Fuming! How cig ban and man caves led to boom

For anyone who feels a sense of nostalgia about oldfashioned, smoke-filled pubs, John Halsall’s tobacciana collectibles are on sale at Dorchester Market on Wednesdays and Sundays. Mr Halsall said there has been a surge in interest for branded ashtrays, jugs, glasses, bar pumps, match strikers and other paraphernalia since the smoking ban.

“As the smoking ban came in the manufacture and free distribution of tobacco branded items quickly stopped and those that still decorated pubs and bars were quietly put in cellars, lofts and or sold in boot sales to entrepreneurs like me,” Mr Halsall said. “The other factor caused by the ban is the explosion of ‘man caves’ – blokes turning their garden sheds and garages into their own minipubs where they can invite their friends for a drink, smoke and stay as long as they wish without anybody yelling ‘time gentlemen please’.

“This in turn caused the demand for authentic décor to expand away from just ashtrays to encompass jugs, pumps, match strikers and other branded items.”

Mr Halsall added: “It then became sophisticated to seek out foreign items and advertising plaques, especially in French, to add a little sophisticated ‘je ne sais quoi’ to your man cave. I’ve got a property I often visit in Normandy, so I’ve started making trips to car boot sales and bric-a-brac warehouses in France and Spain on a regular basis to invest in stock. I’ve now supplied many French restaurants and film sets in the UK, including ‘Allo ‘Allo and A Year in Provence, with authentic items. I also have a burgeoning website to enable online ordering.” ebay.com/str/breweriana collectables

Pledge to make a difference Down to earth

Weymouth businesses are being asked to focus on being green as a new initiative by We Are Weymouth, the town’s Business Improvement District (BID). The BID’s campaign will focus on sustainability, looking at how to improve the town’s carbon footprint, protect the coastal environment and increase Weymouth’s circular economy. We Are Weymouth (BID) is asking businesses to pledge to make just one small change. These changes could be anything from opting to recycle more within the business, volunteering for litter picks, changing transport habits, pledging to try and shop locally once a week or using our local service providers in the town. CEO said: “With nearly 700 BID Levy Payers in Weymouth, and another five years of the BID, we really felt it was important we look at the town’s impact on the environment, our carbon footprint, and the sustainability of the town’s economy. We understand that big changes are not viable for all our businesses, but we believe if all 700 pledged to make one change, the impact would be immense.

“This campaign also gives us the opportunity to celebrate all Weymouth has to offer when it comes to green activities and green businesses – buying fish from our local fishermen, walking the South West Coast Path, cycling to the Oasis Cafe, refilling at SW Coast Refills, purchasing second hand books from books Afloat or repairing items at Repair Cafe Weymouth.”

Dawn Rondeau

Pledge to make a difference at form.jotform.com/231101636366045