Belated Season's Greetings

Hope that you were all on the "good list" and got, (at least) some of, the pipes and/or tobacco that you'd asked Santa for?

I'll beat the rush by wishing you all the best for 2011. I've had a few more enquiries about the club, so hopefully the numbers will grow as word spreads.

IPSD

It might seem a bit early, but I thought I'd give some advance notice of "International Pipe Smoking Day".

The next one (the 4th annual IPSD) is on Sunday 20th February 2011. This is 9 days after our scheduled February meeting so I thought we could take advantage and have an extra weekend meeting to tie in, if we schedule it for the afternoon that would probably be easiest as we'd avoid the main Sunday Lunch crowd at The Cuddie Brae. Hopefully, this might help if anyone can't make the regular Thursday evening meetings.

Spare pipe?

If you've got a spare pipe, feel free to bring it along to a meeting...I usually carry a fair amount of whichever blend I'm smoking at any particular time (just in case I want a refill), plus I'll bring a couple of others so if you're curious about different tobaccos you're welcome to try a sample if they're ones you're not familiar with.

No prejudices.

All are welcome!

Gentlemen or ladies (yes, there are some who smoke a pipe), briar or meerschaum, calabash or even the humble cob are all welcome to join our merry band...even to just sit in quiet contemplation of a damn good smoke!

P.S. We'll even tolerate the occasional cigar!

Any rules?

The first rule of Pipe Club is...there are no rules*!

My intention is to keep EPC relaxed and informal, my take on pipe-smoking is that it should be fun. As a result, there isn't any formal structure (although if we do start growing quickly, we might need to sort something out).

Additionally, especially in the current economic climate, I'd rather not set any kind of membership fee or subscription. To avoid this I hope that we'll be able to make the club "self-funding" through raffles. I got the idea from Steve Fallon (Pipestud at SF) of the Waco Pipe Club. Initially, with a tin or two of tobacco (you could get £10 of baccy from a £1 ticket) and then as we grow, moving up to a pipe.

Furthermore, I hope that people will feel that they can come to as many (or as few) meetings as they want, without any obligations or pressure.

* Actually, there are a few:

As, by their very nature, pipe-smokers are a relaxed and tolerant bunch, these "rules" shouldn't be difficult to follow.

1/. Any discussions of politics, religion, football, etc. are to be kept civilised and gentlemanly...non-smokers already think we're anti-social enough!

2/. Please keep the smoking area free of litter...we've not got any cigarette butts to drop, but even matches aren't THAT biodegradable!

3/. All members are expected to buy a round! Doesn't have to be a full one (especially if/when we get busy) but it's the thought that counts.

4/. In winter, be prepared to move around so that everyone can get the benefit of the heaters.

5/. No smoking indoors.

6/. All members/smokers to be 18 years old, or over.

7/. Only tobacco may be smoked.

The last three aren't optional, they're real laws!

You don't have to live here...

Despite the name, we are not limiting membership to residents of Edinburgh, or even just the Lothians.

Due to the limited number of pipe clubs anywhere in the UK, which is one of the reasons I started this one, we will happily welcome pipe smokers from throughout Scotland, or anywhere else if you happen to be passing through.

Feel free to comment.

I've only recently realised that the "comment" section was limited to the default setting of only bloggers, or people with a gmail account, being able to comment.

This has now been changed to allow comments from anyone (even anonymous ones)...so please, feel free to comment as I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions you might have.

Two Cousins Pipe Packs

Need somewhere to store your pipes?

Then have a look at these lovely cabinets and racks. They would make a fine addition to any home (and wouldn't need to be relegated to the "man cave" unless that's where you want them).

TCPRCatalog1207

First meeting of EPC

The first meeting was a very quiet occasion...but it's a start and hopefully, by the next meeting, the weather will have improved a bit.

Apologies were received from Colin and Michael, who were unable to attend due to the continuing snow and ice (from Tranent and Penicuik respectively).

John managed to make it through the snow from Leith but unfortunately couldn't stay long...thanks for making the effort!

The smoking area at The Cuddie Brae is nicely sheltered, and the heaters are very efficient, so we were both able to shed hats and gloves whilst we had a pint and a pleasant, companionable smoke...Peterson's Sunset Breeze in a 307 Standard System for myself, St Bruno Flake in a no-name Billiard for John.

We might have planted a few seeds of interest, as we had a few friendly enquiries from the cigarette smokers coming outside...along with some very complimentary comments on the aromas!

Weather update!

You might have noticed that there's been a bit of snow recently!

Despite this, the first meeting of EPC will be going ahead as planned. One advantage of smoking a pipe is that you can keep your gloves on, or your hands in your pockets, and still enjoy a bowl.

The Cuddie Brae have done a grand job of clearing their car park and (apart from Monday's exception) LRT have been doing a sterling job of keeping the buses running.

However, as a precaution, please dress warmly.

Favourite quotes

"Pipe smoking is the most protracted of all forms of tobacco consumption. it may explain why pipe smokers are generally regarded as patient men--and philosophers."

Jerome E. Brooks, from The Mighty Leaf, Tobacco Through the Centuries

"I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgement in all human affairs."

Albert Einstein, 1950

"Oh, I like smoking, I do. I smoke for my health, my mental health. Tobacco gives you little pauses, a rest from life. I don't suppose anyone smoking a pipe would have road rage, would they?"

David Hockney, Daily Telegraph, July 1999

These are some of my favourite pipe related quotes, you can find more here.

The Pipe Shop on Twitter

A big thanks to The Pipe Shop, Leith Walk for putting a link to this blog on their Twitter feed alanthepipeman.

If I can get through the snow, I'm going shopping there tomorrow!

Edinburgh - Home of (probably) the world's most famous pipe smoker.

Photograph copyright of Kevin Rae and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

(Please see Geograph for further details)

221b Baker Street, in London, might have been his official address but Sherlock Holmes actually started life here in Edinburgh.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle studied medecine at the University of Edinburgh between 1876 and 1881. One of his professors (and for whom he worked as a clerk at the ERI) was Dr Joseph Bell, who emphasized to his students the importance of observation in making a diagnosis. In later years Conan Doyle wrote to Dr Bell and credited him with being the inspiration for Holmes, "It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes. ... [R]ound the centre of deduction and inference and observation which I have heard you inculcate I have tried to build up a man."

Further inspiration came from Sir Henry Little-John, Lecturer on Forensic Medecine and Public Health at The Royal College of Surgeons, here in Edinburgh.

Conan Doyle was born in Picardy Place, which is why you'll find a statue of Sherlock Holmes there, holding a very nice Calabash pipe!