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Hat’s brilliant say smokers

11:35am Tuesday 27th November 2007

comment Comments (40)   Have your say »


IT'S quite rare for non-smokers to give a second thought to the needs of those who consume the evil weed.

But non-smoking hotelier Chaz Charlton has done just that - by inventing the mobile smoking shelter.

Mr Charlton, who owns the Clifton Hotel on Portland, developed the idea alongside hotel manager Mark Pollard.

The mobile shelter - available to guests and staff - is an umbrella large and light enough for people to wear to cover their heads and shoulders.

Portland born and raised Mr Charlton, 41, said the idea was born of necessity.

He said: "Basically, there was a planning issue when it came to putting up a smoking shelter.

"Plus, the Clifton gets strong winds coming off the cliffs from behind the hotel, so we couldn't put a shelter up there or out the front.

"So we came up with these shelters as a way for people to stand out the front and smoke and not worry about the wind and rain so much."

The hotel now provides boxes filled with the mobile shelters' for its patrons' and staff members' to use as they need.

"The customers love it," said Mr Charlton, "and the staff quite like them too.

"I don't smoke but I'm not against smokers either.

"I'm against the policy made for smokers to ensure they smoke outdoors.

"All it does is separate people and make it less likely for smokers and non-smokers to interact with each other.

"People just used to accept the atmosphere in pubs but now everyone has to split up.

"These shelters have proven to be very popular with guests aged 18 to 65."

Mr Pollard said: "We came up with the idea together.

"Once we had the idea we went on to the Internet to see if we could find some hats suitable.

"They've been especially popular because of the torrential rain we've been having."


Your Say YourDorset Echo

Alf, says...
12:21pm Tue 27 Nov 07

"All it does is separate people and make it less likely for smokers and non-smokers to interact with each other.


Which is good news for non-smokers.

Albo, Wyke Regis says...
12:25pm Tue 27 Nov 07

I'm not say ing they're behind the times up on Portland, but I hear rumours that the so-called "horseless carriage" will be making an appearance on the streets of Easton soon.

charles Johnston, weymouth says...
12:28pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Dont they know smoking is unfashionable like their the trendy hats?
Im not sure what is worse for your health the Hats of the fags.

Megan, portland says...
12:59pm Tue 27 Nov 07

I think they are a brilliant idea, i for definate will be wearing them on my visit to the Clifton A* thinking Chaz and Mark :)

chris, says...
1:13pm Tue 27 Nov 07

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
it just keeps getting better

Andy W, Weymouth says...
1:38pm Tue 27 Nov 07

How much did they get paid to wear those stupid hats? I for one will be pointing and laughing if I see they out and about, but I don't go to the island, fear of running out of petrol and having the AA man tow me away with his horse and cart!!

Mike, says...
1:55pm Tue 27 Nov 07

What a good idea. I'M sure other pubs will adopt it.

cincybimmer, cincinnati says...
2:23pm Tue 27 Nov 07

those hats have been around for awhile now. 10+ at least, old folks in Florida use them for the sun and random rain showers.
Way to be creative by "inventing" an existing product.

cincybimmer, cincinnati says...
2:33pm Tue 27 Nov 07

sorry for the double comment but I have to do it. check out ebay.

http://search.ebay.c
om/search/search.dll
?from=R40&_trksid=m3
7&satitle=umbrella+h
at&category0=

Tom, USA says...
2:55pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Looks like St Louis Cardinals Left Fielder Lou Brock's Brock-a-brella, patented in 1977.
http://www.google.co
m/patents?vid=USPAT4
131954

The Kast, Here and there says...
3:06pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Back in the olden days, like 1984 - 1985 I had one of those. I think that I sold it for a smoke.

Jared, USA says...
3:31pm Tue 27 Nov 07

I'd rather stand in the wind and rain with out the hat,catch cold and give it to everyone else than wear that umbrella hat...I mean portable smoking shelter.

Gerry, Florida, USA says...
4:10pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Mr. Charlton really needs to go to the dictionary and look up the word "invent"....
I dont think it means what HE thinks it means...

Cheryl, Chicago says...
4:21pm Tue 27 Nov 07

This newspaper can't even get their headlines grammatically correct. Not to mention they're running a story on a type of hat that I owned 15 years ago. Way to be on top of the news.

How embarrassing, for the ECHO HO HO says...
4:23pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Intrersting that half the populaion of the USA have heard of Portland (they have several), but, predictably, the Slingers are still living in their own little world !
At least this non-story generated lots of good comments, keep it up ECHO-HO-HO, it's what your good at !!

Stan Perks, Weymouth says...
4:31pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Chaz Charlton, you have invented nothing but a **** n bull story. Have you invented the actual product itself? (i think not) or have you invented the idea that this will take on across the country? (again I think not)

These "shelters" have been round for years.

I suggest you stick these umbrellas where the sun don't shine (and I'm not referring to Portland)

http://www.sillyjoke
s.co.uk/dress-up/acc
/hats/char/umbrella-
hat.html


Dorset Echo - Give the people proper stories and not this sort of tripe. Your a provider of news not tat.

Jim Bloomberger, NY,NY,USA says...
4:53pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Stan Perks just said

"Dorset Echo - Give the people proper stories and not this sort of tripe. Your a provider of news not tat."

Sorry, Stan, I'm afraid you are wrong.
The ECHO-HO-HO is a comic providing endless entertainment with their non-stories which they do not check so we can take the p1ss out of them !
It's what they do best, and, as you see, have a huge following from all over the world.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, IT'S GOOD PRACTICE FOR THE DISTORTER ON CARNIVAL DAY !

robb, America says...
5:11pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Oh, not such an original idea...'Mobile Shelter' simple google search for umbrella hat would show some more colorful versions that have been around forever..Check the patent office or check your sources before you say something is original. Journalism 101...

the joker, weymouth says...
5:32pm Tue 27 Nov 07

a good idea by two chaps trying to get publicity for there hotel anyone taking this seriosly ,i expect it from the yanks but weymouth wheres your humour gone

Stan Perks, Weymouth says...
5:34pm Tue 27 Nov 07

I have found a use for the hats. New headline on the front page Boys aged 10 and 13 ‘threw human faeces’


Venu rampalli, Dallas says...
6:53pm Tue 27 Nov 07

These things rock! I light one up ever 20 minutes and all the rain in Dallas this year has made the smoking experience un-enjoyable! Thanks! bold]bold

Goat Wrangler, Waxahachie, TX says...
6:59pm Tue 27 Nov 07

I wonder how many smokrs use these. Looks g@y! I had a similar idea back in '87 It just consisted of a plastic bag and a rubberband and you put it over your head and smoke it up til you turn blue. Then Darwin takes care of the rest.

Garribaldi, on top of old smokey says...
7:00pm Tue 27 Nov 07

There should be a Government warning on these hats.
Mine burst into flames when I lit up !

June, down-under says...
11:02pm Tue 27 Nov 07

Weymouth and Portland, freakshow of the world, aided, abetted and advertised by the Dorset Echo.

In fact, even one of your tin-pot councillors agrees.

Found on-line (doesn't matter what the subjectb was, because it's a comment that fits everything in Weymouth): On 5th June Weymouth Council’s Leisure, Tourism and Community officer Ian James commented: “It was just a miss and we are really depressed because it’s a freak occurrence."

No Mr James, by Weymouth's standards it's freakish not to be a freak.

On the other hand, if you are depressed by freaks, then your life can't be worth living.

btw, is Basil Fawlty also one of your local business leaders?

Mighty Mike O., Manhattan Beach, California says...
12:42am Wed 28 Nov 07

Sorry, but that guy didn't invent anything. All he did was buy a few cases of brockabrellas, which have been around for about 40 years now.

The devils advocate, Portland...working in Aus says...
1:35am Wed 28 Nov 07

So where to start on this one…. perhaps the fascist people who think it is their right to ban people from doing something that is legal and the government make millions on a year. I dare say you will be campaigning next to stop open fires in pubs, cars from belching out harmful fumes and anything else that could cause cancer…hell why you are at it ban the sun so people no longer get skin cancer… The next step for you lot will be like going back in time 60 odd years and start invading other countries. Or is it the politically incorrect and derogatory language you all seem to be using about Portland on this thread. If we were independent of you plebs I would certainly be looking at contacting the authorities for incitement to racial hatred.
Ok so the Clifton has made it the laughing stock of the south west, but hey get a humour bone in you and stop being such uptight plebs that you lot from that area collectively known as Weymouth (hell I bet half of you don’t even live in Weymouth and would not know where it is anyway) and I dare say you ignorant morons who don’t know where Weymouth is will be bleating on soon enough that the Olympics is being held in Weymouth harbour…(that big bit of water that is infact Portland harbour)

It is strange why a lot of people from over the pond has made a comment here and as I am off Australia now it is quite good to find someone from this part on the thread too…


Ian Berry, Bathurst Australia says...
3:09am Wed 28 Nov 07

To the Devil's Advocate.... hahaha! Just thought you'd like to know that the rules are even more draconian over here. In Queensland, for instance, you cannot have a smoke within 4 metres of a commercial building. Interesting to note that the unexpected result of this crazy policy is that the middle of the road is now about the only place you can have a smoke. In some restaurant zones you can see dozens of people standing in the middle of the street, dodging the traffic and having a smoke.

I agree with you... how can a legal product be so outlawed. The reason is that there's too much in it for the Government and the be elected out in a flash if they dared ban it.

Happy smoking and enjoy OZ

Gaffer, NZ says...
4:02am Wed 28 Nov 07

Brilliant. But surely they should be made of RABBIT fur? I still remember the headline in t'Echo in the 70s when we had 2 popes in a year: "Pope dies again."

Grumpy, Wyke says...
9:25am Wed 28 Nov 07

looking at where most of these comments come from it would seem that our colonial friends have more interest in these "old hat" hats than we do.How sad is that we must as a nation give these people more to think about.And that includes me.

Portland Resident, England says...
12:47pm Wed 28 Nov 07

I cannot believe that people are taking this so seriously. It was meant to try and put a little bit of humour and colour back into some of the ridiculous laws we now have to abide to. If you live in Weymouth and you don't like it, simply don't go to Portland, I'm sure you wont be missed. As for the miserable Americans comments that used to put bags over his head with a bit of elastic, I think I have a spare piece of rope I'd like you to use instead. I really don't think that you are in a position to criticise what we do in our country when your own is such a disastrous state. Of the above 30 or so comments, only 4 are from people who live on Portland, how sad that 26 of you feel it necessary to slag of something that has no effect on you whatsoever, what dull, pathetic lives you must live. I for one will continue to use the Clifton on Portland as I have done for a number of years now. Cheers...

terry.jackson, wyke says...
1:54pm Wed 28 Nov 07

Whats wrong with using an umbrella?

Freddy Fingers, Portland says...
3:09pm Wed 28 Nov 07

in reply to Terry Jacksons comment "whats wrong with using an umbrella" our fingers cant quite grasp an umbrella!

Buster the Bunny, Portland says...
3:24pm Wed 28 Nov 07

Chaz at The Clifton, after being interviewed and filmed by the BBC today has now come up with the inventive idea of mobile dog walking shelters for people and dogs.
WHAT DO THE YANKS THINK OF THAT?

joe, portland says...
4:53pm Wed 28 Nov 07

chaz could not run taxis it seems the same for the Clifton use the bus shelter out side

James Young, Dorchester says...
11:19am Thu 29 Nov 07

The devils advocate wrote:
So where to start on this one…. perhaps the fascist people who think it is their right to ban people from doing something that is legal and the government make millions on a year. I dare say you will be campaigning next to stop open fires in pubs, cars from belching out harmful fumes and anything else that could cause cancer…hell why you are at it ban the sun so people no longer get skin cancer… The next step for you lot will be like going back in time 60 odd years and start invading other countries. Or is it the politically incorrect and derogatory language you all seem to be using about Portland on this thread. If we were independent of you plebs I would certainly be looking at contacting the authorities for incitement to racial hatred. Ok so the Clifton has made it the laughing stock of the south west, but hey get a humour bone in you and stop being such uptight plebs that you lot from that area collectively known as Weymouth (hell I bet half of you don’t even live in Weymouth and would not know where it is anyway) and I dare say you ignorant morons who don’t know where Weymouth is will be bleating on soon enough that the Olympics is being held in Weymouth harbour…(that big bit of water that is infact Portland harbour) It is strange why a lot of people from over the pond has made a comment here and as I am off Australia now it is quite good to find someone from this part on the thread too…
What is strange is that smokers are a breed of people who don't give a toss about the effect that their disgusting habit has on those of us around them who value our health. I, for example, suffer from asthma. What gives you the right to put my health at risk in such a cavalier manner ?

It's also strange to here them referring to their habit as "legal" when the law has clearly been changed to state that in public places, it certainly isn't.

Of course, had smokers been a little more considerate of those around them, no legislation would have been necessary.

I personally think that the hats are a wonderful idea. I would suggest that the sides are enclosed to, in order to protect the smoker from the kind of horizontal rain we get down here sometimes.

There would be a useful side effect in that the smoke gathering in the hat would give the smoker the benefit of passive smoking too, which would serve to remove these selfish fellows from the gene pool for posterity.

LEC, Dorchester says...
11:52am Thu 29 Nov 07

Quite simply not the truth Sir. The vast majority of smokers are considerate. I don’t inflict my smoking on anybody other than myself and my fellow smokers. Those that are less considerate, will inevitably be heckled and berated by anti-smoking fascists like you...

The devils advocate, Portland says...
9:07am Mon 3 Dec 07

James young. What a sad pathetic little individual you are…it is people like you that end up invading other countries with “The final solution”
Smokers are normally considerate. I have known smokers to voluntarily move away from people who don’t smoke. It is a legal thing to buy…if it was not for smokers you will probably have to pay for your NHS visits.
A change of tune from me has been brought about. OK so the hats are still daft and you idiots from England will probably still think that in your narrow minded selfish little brains…but the publicity the pub has got from this is priceless.

Ohh And sad act...I will let you jump on my head after a 5 mile run...If you can keep up you old weeze bag

Ian J, Dorset says...
3:50pm Mon 3 Dec 07

All those comments are just fantastic!
I personally think that if you liked that idea then you will lover the this one; goto www.struttergear.com
, infomercials and click on the smoketank (DO NOT watch if easily offended!).

Jac, Weymouth says...
1:17pm Tue 4 Dec 07

For Gods sake calm down you lot!!1 its just a little gimmick...it's got them the publicity hasn't it? Good on ya I say! Shame everyone has taken it so seriously! Lighten up! you'll be saying it affects the Relief Road next!!!

James Young, Dorchester says...
1:43pm Tue 4 Dec 07

The devils advocate wrote:
James young. What a sad pathetic little individual you are…it is people like you that end up invading other countries with “The final solution” Smokers are normally considerate. I have known smokers to voluntarily move away from people who don’t smoke. It is a legal thing to buy…if it was not for smokers you will probably have to pay for your NHS visits. A change of tune from me has been brought about. OK so the hats are still daft and you idiots from England will probably still think that in your narrow minded selfish little brains…but the publicity the pub has got from this is priceless. Ohh And sad act...I will let you jump on my head after a 5 mile run...If you can keep up you old weeze bag
I think that its a bit of a leap to link my views on smoking with genocide, don't you ?

And if you factor in the amount of time lost to industry because of smoking related illness, you'll find that this rubbish you spout about Britain being better off because of smokers is just that.

But...i never said i had a problem with people smoking. I don't. I do, however, have a problem with having to inhale second hand smoke.

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