The Wansdyke & District Forums

A small odd thing for the collection. Now and then in our cottage, always in the autumn, always the same corner of the front room, there is a smell of woodsmoke, strong and sweet and old. We have no open fire in that room and never have in our time; it was bricked up before we came. It lasts a minute and is gone. Roy smells it too, so it is not just me. Not frightening, rather lovely actually, but where does the smell of a fire that has not burned in fifty years come from? Do others get the phantom smells? I gather it is a known thing.

Known thing. Pipe tobacco in our hall, and nobody has smoked in the house in our time. Always the foot of the stairs. I rather look forward to it. Whoever he was, he stood there of an evening and had his pipe, and a bit of that is still in the house. The houses hold more than we think. Mostly the nice things, in my experience. The bad ones do not seem to linger the same way.

What a kind way to think of it, Eric, thank you. I shall stop wondering what is wrong with the chimney and just say good evening to whoever liked his fire in that corner. Roy says I am not to start talking to the walls, but he smells it too, so he can hush.