Baby vests and ointment!

I love the look of old fashioned chemists shops. There’s one in my town converted into an opticians. It’s beautiful.
Also old fashioned ironmongers….they had a particular smell

Our chemist was also an optician. We could take our prescriptions there and have our eyes tested at the same time. One of my school friends left at 15 and went to work there and we lost touch. I often wonder what became of her - one of the bright girls who had to leave school early.

My sister worked in a traditional chemists shop when she left school. She used to bring home old stock of make up which was being thrown out. My mother once used a hair dye and it made her hair go lots of different colours. It shouldn't have been used on grey hair. I was about 13 and loved the lipsticks and eye shadows.

I remember a draper’s shop and a chemist’s shop like these in the village where I lived as a child. Pills in little cardboard boxes. It was run by a lady who I assume was a pharmacist. The draper’s sold all sorts of haberdashery and I remember the assistant measuring fabric, trimmings etc by a brass yard rule attached to the back of the glass-topped counter before cutting the amount required. It fascinated me (didn’t have tv back then, so small pleasures...). They modernised over the years but I have fond memories of buying clothes for my son there.

Katek, I still have one of those lovely little winceyette gowns. It was for dd2, born 1980 in Abu Dhabi in March, but still too hot for babygros.
Amazingly enough, the local supermarket (Spinneys) had them.

And who else remembers these, that used to be in chemists’ windows? They’re called apothecaries’ jars - my DF used to work for a glass company that made them. This was one of their very last batch, decades ago now.

Oops, here it is, I hope!

Pic didn’t appear the first time!

Witzend

Pic didn’t appear the first time!

That is odd, Witzend, the picture definitely wasn't there when I saw your post earlier and I assumed you'd not managed to post it, but it's there now.

Odd things are happening with posts, some just don't appear and others appear twice.

The word ointment immediately conjures up a certain smell for me, I think it must be zinc and castor oil.

Those little vests were lovely and I remember the night gowns because 1976 was a hot year and babygros were far too hot for babies to wear even at night.

Does anyone remember Timothy White's and Taylor's? The shop in our town was very long and narrow and old-fashioned.

My mother used to buy hers and my clothes from an old-fashioned drapers' shop with wooden drawers, glass cabinets and new stock would be proudly brought out in very large flat cardboard boxes. It was run by two old ladies (they seemed old but probably weren't).

Then, when I was about 17, I discovered C&A.

DH loved the old-fashioned ironmongers shops.

Callistemon, I love the little hardware shop that’s walking distance from a dd’s house. Not only does he have absolutely everything, he knows exactly where to find it. And knows what you need if you tell him the problem.
Oh, to have one like that near us!

How lovely to see the little gown Witzend - I still think they’re easier than babygros, no problem getting the little legs in and out. I still followed an old custom when my son was born in 1980, that of ‘shortening’. All babies were kept in gowns and matinee jackets until they were 6 weeks old and only then were they put into dresses/rompers. This was in Scotland - was this custom followed elsewhere?

The picture of the winceyette nightgown brought back the lovely memory of when I was expecting our daughter in 1972. I made three little nightgowns and embroidered little ducks,flowers and butterflies on the yokes. I was so proud of them, washed them by hand as we didn’t have a washing machine. By the time daughter no2 came along babygroes had arrived,practical but not so pretty.

There was a little iron mongers in a town close to us. If you wanted two nails they would happily sell you two nails. Probably an expensive way to buy nails but helpful if you don’t want a big box of the things. Sadly the owner has recently retired and sold up.

I remember the old fashioned draper’s shop in my village when I was young. It was run by two elderly spinster sisters. Everything was kept neatly folded in polished glass fronted wooden drawers. There were chairs for the ladies to sit on. The sisters knew everyone by name. When they retired the shop transformed into a laundrette.

Mine all had the nighties at first then the dollies got them! You do still get ointments for bad nappy rash which pharmacists can prescribe on minor ailments. DGS2 frequently had metanium which stains bright yellow. Still has from time to time.

I too remember the waxed brown boxes containing ointment. Although our small town was well supplied with chemists, our doctor had his own pharmacist who apart from preparing ointment, (which always seemed to be yellow with the consistency of Vaseline) also made up medicines and put them in a glass bottle with a cork. The local ironmongers had a special counter to take saucepans to be repaired when they had a hole in the bottom.

My children had a mixture of

my local chemist has lots of old bottles, tins and scales etc in the window, i never walk past without stopping. i grew up with my gran and she used to make my dresses and would buy the buttons and little bows from a shop with all the little drawers, she always decorated my socks and hairbands from those little magical drawers and the lady with a lovely smile and sweets in a drawer. such beautiful memories of my gran.

My eldest daughter had flannel nightdresses and my mother knitted bootees for her. The original babygroes used to let her feet get so cold

I remember being sent by my Mum to our local chemists with a note. Once there I'd be given a package wrapped in brown paper for her. Dr White's!
I had no idea what was in the package.

Sorry, should have read - “my children had a mixture of gowns and babygrows”.

Apparently a long-dead great-aunt of mine used to have just such an old-fashioned draper’s/haberdashery shop - with a jar of sweets on the counter for any visiting children.
My mother remembered it very well, but it was gone before I ever saw it.,

Who else remembers the old fashioned shops where your money and the bill were put into a brass (IIRC) canister, where it whizzed off to whoever handled the money, and your change and receipt came whizzing back?

I must have been very small, since while I remember that, I don’t remember what sort of shop, or whether it was local to us, or near a GP’s house many miles away.

My first job was Timothy Whites&Taylors,top floor chemist,cosmetic and jewellery,basement,housewares,and for some reason Wigs.
I was never suited to the cosmetic section,bull in a china shop scenario.
I wanted,and was placed on the chemist counter,with all the little drawers with latin names,I loved it.
After a year or so,Boots bought Timothy whites out,and I was fortunate enough to be moved to the dispensary,and training began.
All the lovely stock mixtures made up in glass winchester stock bottles,with names in latin,Mist Rhei co, and Nux Vomica,it was my job to make them all up,along with pills and suppositories as part of my training,I loved it.

This was 1968

Oh yes, I remember those canisters for the money Witzend. I especially remember the one in the old Home and Colonial grocery shop. I don’t know what became of H&C but I can imagine the protests there would be at its name today.