Two QUICK Shop TIPS:

[bentontool]

Bentontool - is that a real corn-cob pipe I see? My (other) grandad smoked one for a while! His was very dark looking though, not bright yellow!

Yes indeed! A real USA-made corn cob pipe (Missouri Meerschaum- https://corncobpipe.com/). It is my "secondary" shop pipe. The "primary" one is black with use! They last a long time, and smoke very nicely. The stems need replacement often, but are inexpensive.
I stopped taking my good pipes out whilst working, ever since I ran over one with my truck!

 

[throbscottle]

Wow - brings back warm fuzzy memories! Thanks for the link!

 

[John Brown]

What sort of amateur was he to have part bottles of tonic water?

Good point!
Actually he was the volunteer bar manager at the tennis club I used to belong to.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Actually the landlord of my old local used to sell mixers in screw top bottles - 250ml, iirc - to locals who put their name on them if unfinished, it was cheaper pro rata for him and them to buy. He reckoned he sold more shorts that way.

 

[John Brown]

Actually the landlord of my old local used to sell mixers in screw top bottles - 250ml, iirc - to locals who put their name on them if unfinished, it was cheaper pro rata for him and them to buy. He reckoned he sold more shorts that way.

These were 1 litre plastic bottles.