Senior Service (cigarette)

Senior Service was launched in 1925 by "J.A. Pattreiouex Ltd", a company that was acquired by Gallaher in 1937. Senior Service is no longer available in the United Kingdom, and was one of the most expensive brands available for purchase. In 1999, the Senior Service cigarette factory that produced the Senior Service cigarettes on Ashton Road, Hyde, Greater Manchester was closed down and later demolished in 2011. It had opened in 1905, and manufactured cigarettes until 1999, when production was moved to Northern Ireland ==Packaging==

The pack is white, with an orange-blue stripe at the top. The new pack removed the orange and instead put two seagulls on either side of the pack. The brand's emblem is a sailing ship, with on the side two olive tree branches and on top a crown. Underneath is written "Senior Service" with underneath that the words "The perfection of Cigarette Luxury". The old packs had the words "Fine Virginia" written instead. On the reverse side of the original packaging, the words "A Product of the Master Mind." were written. ==In popular culture==

James Bond smokes Senior Service cigarettes in Ian Fleming's novels, Goldfinger, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, and The Man with the Golden Gun. It has appeared at 28' on Aki Kaurismaki's film I Hired a Contract Killer (1990). Senior Service was mentioned by Polly Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Series 3 Episode 4. They are mentioned in the film The Bank Job. Patricia Routledge, playing the mundane monologuer Kitty, first originated on Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, describes the fictional and unseen producer of the supposed television show as stubbing out her Senior Service when they meet. Elvis Costello wrote a song titled "Senior Service" in 1979 with many references to smoking a cigarette. Senior Service was reportedly the favourite brand of Costello's producer, Nick Lowe. Senior Service was mentioned on the Only Fools and Horses episode "The Yellow Peril" as Joan Trotter's brand of cigarette. Detective Inspector Harris offers a Senior Service cigarette to Melville Farr in the film Victim (1961). In the movie Mortelle randonnée, Isabelle Adjani smokes Senior Service cigarettes. The Still Game episode "Aff" from 2004 features pensioner Winston Ingram favouring the brand, declaring "Senior Service, nae arsing aboot wi yer poofy Silkys", referencing to the difference in strength of tobacco between Senior Service and Silk Cut. His 80-a-day habit resulted in his right leg being amputated. In the novel Zone of Interest, chapter III ("Grey Snow"), the protagonist Angelus Thomsen asks a British inmate if he likes Senior Service cigarettes. ==See also==