FEATURE
Burton-on-T rack
The sixth Vapouround Lounge is open for business
BY GORDON STRIBLING
The arrival of a new lounge is always a special occasion for
Vapouround, so it was no surprise that so many of the team
headed to Burton to celebrate the opening of our sixth lounge. Of
course, the prospect of finger food and prosecco may have had
something to do with it.
As each site opens, more vapers are welcomed into the
Vapouround fold, including curious smokers keen to find out
whether e-cigarettes live up to the growing hype.
The doors opened at 9am and we expected the first influx of
customers to arrive mid-morning. But before the first hour had
passed, Instagrammer and local lad @bigmanvapes came by to
check out the new lounge and wish us well. It’s always great to
see the thriving online vape community supporting their local high
street vape shop. It’s vitally important that lounge staff are both
passionate and knowledgeable about vaping, but I was impressed
to see just how effortlessly Sean and Jane fielded the many
questions thrown at them throughout the day. Sean is also pretty
nifty at vape tricks. Every ten minutes or so he’d casually blow a
chain of doughnut-like rings. With sweet vapour permeating the
room, it’s no wonder the buffet didn’t last very long.
As the afternoon rolled on, word got out that a good friend
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of Vapouround was to make an appearance. I had not met
Vapouround regular Darren Middleton before, but after his arrival
I soon realised why he’d made such a positive impression on the
team at our flagship lounge in Derby’s town centre.
“After falling ill and being unable to get around as much as before,
I began to see less and less of my friends,” said Darren. “At first,
vaping was just about quitting smoking. I had a basic cigalike
which I’d fill with liquids from a local convenience store. But then
I got involved in the vaping community and have since made
some great friends. Visiting my friends at the Derby lounge and
attending expos has given me a reason to get out-and-about. I
also post online reviews and plan on doing more of these in the
near future.”
Darren had more motivation than most to quit cigarettes as his
doctor told him that smoking made his medical symptoms worse.
Like the majority of medical professionals he’s encountered, his
doctor was very supportive of his decision to switch to vaping.
As the day drew to a close, I reflected on Darren’s story. For many
people, vaping is about more than just quitting cigarettes. It’s
about being part of a community. Now the vapers of Burton-upon-
Trent have a vibrant hub that brings them together.