What is the strangest thing that triggers intense nostalgia or emotion for you?

[Missohnoyoubetterdont]

Not the standard smell of cut grass or old perfume. I mean something completely specific and quirky. For me, it is the sound of wood pigeons calling on a warm summer’s evening , or the feeling when you get up really early and there’s that stillness and possibility hanging in the air , I think it’s the wonderful feeling of potential and reminds me of travelling in hot sunny climbs. Other weird one is the smell of hot water bottles! Reminds me of childhood. It gives me a profound, aching sort of homesickness for a time I can’t quite name. What is your weird emotional trigger?"

I can never remember what the piece is called - they play it now and then on Classic - but the introductory music to Listen With Mother (showing my age here!) takes me back to a room in the house where we lived at the time, and the table where I’d be sitting after lunch. Same room as the big, old-fashioned, non portable ‘wireless’.

Thankyou! Nobody in my family used to believe me that tinsel had a particular smell. If I get that smell now Im instantly transported back to childhood Christmasses

The specific sound of cars, buses and motorbikes going past at night, whilst lying in bed. I lived in London, the West End, during my childhood and teenage years . I live in the suburbs now and whenever I hear the roar of a motorbike I am immediately taken back and experience a feeling of deep homesickness.

I also get this at night when I hear planes and helicopters going past it instantly takes me back. My Nans house was next to a bus stop so the sound of old double decker buses stopping takes me back (we used to wave at the bemused passengers on the top deck). It was a fuel carriageway and still busy at night, the sound of traffic and vibrations of lorries going past was weirdly soothing when I stayed over.

Not pipe smoke but the smell of pipe tobacco. It always reminds me of my grandfather. Strangely I don't remember him smoking his pipe just the smell of tobacco as he filled it

Same here. It reminds me of lying in bed as a child and hearing a car/motorbike roaring along the bypass. It makes me feel so nostalgic when I hear this. Happy but a sad feeling sad too!

The smell of a real Christmas tree brings me right back to my parents sitting room in the 80s/90s, it reminds me so much of a simpler time with pure excitement for the days ahead at Christmas.

The smell of the metro system in my home town.

So much this. But when it was raining.

It doesn’t make me feel sad but it’s very present.

Hair gel for ballet, mum with Anaïs Anaïs, orange juice and chocolate in the car for ballet trips.

Polytar shampoo.

I had psoriasis on my scalp as a child. Every Saturday my mum would put Betnovate scalp application on my scalp then go through my hair with a nit comp to pull the scabby bits off (sorry!). Then it would be washed in polytar. I hated it, it hurt and my hair would still be stinking of polytar come Tuesday! Fortunately I don’t smell it that often but on the rare occasion it takes me back to the whole procedure as well as provoking memories of Saturday night tv in the 70s (think Black and White Minstrel Show, Generation Game, MOTD etc…)

I’ve not read the whole thread, saving to enjoy later! But mine is strawberries with sugar on - no one does this anymore, but my Grandparents always did and me and my husband were talking about it when I was cutting some up at the weekend. Spent the afternoon back in their kitchen, when the world was nicer 🥹