Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

There I was in my usual position (semi conscious) when in came a group of lads they sat at a table near me.

I got a strong smell, extremely sweet, and also stickily sour.

It took me back immediately to my junior school classroom of the late 50's, back then although there were antibiotics they weren't being used for 'ordinary' illnesses.
So if someone got an ear infection it didn't take long before everyone seemed to get one.
The cure? A piece of cotton wool to catch the puss with a dab of germoline on it.
The smell came back to my memory instantly and on observing the group of lads, I noticed one had a piece of cotton wool in his ear.

I wonder, considering how powerful and accurate our sense of smell is, what memories have come back to you?

Hopefully they will be better than the above.
;)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Germoline definitely rings a bell with me, although not in the same way thankfully! I was reminded of it when I first tried a pop drink called Root Beer here in Canada. There's nothing 'beer'-like about it, it's the colour of a pop I used to enjoy back in Accy - Dandelion and Burdock, but has the sweet medicinal aroma of our beloved pink ointment. Strange to tell, I grew to like Root Beer - it's still a favourite after all these years.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I have just looked up Wikipedia for Germoline and it says it contains wintergreen.
So I then looked up 'root beer' in Wiki and it shows that some root beers use wintergreen as a flavouring.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Euthymol toothpaste tastes like germoline.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Hyacinths make me think of a trip to Amsterdam when I was newly married, but it also brought back memeories of landing at Manchester and himself nipping off to the loo because the loo on the plane had been occupied for most of the flight.
When he came out of the toilets he was hauled away by burly customs officers for a body cavity search......so the smell of hyacinths brings back that memory too...though it wasn't anywhere near as traumatic for me as it was for him :).

Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I've never eaten Germoline, are you sure it tastes like it, or perhaps as the topic is about smells being strong, you just think it does?

Typical reply from Mags by the way, she must have been disappointed that she didn't find anything world threatening in her search.
:)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I can remember back in the fifties the smell of DDT anywhere in the New Lane area of Ossy, you could taste it, until it was outlawed, even then it took many years for the smell to disperse

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Let's be honest, back then that was the early version of deodorant or antiperspirant.

God! when you consider hygiene, bathing once a week, wearing the same clothes, several days on the trot, it's a wonder that we could stand near each other!
:eek:

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Smells definitely take me back, the one instance I recall is one xmas when I was just kind of growing up a bit (11ish) I got a present of some perfume , and a ladybird-shaped hairbrush, the perfume isn't around any longer but whatever scents it was comprised of still remind me of xmas-they crop up every now and again.

Germoline reminds me of school definitely-although I'm not sure It's the scent or the sight/presence of the product. I hate the stuff :)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Devon Violet Perfume just came to mind. Haven't been near any since I was a kid, but I can still recall the scent.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Walking through Newark last year, I got a whiff of something which took me back to Blackburn 45 years ago. There must have been a local brewery working as the smell reminded me f getting off the bus and barely being able to breathe due to the smell emanating from M. Brown or D Thwaites. It used to make me baulk.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

47.11 toilet water from Woolworths . Now that brings back memories.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I know that after himself was released by the customs chaps(we had nothing more than we were allowed) he was told that he had made the customs men suspicious by going straight to the toilet.
I just said I hoped they had searched his mouth before they poked their fingers into his bottom end.
He was like Victoria...not amused!

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Are you saying it doesn't happen now, and why do people not stand close to me.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

At least your gusset gets a regular clean Dave.:D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Visit the Reference section at Accy library Less, you will be transported back in time with the people pongs in there. ;)

For me carbolic soap.. reminds me of the old Accy baths.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Agreed,some real honking gits go in yon, in fact i only go in on very odd occasions fer that reason.:eek: Perhaps they are too involved fer a wash n brush up.?:D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

There is a difference between moistening and cleaning.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Was in there a couple of months ago Ol and a lady of advancing years (not that I am any spring chicken as you know) fell down. Myself and another guy rushed across to help her. Well I can tell you we both recoiled with the pong..strewth.... and holding our breath we lifted her up and sat her on a chair to recover. I couldn't get home quick enough to shower and change.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I think BO is one of the worst smells you can come across Dave, a few years ago (over 30) a woman used to come in the con club in ossy, in those days there was quite a big group of use and this woman decided to latch onto our company, the only problem was she stank to high heaven, we're talking about a woman in her 30s here, saw it was decided she had to be told. One of the other women was a bit gobby to say the least and she volunteered, so the next time the toilet run was on she followed her and delivered the message "You Stink" :D She had a way with words.:rolleyes: Anyway it had the effect required, the next time she came in she smelled like an English rose garden sorted :D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Funny thing though is that the people who stink of BO are not aware that they do. I was in the Kings arms pub in Soho with a mate of mine last year. We got talking to a very well known news reader from the tv. Hell of a nice guy but you would have thought he hadn't washed for a month. Stunk like a pox doctors clerk. Nevertheless, didn't stay in his company for long. By the way nobody else did either.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I began a thread on this very subject a few months ago!Had been experiencing many people who were a stranger to a bar of soap, and their own odour , recently!
And Marg P that whole post is hilarious! :D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

not only smells, sounds as well, this morning leaving my hotel in Pune there was a group of security guys all hanging around one lad and his motorbike( 150cc two stroke yamaha thing), they were jabbering away in Hindii but gesticulations were towards the exhaust, soon as he started it up I went back nearly 30 years as I knew exactly what they were chattering about, he'd done what I had done back then and sawn off the tip of the exhaust baffle giving it a much more throaty warble.. the days of messing with two stroke exhausts to remove restrictors to make them go faster... halcyon days indeed...

( and to be on topic, the lovely smell of a two stroke is something I miss in todays Euro emissions based world the Uk is stuck in)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

there is a blog about it somewhere, but glad it made you smile.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Get yourself an old petrol mower & sniff to your hearts content. :)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

This thread set me off googling, so I will tell you what I found.

Your personal smell, and how you perceive the smells of others, is a complicated combination of genetics, diet, medication and environmental factors (includes self neglect).

I have heard that oriental races perceive 'westerners' as 'smelling sour', due to our heavy consumption of dairy products. So as well as 'you are what you eat', you also 'smell of what you eat'. This is strongly evident when a person eats garlic.

Genetic factors cause some people to sweat more than others and some don't sweat at all.

An 'old person smell' can be due to self neglect, caused by difficulties in bathing, but can be made more pungent by the medications that the old get inundated with.

I think society places too much emphasis on 'smelling nice' by promoting deodorants, air fresheners, and perfumes. They contain toxins which when absorbed can cause you to need them more.

So as not to offend some people it is wise to aim to be totally odour free, since what you consider to be fragrant may be totally obnoxious to others.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

:D Just a bit worried Mog, that you know what a pox doctors clerk smells like
*grin*

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Why should you be worried...you aren't thinking of having some sort of relationship with him are you?
Anyway you can't catch it just by having your post next to his.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

It`s a good job, cos with Mog above him, and you below, he might get a miner case of Pilkingtons disease.:D
Whoops, off topic again, my bad.http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...mackBottom.gif

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

He'd be alright in the end though.....at least he would have one person who knew how to dig a hole......!

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Don't be silly Mrs P, I'm already in a relationship with Mog ;) as of course I am with you too ;)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

The smell of my wifes cooking takes me back................to A. & E.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Other day I opened the wheelie bin to dump in a bag of rubbish and unfortunately I had a whiff. Instantly I was transported back to the days 'when I was a lad' where my sisters and my friends would 'play' in the river hyndburn....

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Those were the days when you could walk on the surface, I do miss the industrial pollution, the smog and fog, rickets, diptheria..........ok nurse, I'm getting back in bed.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

You must be ill, I always spend fifteen minutes a day chasing the nurse around the bed. I have noticed lately, she tends to slow down a little.

Is she coming around to my way of thinking? Is she getting older and I need a younger model to keep my fitness regime going? Or has she finally decided that I should be taught the lesson that I can't supply what my ambitious labidos thinks I can?

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Think the straps need to be a bit tighter Dave, you seem to be getting out more these days:D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I think you might be in a relationship with a Mrs P...but not with this Mrs P you aren't.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I see it as a metaphysical one Margaret :D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

See it how you like....it still isn't any kind of relationship with me!

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Don't fret, he's trying his best, it's just that his best is getting irritating.
:)

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Maybe something like this:



Kawasaki H1 500 triple - YouTube


Still remeber the smells in my gran's kitchen. The pic of the Lancashire Hot Pot in the photo competition took me back to this one ... And the aroma of steak and kidney pudding made from scratch.:dancedog: And hot tar. And carbolic soap ... I still buy that stuff. Turns your armpits into charmpits.:D

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

What do you mean Less, getting?

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

My nurse would not tolerate any of that chasing malarky, he says its silly.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

I am an outstanding performer in my field, its about 7 acres.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

when in church,accrington or Blackburn bank top,the smell from the bone works.absolutely nauseating.cured now simply by injecting a chemical into waste steam.

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

Methylated Spirits - a purple colour as I remember - bring to mind the pain of vaccinations - ugh!

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

When we used to sneak out of paddock house for 5 single number 6 cigs at lunchtime and visit the wonderful little pie shop on the main road the smell from Stirling Pet Foods, an unpleasant aroma to say the least and one that I have never smelt since anywhere and I don't want to hard smell to describe/ Used to get semi-solid Germoline in a tin my hubby swears by it but now its white and in a tube he says it doesn't work the same/cannot stand the smell of T.C.P

Re: Funny How Smells Take You Back
 

As soon as I read Stirling Pet Foods, the nauseating smell came back to me, it was awful:eek: