokers is indeed completely born out by myself.
Bernie - you forgot to add 'modesty'.
LOL
In 1930's Nazi Germany, there were apparently only a handful of S.S. in the whole country,not much more than thirty. Hard to believe, but the people saw them around every corner, as you would. The same thing is happening in peoples' minds here. There are very few 'smoke police'for two reasons. One, they can't afford them, and two,more importantly, they were not expecting any defying of the law, and if it is defied, they hope snitches will contact them. This climate of being watched,which is encouraged, is probably the worst thing of all to come out of the ban. They really can't get much lower,and more loathsome than this.
We owe it to ourselves and our children to make sure that this incredible affront to tolerance and liberty in our country is defeated.
Poppy; But I never said I was perfect.
Zitori; Spot on. I have just printed a bunch of stickers for my trip to London tomorrow. One is a very similar size to the smaller no smoking stickers seen on trains. It features a swastika with the "no" symbol imposed over it. Underneath it says, "second hand smoke is cooler than second hand fascism". The other is a yellow star of David with the word "Smoker" inside it. I will be wearing it pinned to my jacket as a badge of honour. You can see pictures of them on my blog.
Jenny, your "grandpa" sounds as if he was a really terrific man, the like of which I am sad to say we will hardly ever see again in this country. It makes me, and I am sure, millions of others, so sad to see what is happening to our once proud nation.
Men like your "grandpa" who fought for freedom are being dismissed as meaningless hasbeens by this new breed of lying elite. We should never forget men like this and we should fight to uphold what they fought for.
That's exactly what inspires me Peter. Remembering those who have gone before us, and not so very long ago. This 'new breed of lying elite' (well-expressed!) are the never have-beens and never will-bes. These people are the ones my 'grandpa' and others would have routed and shamed. I hope sincerely that people who believe in the freedom of choice will have the courage to band together and challenge this new breed - but I believe we are starting to do that already!
Bernie - although not perfect (nobody is!) you are certainly exemplary!!!
Carl - how are things in Eastbourne - has there been any rebellion in that area? I know that there was a small demo in Halifax in W Yorks earlier in the week which I didn't know about. I also hope to hear about Bernie's London trip and how his badges are received :)
Where can I get your badges from? I would wear them all the time and encourage others.
Hi Jenny,
Have had alot on this week ,so, not had much time to socialise,I did go for my first post ban drink on monday evening,there were only a few diehard regulars in the place,because the weather was so s***e everyone got fed up going outside, sod it, we thought and got the ashtrays out again!1, I have been hearing of a lot of other places that have done the same.
Hi Carl - solidarity brother - that's what I call positive resistance! Wish I could say the same around here, but I have no such positive stories. I've just been reading about Sir Douglas Bader - a pipe smoker - that man fought (flew etc) and he had lost his legs in an accident and had artificial ones - but he was prepared to fight and tried to escape. I bet he'd be mad to see what is happening today.
SMOKING SHOULD BE BANNED
I HATE ALL SMOKERS, AND THIS SITE DISGUSTES ME.
I WANNA KILL ALL SMOKERS
DIE SMOKERS DIE
With regard to smoking laws/fines, it would be interesting to find if landlords have any right o physically stop a customer from smoking, I think they would not.
I think this law was partly the fault of publicans. As a smoker of rolled up cigarettes, I love smoking but I cant stand being in close proximity to those smoking actual cigarettes such as Marlboro. I find the smell and the accrid nature of the smoke most offensive.
If the landlords had introduced appropriate extraction fans for smoking areas of pubs, I doubt that this law would ever have got off the ground.
Dear Mr/Miss/Mrs BAN SMOKING You seem to be very angry - how so? Hasn't your lot done enough to it's fellow human beings? If you don't like our site just SOD OFF AND GET A LIFE!
I was recently informed by a local taxi driver that butlins (bourne leisure group) has just sacked 10 of its staff for smoking from the bognor site.I have emailed bourne leisure expressing my outrage at this action. It's not much but i think we need to do something, anything - to register to these big leisure compnies how outrageously unfair this is - what do you think?
Redcat & Carl July 5th I think you may be interested in my comment of 11th July under "Librty and law" You may also wish to see the rest of this proposal tomorrow night
Dear Mr.Mrs Ms BAN SMOKING Just get a life. You have no rights to leave rude comments in this area. We have friends who are non smokers, and like many of them they feel so sorry for us as we have no choice but to sit outside. So just stay away from this smoking site and us smokers will be pleased. As we all have our issues.