probably (or possibly) a wildly inappropriate title, but never mind, i quite like how it sounds. not entirely sure how it sounds, look you see, or why it resonates, but it shall jolly well do. yes, then, this post is yet another from me on the subject of cigarettes, so as usual the "guidance" that it (smoking) is quite bad for you, and you should either quit or seek help in quitting.
further adventures in the realm of (ahem) independently sourced and purchased cigarettes, then. as in the more economically viable way to do so in our modern society. which is, of course, to buy "illegal" ones which do not have the insane punishing tax on them. should for some reason you have a vague interest in this, here is my most recent rant on the subject. essentially it is so that, about 5 or 6 years ago, the UK government (as beloved as it is) lost the plot and ludicrously amplified the "sin tax" on cigarettes. which has given an extraordinary boost to the "illegal" cigarette market. the decision has spectacularly backfired on them, then, and they appear reluctant to accept the facts of "actual vs assumed" losses in as far as no they have not reverted to the existing system.
no matter. this post is on the latest, or most recent, of independently sourced and distributed cigarettes what i have either been enjoying (sorry) or feeding my addiction with. as it happens, this will be a brand quite familiar to many, for it is Regal.
the fact that this is the "classical" packaging, since now all "legal" cigarettes have to be sold in what can only be described as baby sh!t brown boxes, tells you these are bootlegs. or counterfeit, i suppose. since the sales of these ones are reaching astronomical levels (i believe either slightly north or south of half of all cigarettes smoked in the UK are "illegal") some journalists have done investigations. apparently all these ones are getting produced in an "Asian factory", specific location not given. well, good work, keep it up and thanks to who(m)ever is doing it.
of course not all of the "illegal" cigarettes are bootlegs. some, which cost slightly more, are simply smuggled in off of Eastern Europe. those cost between £6 and £8 a packet, whereas these ones (as in the Regal and others, like in this post) usually go for £5 a pack. contextually it is so that the cheapest pack of "legal" cigarettes, over taxed as they are, in the UK, is somewhere north of £16. so you can get three packs and change for the price of one. with just about everyone being absolutely f*****g battered and hammered with high costs and low salaries, not really much of a surprise as to just how successful the tax free cigarette market has become.
i was drawn to giving these Regal a try because, as the title of the post gives every indication, these are the brand my Gran (no, the other one) smoked. Gramps too, although he preferred cigars. except when both of them visited us in Africa, where they enjoyed Peter Stuyvesant ones. similar but different, i think they were.
as far as i can recall (i have always been one more for Marlboro) Regal was the cigarette of choice in what one would call the proper north. the gentrified types of Manchester, who are more akin to the south than they wish to admit, went all posh with Embassy. eventually i think Lambert & Butler became the one of choice in the (actual) north, since at one stage they were marginally cheaper.
did my best to grab a screenshot of the latest advert from the ministry of information, doing their (poor) best to try and stop people buying "illegal" cigarettes. this one rather laughably tries to imply that it is purely illegal cigarettes "destroying the high street". odd, as for the last 20 (or so years) it has been online shopping, surging costs, business taxes and what have you doing it. were they to confess an error, return cigarette taxes to the already high level they were it would be so the price wouldn't be all that far off what the "illegal" ones are. sadly i doubt they have the courage to do so.
someone else i knew who gone done smoked Regal was Macca. he was class. i spent a summer working with him on various industrial concerns. a few years older than me (i was late teens) he was, i suppose, rather influential on how "older people" should look out for and help the younger. he also had this quite smart idea of hanging around at HMV, waiting for someone to buy a Level 42 record (or tape, or new fangled at the time compact disc) and punch them in the face.
usual (somewhat obligatory) selfie of me enjoying a Regal cigarette (sorry) for you above. no, not sure that this new 8 bit camera app thing is worthwhile.
will i be smoking these "retro" style illegal Regal on a regular basis? not really. i didn't particularly like them in the 90s, and nothing about these counterfeit ones suggests i have changed in that view. they are not bad, you know, as in i mean they get the job done (especially in respect of finances), but not the best of the independently sourced ones i have had so far.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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