General Chat

While we seem to be on a smelly theme, I wondered if there is anyone else who is instantly transported back in time when they detect a particular smell. For me, I only have to smell wholemeal flour and I'm back in a little lean-to shed in Wales with my grandmother, helping to get the grain and meal to feed her chickens and other animals.

With me it's roses, my grandparents had a good many "smelly" roses. Liz

Mine is wet washing drying in front of a fire or on a radiator! There always seemed to be washing hanging up in my grandparents house, either drying or airing! Other people remember pleasant smells! LOL Sue

the smell of beer! We lived in a pub!!!!!

The smell of baking reminds me of my dad on a sunday morning in the kitchen making his ginger biscuits and buns etc and listening to johnny cash, nothing like home made cakes. tracy

Ah Bisto! Philip

LAVENDER MY NAN USED IT, CARBOLIC SOAP AND COAL TAR MY MAIDEN AUNT WAS ALWAYS WASHING OUR HANDS AND FACES EVEN IF WE WERE CLEAN, HOME MADE FRIED CHIPS REMIND ME OF MY BEST FRIEND WE ALWAYS HAD EGG N CHIPS AT HER HOUSE. AND SOME GREAT TIMES. THE SMELL OF A NEW BABY, BRINGS BACK THOSE FIRST PRECIOUS MOMENTS OF YOUR OWN CHILDREN. LOL SANDRA

The smell of sardines on toast! - The only time that dad ever got us our tea was on a Saturday while mum was out shopping with my gran. It was always sardines on toast with the football results on the radio (we had to eat in silence!!!)

Linseed oil and puttee (for putting in windows to the uninitiated) always reminds me of my Dad's shed. He used to give me bits of puttee to play with when he was working in there. Ann Glos

Mines is a strange one. My Dad was a house decorator. At primary school we had to cover our jotters with paper to protect them. Some kids had brown paper and some wallpaper. Dad always got us off cuts of this expensive plasticy wallpaper. It had a real strong smell. Our books might have had the poshest covering but they did pong. Another one was our bathroom, it always smelled of these wee round airfresheners, they were white with a hole in the middle, wonder if you still get them? Like Jean I also remember Granny's house smelling of Acdo on wash day from her big steel boiler, which she also used to make clootie dumpling and that smelled yummy!! Christine

Creosote, muck spreading, dairy disinfectant, mown grass, honeysuckle, sweet peas, mandarin oranges, wind off the beach, shalimar and lulu perfumes (my mum's favourite) and carnations (my gran's favourite). The smell of the books in the library, especially on hot days. The smell of candyfloss and diesel when the fun fair came to town every year on the gala day. At work, the special smell of hospital wards and intensive care units! And the best - the smell of bleach, cleaning day at home and the swimming baths - I still get butterflies when I smell it now. Regards Abigail

the smell of dandelion and burdoch,now on sale in london,always reminds me of home in our little village in wales,as soon as my youngest sorts her life out,ime going back...i love it on the M4,where it says..welcome to wales..ime sure that sign was put there for me lol.....bryan.

The smell of the sea and fish & chips (grew up in Portsmouth), my Gran's 4711 Eau de Cologne, carbolic soap at school and greenhouse tomatoes!

Creosote - from a walk in the park when about 3 or 4. Virol - a bit like Marmite and was used in a Nursery I went to. I often remember the smell without it being present. Jacky:-)

I was in a little antique store last week and the lady who owned the shop was showing a young boy an old mimeograph machine. Even though it wasn't operational, I swear I could still detect the smell of the paper with all that blue/purple ink . Took me right back to when I was at school.

My Mam had a little push-up stick of pink eu-de-cologne cooling balm. She used to stroke it cross my head if I had a headache. Funny thing is I found one just like it yesterday in a village chemist--the scent brings back such lovely memories!

Does anyone remember thier Christmas tinsel having a certain smell? If I smell that slightly dusty smell now, it takes me straight back to winter evenings putting up the Christmas tree, fighting with my brothers and sister over who put the reindeer at the top!

mine is the black tar thats put on roads i could stand all dayand smell tar,carbolic soap,evening in paris perfume reminds me of my mum. christine in edinburgh yes they still make those air fresheners with the hole in the middle i buy them at wilkinson's hardware store in LEEDS. SUE

Weetabix made with warm milk - had a very distinctive smell and reminds me of my friend's mum who used to walk us to school when I was 6.

when i smell sand it reminds me of the fire buckets we had at school...