I live abroad, and was planning my next visit to London. I find, to my sorrow, that Shervington’s of Holborn has closed down. This was an old fashioned tobacconist in a half timbered building that dated back to Tudor times. Now that Smith’s of Charing Cross Road has gone, there are very few ‘real’ tobacconists left in London. I can only think of Fox of St James’ Street, and Davidoff on Jermyn Street. There’s some new place in Earl’s Court that sells snuff apparently, but I’ve not been there. Sigh.
@AustinAllegro Yes Shervingtons went at about the same time as G Smiths - they were both owned by the same chap. But do check out the Segar & Snuff Parlour in Covent Garden. They now keep all 8 of their own snuffs - Mullins & Westley - in stock and they also have 12 snuffs from the G Smiths range at considerably lower prices than Smiths themselves were selling them for. They are freshly produced by Gawith Hoggarths - not old stock picked up from Smiths when they closed - and are in decent plastic pots.
Ah, good to know there’s another decent shop in London. Here in Budapest, a city less than 1/4 the size of London, we have FOUR traditional tobacconists in the city centre, and another two decent pipe/razor/walking stick type shops in the suburbs. Shervingtons holds many lost memories for me. I used to take a 38 bus (Routemaster) from work. Jump off at Shervingtons for some tobacco, jump back on a 38 down to clubland and smoke my pipe in the East India Club. You can’t do any of those three things anymore!
It’s worse here in the old second city of Empire but kind of getting better; no local snuffs anymore while variety of imports is getting better. It was totally Irish tobacco companies’ decision to wind down or sell snuff production though. Quite stupid in hindsight.
That’s a shame. The Irish always seemed to have a good relationship with tobacco. I recall buying packets of Carolls and Major from country pubs in my student days. There also seemed to be more pipemen in the Republic, though that has probably changed now.
God I remember getting 10 Major or 10 Caroll Kings back in the day! They have stopped 10 packs in the republic now haven’t they? Used to be bale to get Majors on the boat to Dublin from Holyhead, they were strong buggers!
I use this place for pipe tobacco - very civilised. http://www.cigarsunlimited.co.uk/ They even sell single cigars, there are armchairs, and one can have a coffee for 50p (assuming you have bought something!) - very clubable.