Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishAs a 90-something former Tory government whip, who had worked in naval intelligence at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, Baroness Trumpington was not everyone’s idea of a typical cigar smoker.But after sneaking her first smoke in a pigsty as a schoolgirl, she had developed into an enthusiastic connoisseur of a good cigar.The formidable peer was 92 when she made this admission to me, after she had been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Cigar Smoker Of The Year event organised by Boisdale, the restaurant group I founded.The occasion is on my mind because earlier this month it emerged that the Labour Government is preparing to take its war on cigars and cigar smokers to a deeply concerning new level – of which more later.The annual Boisdale Cigar Awards are one of my life’s great pleasures, an opportunity to pay homage to a few of my heroes in the worlds of entertainment, politics, sport and fine dining.And few were as diverting as Baroness Trumpington, who – despite combining her cigar-smoking with a 60-a-day Woodbine habit for many years – lived to the grand old age of 96.As we chatted after she had accepted her award, I confessed that I had a sneaking admiration for Cuba’s cigar-toting communist leader, Fidel Castro. ‘Oh,’ she responded breezily, ‘I received the most wonderful box of cigars from Castro.’My jaw dropped. Queen Camilla, pictured in Italy last week, was the talk of the Boisdale Cigar Awards in 2014‘They weren’t really meant for me,’ she said. ‘El Comandante sent several boxes to Prince Charles. And, of course, he doesn’t smoke but he knows how fond I am of cigars.’Castro’s brand of choice for diplomatic gifts was the Cohiba Lanceros. One box of 50 I know of sold for £12,000 at a charity dinner – and that was more than 30 years ago.The 2014 event was extra special for another reason, too – it was the year we paid tribute to both the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the star of the Channel 4 sitcom Frasier, Kelsey Grammer.Arnie held up his trophy and, with a mischievous smile, announced: ‘Of all the global awards I have ever received, for body building, film and politics, this award is the most recent.’He also told us of the power that cigars have to unite political rivals.As governor of California, he said: ‘I erected a tent in the atrium of the State Capitol office in Sacramento, where we could smoke the famous Cuban cigars and eat sauerkraut or whatever. Kelsey Grammer told Tom Parker Bowles about meeting his mother Camilla, now the Queen‘We had Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, coming down for meetings, and this is where we got most of our work done – by smoking cigars, taking our jackets off, ripping our ties off and having something in common.’That night Kelsey turned to Tom Parker Bowles, who was hosting the event, and claimed: ‘I met your mother, Camilla, at the White House about a decade ago and, as I was taking a picture, I felt a little squeeze on my right buttock. And I turned and, in a very wistful, impish way, this woman said to me, “So nice to finally meet you… in the flesh”.’All credit to Tom, who simply gave a shrug and sighed: ‘Mothers, eh?’Only a prig of the most bloodless kind could object to such a life-affirming celebration of the pleasure cigars bring. Which is why it’s no surprise that bores in the Labour administration are intent on stubbing out one more way of enjoying tobacco. Earlier this month, the killjoys of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health stated they want plain packaging for cigars – which will be death to the luxury brands – and suggested the Government close down cigar-sampling rooms attached to specialist tobacconists – such as the one we have at Boisdale of Canary Wharf.Smoking indoors on public premises has been outlawed since 2007 by the king of the killjoys, Tony Blair. After much negotiation, a begrudging exception was made for sampling rooms, which enable a customer to try the taste and quality of a brand before purchasing.But because of the stringent conditions attached – the rooms must be completely air-tight and enclosed and must not ventilate into any smoke-free area – there are only about 20 of them in the country. You might imagine that Labour would appreciate the revenue cigars bring. They are taxed on the weight of their tobacco, so per stick contribute 15 to 25 times more to the Exchequer than cigarettes. Cigars are also 30 to 50 times more expensive, which contributes substantial VAT receipts.And who will this new law protect? No one ever enters a cigar sampling room unwillingly – they are all aficionados of the delights of fermented tobacco who have made an informed decision to enjoy the occasional smoke.In fact, the average smoker of handmade cigars – or coronas – in Britain will indulge only once or twice a month.And unlike cigarettes, cigars are meant to be tasted, not inhaled.The flavour is rolled around the mouth, instead of being taken down into the lungs. These are luxuries, not staples. It takes at least 30 minutes to enjoy a cigar properly, and often an hour – unlike cigarettes, which last just a few minutes. Kelsey Grammer and Ranald Macdonald at the cigar awards in 2014Very few people smoke more than one good cigar in a day, though there have been famous exceptions. Winston Churchill was one, and – naturally – Castro was another.Though we shared absolutely no common ground politically, I always found Cuba’s supreme leader to be a fascinating, charismatic man.Our most memorable meeting came when I attended a cigar dinner in Havana at the Habanos Festival during the early 2000s.The moment the president walked in, wearing fatigues and his trademark olive-green peaked army cap, a thrill went through the place as if Elvis had materialised in a room full of schoolgirls.He then walked up to the microphone on the stage, and rambled on till well after midnight.Every time he stopped for a moment, indicating the impromptu speech had come to a close, the room would erupt in thunderous applause. Unfortunately, this only encouraged him, and he would start up again.In all, the man who had stood up to say a few unscripted words ended up speaking for three-and-a-half hours – the booked musicians of the Buena Vista Social Club ensemble never got to play a note. Quite extraordinary.I find it bizarre that Labour politicians, who presumably have much more sympathy with socialist revolutionaries than I do, harbour such a puritanical loathing of Cuba’s greatest product: the cigar.But it is typical of a Government in the grip of a bitter class war.If it is not private schools in their crosshairs, it is family-run farms and hereditary peers – and now they are coming after the genteel cigar lounge.Yet they are mistaken if they think that only one type of person frequents these places.Magnificent brands such as Montecristo and Cohiba can unite the mostly unlikely people.Among the recipients of our annual award are two heavyweight boxing champions, David Haye and Derek Chisora, and the actors Ray Winstone, Burt Reynolds, Dougray Scott and Charlie Sheen.The music business has been represented, too, by record producers Paul Oakenfold and Pete Waterman, and Duran Duran’s lead singer Simon Le Bon.When it comes to explaining the cigar’s special appeal, perhaps Jeremy Irons, 2018’s Cigar Smoker Of The Year, put it best: ‘Smoking cigarettes is sex, cigars are making love.’That’s an echo of the most famous cigar quote of all, from Rudyard Kipling: ‘A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.’ It’s a wonderful line, but I would never have dared to quote it to the redoubtable Baroness Trumpington.Ranald Macdonald is the founder and managing director of Boisdale restaurants.
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