John Hollingsworth & Sons

As other reviewers have pointed out already, it really gladdens the heart to see places like this still exist. They evoke a sense of oldie worldie charm within anyone that appreciates having the freedom to visit a high street shop that specialises in an addictive substance, (I definitely fit that click!). In my case, when I stroll into the tobacconists its the first stop in my daily routine of being a Victorian gentleman*…
…In a long black overcoat, stove pipe hat and a sword stick walking cane, I am there to top up my pipe tobacco, I very much enjoy a good rough shag! Upon leaving the tobacconists, I pick up a newspaper and toss the seller a penny, I stroll a few doors down to the barber shop. Sitting down I notice that there are a few people in front of me. I take out a slim silver pill case along with a pocket knife with ivory scales, carefully remove a 1 grain morphine tablet from the case, place it in the palm of my hand and with the knife try to cut it as equally in half as possible, thankfully without blood loss I cut the tablet in two. Placing half on my tongue and the other half back in the pill case, I take a heavy slug of cognac from a silver hip-​flask, decorated with inscribing’s of Dante’s Divine Comedy to wash the half-​grain down. After filling and lighting my pipe I peruse the newspaper, carefully checking to see if there are any reports detailing my crimes.
With both a sense of relief and frustration, I find nothing in the paper that hints towards any of my atrocities. After my shave and mustache waxing, I walk the short distance to the first chemist I see. Once there I purchase 6 boxes of morphine, each containing 24 glass ampules and a one pint mason jar of medical cocaine. Along with these I purchase other essentials, such as a pint of each of, raw alcohol, ether, laudanum, paregoric, Amyl Nitrate and cannabis tincture. The chemist also sells me two boxes of hypo needles and a bottle of ‘St Bridget’s cocoa tonic’, for old times sake. The chemist prices everything up and tells me it will be delivered this afternoon, I ask him to spoon 6 grams of the cocaine into a small bottle, this he does without question. Putting the tonic into my overcoat pocket, I pull out the stopper of the small bottle and tap out a pea sized dab of the fluffy white powder onto the back of my hand and sniff, this I repeat a further three times and leave.
The rumbling in my stomach tells me I need to eat, when was the last time I ate? I ask myself. My self chooses to ignore the question and decides to head for a pub instead, I drink Scotch steadily and sniff cocaine regularly through early afternoon to early evening. I take a carriage home. My house keeper informs me my delivery arrived earlier and she has placed it outside my locked study. I unlock my study door and tell my house keeper to prepare my evening meal, she nods, turns and walks away, only then do I open the door. Carefully placing the packages on the desk I open and inspect my purchases, when satisfied I remove a hypo from a leather case I keep in my desk drawer. After screwing in a new needle, I fix a shot of morphine, roll up my sleeve and shoot it into a working vein. I wake up to my study door being closed hard enough to rouse me from my mild nod. I eat the steak and potatoes that has been placed on my desk and drink a large brandy laced with 3 drops of laudanum. After I have bathed, I put on a clean shirt, suit and shoes. After choosing a suitable sword stick cane from the carved out elephants leg in the hall I leave, hailing a carriage, I head into the China town district. Once there I get out early and pay the driver, from here its best that I walk to my destination.
Directing myself with all to much familiarity down the dark and dingy alleyways, I find the oblique door. So tucked away you would never know of its existence, then again you’re not supposed to. After the two short, two long and one short knocks at the black wood, the door creaks open. The little old Chinese man directs me in with a quick flick of his eyes, though blind, he has never opened the door to a wrong ‘un yet. I walk in and hand my coat, hat, cane and shoes to the old woman in the hall, she smiles knowingly when she takes the cane from me, I have no doubt she knows how to use it.
The air is thick with acrid sweet smoke as I lay down on a soft bunk and watch the naked Chinese girl at my side prepare my third pipe of the black tar. She rolls a pea sized ball and presses it into a long wooden pipe, placing it to her lips, she floats the bowl in a candle flame and draws back a thick plume of smoke in to her lungs before placing the pipe to my mouth to do the same. Exhaling, I drift into a heavy slumber I feel the pipe girls body rest gently against mine.
«So I became a dreamer and acquired an indisposition to all bodily activity».
–Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
*I now think ‘gentleman’ was the wrong word to use, considering…

This tobacconist is a bit of a hit and miss as to the service you get in there — half the staff are friendly and will endeavour to help you with anything, the other half just look at sneer.
The last time I went in I got the former service, I enquired about a specific pipe and they didn’t have it in stock but phoned round different shops to ask whether they had it. The prices are very reasonable even compared to online retailers.
They sell all types of luxury cigarettes and pipe tobbaco. They also have an extensive library of Cuban cigars.
Would recommend but he service is sometimes a pain.

I love the musty smell of this place. Alas, I am a dirty smoker — so this is a place to feed my disgusting habit.
The selection of flavoured tobacco is beyond compare! They also have a really extensive range of cigars, lighters and associated paraphernalia. I love the really old world shop feel, with a wooden interior and glass cabinets to show off their wares. It feels a little bit like stepping back in time (you can imagine the shop-​keep with a pipe in hand pointing and at the products and guffawing).
The staff have always been really good with me and always have a moment to spare to recommend products if you’re on the lookout for something new.
In terms of prices, I don’t think this place is particularly pricey for a product you’re not going to get anywhere else in the Centre — but smoking is not a cheap habit to have! Their selection of Zippo lighters is pretty impressive if you are looking for a nice gift for someone special.

I love cigars and consider myself a bit of an aficionado. I also live in Birmingham and have been to this shop around 3 or 4 times. One thing really, really bothers me about this place… the service.
Each and every time I’ve been here, without failure… the staff have made me feel very unwelcome, as if I’ve just walked into their living room and intruded. The last time I visited was with my girlfriend and after a few minutes she asked me if we could leave because she thought we were interrupting something (we were the only customers in there).
I’m a regular cigar smoker and I won’t be buying anything from here. I’ve had excellent experiences with online sellers however — so I now use them, it’s just a shame there isn’t a good tobacconist in Birmingham.

I feel this review should come with a bit of a disclaimer that states that smoking isn’t big or clever but none-​the-​less if you are a smoker (and I’m afraid I am) then this tobacconists is well worth checking out.
As other reviewers have noted it’s probably best known for stocking Cuban cigars — there’s an ashtray on the counter so I guess you can maybe try before you buy and certainly the staff seem to know their stuff.
They also sell loose rolling and pipe tobacco which comes in a variety of yummy flavours — menthol, vanilla, cherry — even chocolate.
This is also the place to pick up Zippo lighters, rizlas of all thicknesses and sizes, Russian cigerettes (y’know the coloured ones), lighter fuel and flints.
I’ve always found the staff really helpful — they’ve helped me refill my lighter when I was being dim and couldn’t see where the petrol went and have even indulged me when I’ve wanted to take a closer look at some of the pipe tobaccos (some of the packet designs are lovely).

Now if you’re not a cigar connoisseur expect to be received with slight indifference and impatience. But I suppose you won’t have many reasons to frequently visit a tobacconist’s if you don’t smoke a lot of things containing tobacco.
Anyway I went here to buy a fine cigar for my Pops and I was hastily asked question about what style, what region and what brand of cigar my Dad smoked. I only have a small amount of cigar smoking experience, so I pretend I knew what I was talking about and just went for the one with the impressive, ornamental case.
They probably have more of a rapport with fellow cigar lovers. I imagine they were probably frustrated that they had to show round another wide-​eyed cigar novice who had no experience of appreciating the age-​old art.
Anyway, I was impressed by the store and I would probably smoke more if their weren’t umpteen health risks associated with the practice.
Ultimately, I went in search for a fine cigar and came out with a fine cigar.

Based in the Great Western Arcade, I found this little shop, but wasn’t too pleased about the service.
Shopping for a present for a friend, who’s a heavy smoker, I thought this place could shed some light on what would be best to buy, but they weren’t very welcoming, or helpful.
They do have a good selection of products, lighters, cigars, pipes, and have also branched out covering shaving gear, cups, clocks, ceramic ash trays, and even have boat and ship models on display for sale, they don’t make you feel welcome, to the point you wish you hadn’t entered.
Specialist tobacconists are very difficult to find, especially in high streets, and this is the 1^st I have ever come across, but won’t be visiting again.
It could be good or useful to you if you know what you want and know exactly what you need and want to buy, otherwise don’t bother.
(my friend will have to make do with matches…)