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What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2025, 13:05
by cromwell
Occassionally there is a burger van in the Sainsbury's car park in Wakefield.
Driving past it last week I got a strong whiff of fried onions and beefburgers; it reminded me so strongly of going to Heath Common fair when I was but a youth; the rides there, the cocks and hens and the waltzers, and the roll a penny games.
What smells bring back nostalgic memories for you?

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2025, 14:11
by Workingman
Woolens etc. washed in Lux soap flakes then air dried on a flat clothes horse in the front room. It had a unique smell, sort of floral and herby and very fresh.

Because they were naturally dried (no heat) the smell lingered on the clothes for days.

And I will never forget the smell of that hard yellow / orange beeswax furniture polish.

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2025, 15:10
by JanB
Fried onions always remind me of fairgrounds :lol:

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2025, 15:11
by saundra
I loved the smell of things being boiled in the copper on a Monday at my nan's and later in my life when i boiled
Towell,s nappies and lavender furniture polish and baking sigh memories sorry my youth
Other people cige smoke I really wanted to smoke but I hated it

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2025, 15:55
by Kaz
Mine and Emma's pal Jan from our WeightWatchers helpers days wears Rive Gauche perfume, and it reminds me of my teens, when Mum wore it :)

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2025, 21:55
by TheOstrich
Mothballs and Vic's Vaporub.

(You can have it back anytime you like, Vic :mrgreen: )

Fresh tarmacadam laid on the road, with the mechanical smell of the road-roller going over it.

The wet steam (and noise!) of a Bulleid Merchant Navy Class locomotive blowing off under the train shed at Bournemouth Station. Don't try standing right next to one, whatever your age ..... :lol:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_S ... 722486.jpg
(Picture shows 35014 Nederland Line at Waterloo)

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 27 Jan 2025, 09:38
by cruiser2
The smell of grass being cut on a farm to make hay.I lived in the country when I was young.

Freshly baked bread. My mother usedto bake our bread. No shop berad until I was married.

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 27 Jan 2025, 13:13
by jenniren
Vic vapour rub, my Mother rubbed it into our chests every morning during the winter, still love the smell.
Also candyfloss, always a treat at the fairground.

Re: What smells take you back to your youth?

PostPosted: 27 Jan 2025, 20:47
by JoM
Beer smells coming from some pubs. We used to walk to my Nan’s every Sunday night and the walk home would take us past a few pubs and there was always a very distinctive beer smell. Not sure if it might have been coming from the cellars but every now and again I catch a whiff of it as I walk past a pub and it takes me back.

Cigar smoke, which you don’t seem to smell very often now, but my Grandad smoked Hamlet and the smell always reminds me of him.

Fried onions always remind me of Ash’s burger kiosk which was in Cannock bus station when I was growing up.

The smell of fresh fish always takes me back to the fish market in the Bullring in the 70s and 80s. We had to walk through to get to the bus station.