Period Woodbines

[Flyfisher]

While doing some electrical work recently we had to drill about 4 feet through a wall to get a new cable into the consumer unit. The consumer unit itself had been installed a few years ago and a similar hole had been drilled for the incoming supply cable (the work allowed us to remove an unsightly overhead supply and two poles), so we knew the wall was actually two walls with a large gap between them, though not accessible from anywhere inside the house.

Anyway, this hole was drilled a few inches to the side of the previous one and when we peered into the void we discovered this:



The packet contained the original silver paper but was otherwise empty, which was a great disappointment as I was rather hoping for a folded note with some sort of message from the builders who left it there, but sadly no.

A quick search revealed that woodbines were sold between 1888 - 1988 but although I could find various images of the different packet styles I couldn't find any dates for them. If it could be from the 1930s then it would agree with my knowledge of some works carried out around that time, but it 'feels' more like a later design to me - 1950s perhaps? Purely a guess though.

Does anyone know when this packet design was being used?

 

[worms]

Before the introduction of health warnings in 1971!

 

[Feltwell]

Nope, but if there's anything on the back it would prove that even builders of old designed things on the back of a fag packet.

 

[Flyfisher]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

No writing or scribbling of any sort unfortunately, so the 'back of a fag packet' conjecture remains open. :wink:

I wondered when health warnings were actually introduced but would never have guessed it was that long ago. Having never smoked (bar the odd drag behind the school bike sheds that made me feel sick!) I'm not overly familiar with such things.

So, no later than 1971 - it's a start.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Wills changed the design of the Woodbine packet from its previously largely unaltered, intricate Victorian one in the mid-60s.
http://www.retrowow.co.uk/retro_collectibles/smoking/vintage_cigarette_packets.php

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Sell it on Ebay!!!

 

[Zebra]

I don't know, but we could put it together with my tin cans and make ourselves a Period morning break....
http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12684

 

[angrybird]

I don't know, but we could put it together with my tin cans and make ourselves a Period morning break....
http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12684

I found out about a Franklyns cutty shagg sign that I found in the lounge wall here ... http://www.oldshopstuff.com/Homepage/tabid/1174/Default.aspx

lovely find by the way

 

[JoceAndChris]

How fascinating! So a 1960s one then - a lovely find and indicating when work was done in that spot too.

Incidentally my grandparents worked for the Wills family, my grandmother was head cook and my grandfather the gardener. My father learned linseed oil painting and the mixing of pigments on their estate.