My dad used to use some reddish-brown liquid stuff when fiddling about with the plumbing. Don't know what it actually did - maybe sealed joints? - but it made a real pong. Hard to describe it, a sort of industrial smell crossed with embrocation! Viv.
Oops apologies, just realised this is about smells of Brum, but then the house, the pipes and my dad doing the DIY were all in Brum!