Monday 23 September 2013

The Chemist and Healthy Remedies

In the days before NHS Direct and Googling your symptoms for a cure, most of us

remember our mother's remedies for our ills. This ranged from the many uses of Vicks

to rubbing margarine on a bump on the head.


I remember us children also getting margarine rubbed on to a burn. Not sure where my

Grandma got that one from but no one seemed to realise at the time that your skin was 

actually now frying.

My Granda was a medic in the RAMC in WW1, so he must have passed on this 'remedy' 

from his experiences. 


didn't pass on this greasy tradition to my own children (fortunately) as memories 

of a throbbing, stinging forehead with your hair sticking to the poorly spot are not at all 

pleasant.



Vicks vapour rub had many uses. We remember it getting rubbed on our chests, inhaling it


from in a steaming bowl with a towel over your head and even swallowing a spoonful of 

the amazing stuff.






                                                                                    


This cured anything from blocked up noses, to sore throats, bad coughs and aching

muscles. It must be good stuff, as of course it's still going today.


There have been a number of Chemists over the years, before the Weldricks that we have

now on the High Street. Each of us remembers things differently but we are almost in 

agreement that Gorrils was on Morrell Street in the early 60s and then moved to the High 

St, where Kate's Kitchen is today.


There was the Chemist Leslie Walker and the Pharmacist on High St was Mr Lane. Mr Lane was always concerned that you understood clearly what your medicine was for.    Cath Reeve worked there for 3 weeks when she first left school and remembers him being rather scary ! 
He was followed by Mr Stanley.

Jean Whinfrey remembers her cousin Angela working there and can also remember falling down at the fair across the road and  her mum took her across to get a plaster.

(Before this the corner shop was Panes, which was a grocery store and Jean remembers 

going to the shop with a small basket when she was only four and lived on Manor Rd.)

You could get hair lacquer spray bottles filled up for sixpence in those days !

Eileen Everton worked in Walkers chemist on Morrell St in 1960. She remembers the boss 

being a plumpish man with very dark hair

Also the shop  opposite the bus stop at the Queens was the same owner at that time and 

she had to go over sometimes for things they didn't have.





Julie Sullivan remembers that it always smelled lovely inside the chemist shop and getting

Miners makeup from there.  (Miners being the name of the company who  made it -

though maybe some Maltby miners got there makeup from here too )







Robert Swan remembers Lloyds chemist, High St  with the dispensary being round 


the back up 3 or 4 steps.


In Doreen's era, the Queens chemist was Walkers, Gorrils was on the corner of Manor Rd,

next to Bowyers.



(Doreen and Hilda remember Harold Gorrill being a very nice man, in the church choir and

carrying the cross)



Everything comes full circle as we know and this well remembered delicacy has gone from

being on the chemist counter for a 1d a stick, then disappearing for many years and then 

coming back into fashion again as a real healthy treat ! 




Get it in all good health food shops now, but don't expect much change from a £1.





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