Coal fires back in the day gave us blankets of fog.
In November peasoupers you only saw a yard ahead.
Going out a scarf covering your nose and mouth.
Or you’d stay indoors and keep warm instead.

A peasouper would be a phenomenon these days.
Something the kids will have never seen before.
Caused by coal and coke, and gas and oil,
And other industrial pollutants post-war.

For five days people coughed and spluttered
As a smog enveloped London in December ‘52
The city came to a standstill and thousands died
Just because of the things we sent up the flue.