Sandie Seward
|
English Smoking BanCame upon this letter sent in by a pensioner to the "Freedom to Choose" website.
I thought it worth reproducing here.
Life without Smoke and Cleavage!
"Dashing" Bill Dollan
15th June 2007
My wife and I are in our seventies and whilst our social life is commensurate with our age we still have one however after the 1st July 2007 the change will be dramatic.
Gone will be my Pub visits during the soap period 7pm to 9pm when I could check out the barmaid’s cleavage, discuss football, funerals and the days when crumpet was something other than a bun toasted for your supper with other old codgers.
Gone will be my wife’s retail therapy trips as these were only made bearable by occasional breaks for coffee and a puff.
Gone will be our midweek seaside breaks as I don’t fancy spending all my time in the Hotel room, providing that is I can find a smokers room.
I accept this will be perceived as selfish, however why should I continue to socialise in conditions where I feel under duress whilst being surrounded by signs which emphasise this condition. If the only place I can smoke in comfort and without intimidation is my home then that is where I shall stay.
Being retired I can make this choice, the smokers I really feel for are those who work, they are being subjected to extreme prejudice with no help being given by their Unions.
I am not a vindictive person by nature however a curse on the people responsible for this ban is in order.
In closure I totally agree with Lord Stoddart’s description of this ban,
“This piece of legislation must be one of the most restrictive, spiteful and socially divisive imposed by any British government.”
It has certainly left my wife and I socially excluded.
Bill Dollan
|
