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Saturday 15 July 2017

Scented alchemy..

The smell of something can be so evocative it can recreate instances as though transported in time. I remember, as a child, visiting an old house in which there was a delightful set of rooms so unbelievably British with leather wing back chairs, wood smoke, old books and the lingering scent of wood polish. The family, grandparents to a school chum, lived in a delightful rambling home where dogs and cats roamed, with the homely smell of baking and laughter were ever present. I do believe, dear reader, that  we have recreated that scent of homeliness in our own small cottage, albeit aided by the presence of a rather delightful smokey scented candle, leather furniture and good old fashioned beeswax polish. How it does transport me, my dears. We are most fortunate to be able to purchase the most alluring of scented candles made fairly locally; not one for over sweet or cloying scents, I find myself in a minority it would appear, in a fondness for the smokier, woodier, chypre type candle. The male guardian and I were recently intent on purchasing one such candle at a well known department store. On asking if they stocked the more "masculine" type one prefers, the assistant exclaimed at finally meeting one of the "strange" people who liked said type of candle, stating they smelt awful. Why, my dears, the male guardian and I really found this most amusing indeed, and had quite the little joke with the two assistants, reminding them, with tongue firmly wedged in one's cheek, that "the customer is always right". Dear souls, how we all laughed and how delightful to reaffirm that no two people are alike. It is with great joy that I am still able to purchase my favourite scented candles as well as be reassured that, in the words of Lucretieus, "One man's meat is another man's poison". Clearly, as apt today as it was all those years ago.

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