Smells of yesteryear.....

[Linenspots]

My most prominent ones are:

The delicious smell of the bottle of Coppertone that Mum used to plaster us in for our annual holiday at one of the many Pontin's sites. Does anyone else remember Coppertone?

I also have really vivid memories of the smell of the turkey cooking at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day, right after we opened our presents, and being excited for the arrival of various family members. Am I imagining it, or does the aroma of turkey cooking these days not seem as strong as I remember?

Mum's perfumes - for best, she wore Estee Lauder's Youth Dew or White Linen (although she always called it Dirty Sheets). For everyday, it was Coty L'Aimant. My first bottle of perfume was Smitty...I felt so grown up!

Those smells...treasured memories.

That would have been a Banda copying machine which was a spirit duplicator (nothing to do with the paranormal though).

Lilac trees - our childhood garden was full of them.
Dettol - always in our bath on Saturday night.
Palmolive soap - the original, my dad’s favourite.
Pink windowlene.
Lavender beeswax floor polish.
My first perfume - Nina Ricci L’air du temps.

Cut grass and Detol.

80s pub, a mix of beer, tags, perfume and food. Sounds weird but I can't describe it.

Garage smells. Proper working garage not one attached to the house. Mix of engine oil, grease, petrol etc mixed with Brylcreem and dads aftershave (Brut Black). I'd kill for one more day sitting on the shelf in the garage watching him and his chum mending cars while I much a bag of sweets. The smell takes me "home".

I miss the Vidal Sassoon shampoo so much. We all used it in the 80s 😔

A new catalogue smell

Scented rubbers and pens

A new inflatable pool

Creosote

Stardrops cleaner always reminded me of my great grandmas home

Smoky pubs

Oh yes, the spirit duplicator! Lovely smell, like meths. It was a great privilege at my junior school to be allowed to turn the handle. We definitely lost something when photocopiers took over.

Also the original Stardrops, yellow stuff which came in a glass bottle. My mum must have used gallons of the stuff.

The smell of paraffin in the local hardware shop. I used to love to tag along with my dad when he'd go and buy a quart of Esso Blue (who remembers that, now?) for his greenhouse heater.

Bergasol tanning oil and lotion
'proper' Germalene in the little tin
Fairy liquid- they've changed the scent and it now smells (to me) like slightly rotting fruit
another one for Vidal Sassoon shampoo and conditioner
Wella Lifetex Balsam conditioner
Fairy toilet soap- really soapy and clean
Delph lemon cleanser

Mince and onions cooking always reminds me of Saturday night bolognaise before watching Gladiators (and watching Baywatch while it cooked!)

Oh I really loved the smell from the banda machine copies. The smell of Parma violets always makes me feel safe and like a little girl again.

Ah! Thank you. I often wondered what it was.

Bonfires. Still love the smell of one.

Being in the garden Sunday lunchtime from age around 10 and smelling the roast dinners that everyone was cooking, was quite a noticeable smell back then.

Creosote when dad painted the shed and fences.

Nivea creme in the blue tin and L'Aimant by Coty, lovely smells that remind me of my nan.

The Banda machine!

The inside of my grandma’s handbag - the leather, the cosmetics she used (Pond’s face cream, waxy lipstick, pressed face powder) and the faint whiff of B&H fags

Perming solution - hair salons used to reek of it.

My mum’s Rive Gauche perfume. It was preferable to my Dad’s Old Spice…

I quite like the smell of tinned burgers frying in a pan. You occasionally get a waft from a neighbouring house.

Anne French cleansing lotion also Linco Beer shampoo.

Was the Vidal shampoo in brown tube shaped bottles? Best shampoo ever.

Flex shampoo and conditioner - original version.

I was quite excited when it made a bit of a comeback some years ago but sadly it didn't smell anything like the original.

Anne French cleansing milk.

That was called a Banda machine and the smell of the purple spirit was indeed gorgeous. Addictive in fact!

The old Glasgow Subway, smoky, dusty, earthy oily, unlike any other smell. I was reminded of it recently in my in laws’ conservatory when it was very dark and foggy outside.

And being 'spun' faster by the tattooed greaser on the Waltzers if you screamed, and sometimes he would 'ride' on the back of your particular Waltzer. Funfairs used to excite me, and the smells were such a part of them.

In less torrid memories, anyone as ancient as I am would remember Aqua Manda, I loved it. And, shamefully, loved the smell of Brut on men. My mother's signature scent was Gardenia.

I miss the almond Vidal Sassoon so much.

Loved the creosote smell of fences and hot tar too.

My aunt had Aqua Manda. And my dad had Brut for a while. My mum wore Ma Griffe which I still love.

Freshly cut grass
Christmas wrapping paper
Avon Odyssey and Eau Givrèe
Cherryade
Creosote

Mmmm… was it called a bander machine or something? Hot off the press was a treat!