Pure souvenir of when this happened. Something that was unthinkable 10 years prior. 10 years later, it was unimaginable that people used to actually smoke in pubs and clubs.
I remember the fear being that the smoke was good for masking the reality of everyones body odour. Or maybe that was a news/rumour from friends in New York where the ban happened before the UK.
Always funny how perception of time changes with age. When I think of the 20 year bracket of 1997 to 2017, it’s a lifetime. Encompassing being basically a kid to being a Dad of two. But 2004 to 2024 for me feels tiny in comparison. A few-ish years before being a Dad to now. Wonder if 2024 to 2044 will feel longer if it includes Dad to Granddad, if I’m lucky. And the passive smoking I was part of up to 2007 wasn’t enough to do the dirty on me.
Smoking. So bonkers.