Blast from the past
Monday, March 25, 2019 at 13:00 
Never thought I’d see one of these beauties again.
In February 2006, shortly before members of parliament voted to ban smoking in enclosed public places, we sent every MP a final briefing note plus a special gift - an ashtray emblazoned with our campaign logo.
Although they were hand delivered we discovered later that quite a few got chipped or broken en route so I was more than surprised, two weeks ago, to meet a politician who still had one in mint condition.
When I say ‘mint’, I mean it was still in one piece. In truth it was filthy. It sat on a low wall in his garden and following overnight rain fag ends were floating around in the dirty water that had collected in it.
Nevertheless I can’t tell you how delighted I was that, 13 years on, one of our ashtrays had not only survived, it was still in daily use.
Anyway, by complete coincidence, I have since stumbled upon one of the original samples and here it is.
A design classic, I think you’ll agree.
Reader Comments (4)
Do more please and I will have one. Meanwhile I am enjoying my Poundland special that says :"Keep calm and have a smoke" or my mug which says "Smoking is my choice so f**k off (government warnings suck)".
I suppose now the cat is out of the bag, posh elites working for the public health Quango will send jackboots into Poundland to remove them from sale no doubt using the scurrilous excuse that it will force children as young as 3 to start smoking.
It is nice to see an ashtray and even nicer to one in use! I hope to see many more in he coming days as tobacco control ultimately collapses under the weight of its tyranny.
Ooh, Pat. I had one of those mugs, too! Got broken, unfortunately (no, by accident, not by an anti-smoker hurling it out of the window!). And I'd love one of those retro ashtrays, too, Simon!
I still have my ashtray too!