I have to say gents this has been one of the most moving threads I have ever read.
Dicky I really think your post took a lot of courage as you wouldn't want to be seen as feeling sorry for yourself but it gives such a powerful picture to anyone who is still a smoker. I myself stopped for six years then started again when I spent some time with an American girlfriend who smoked a lot. She left but the habit remained!!
I had to go through the whole process again and I have now been off them for about eight years but last night I did a bar-b-q for my lot as I am going home on Sunday and to have something to eat outside on the deck with the warm sun going down and a glass of red in my hand I could have murdered for a cigarette. I have always been convinced that you are a smoker for life, whether you are actually smoking or not and you need to realise that if you are going to stay off them.
I thank you whole heartedly Dicky for sharing your life with us and maybe just making a difference to someone out there who might just be spared what you are going through. Don't think for a minute though that you don't have plenty to offer, writing to this forum and encouraging youngsters to enjoy our hobby and passing on your time and experience is worth it's weight.
One thing that made me think was Colins comment about a Dicky D day and Shanes comments. How many times do you see an add for a load of model stuff up for grabs and the reason given is that they had to give up for health reasons? I think it is really sad that there aren't enough people in thier lives who cannot find it in themselves to take them down to the pond in a wheelchair, take thier boats and gear, sit them on the bank, stick a radio in thier hand and let them enjoy thier hobby for a couple of hours.
We don't do enough for each other nowadays and it saddens me the more I see it.