Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Edwardian Chemist Shop Interior Survivor
Walking along Green Lanes just now, Liz pointed out to me a rare survival in the chemist at 571 Green Lanes (between Hewitt and Allison).
Thanks to Joe the owner for allowing me to take the picture above. Joe's been there now many years and he says the frame was in situ when he arrived. There used to be an old cabinet beneath it as well but sadly this was stolen during renovation work.
Liz has a theory that many of the chemist shops on Green Lanes have been chemists for decades. This one certainly supports that theory. Joe said it was operating as a chemist called Wilson's when he bought it and that business had been going since the Sixties.
In 1901 it was running as George Brodie, Cutler (Here's a picture from the same era of a cutlers on Turnpike Lane). And here's a low resolution picture of 571 Green Lanes in the Thirties. It's not clear enough to make out what it was trading as in those days, but I've asked Michael Anderson to check his 1930 Kelly's.
I love these finds when the history is so tangible. Even on the outside, you can see the old sign beneath the new one (It looks like it says CHEMIST).
The old sign survives.
The stonework also looks like it still shows Edwardian and 1930s/40s paint colours.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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When I was a teen ( not actually as far back as Edwardian times ) I used to mess around with chemistry sets and often went to the local chemists to buy a bottle of conc Hydrochloric or Nitric acid. Add the hydrochloric to aluminium and you get chlorine gas.
Don't suppose Boots would sell me those now
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Permalink Reply by matthew cuthbert on
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your lucky to be still here, did it make you ill? We were made to clear the pool, after a chlorine leak at the pump house, (probably in greater concentrations.)
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Sent you a message about this Hugh. It was Young and Harrison chemist in 1935 so trading as such for maybe a 100 years or more.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Hulbert on
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I wonder what it would take to get the old sign restored?
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Permalink Reply by TTTH on
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Thinking the same Richard - is this research part of the regeneration of the High Road? It would be great to get traditional shop fronts to match the Victorian buildings.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Sadly this is just me / others with an interest. My understanding is that the cost of re-establishing a heritage shop front is high. The regeneration money will accomplish that to some extent, but the number of shops that can be helped is very limited.
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Can you record the absence of what we see on this post, to show what has been removed?
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The top image (of a surviving remnant) of an Edwardian Chemist, was sold for a thousand pounds by the philistines that bought the store. Who's going to stop them anyway, this isn't Upper Street, and this isn't Islington Council. Thank you for saving this for our own memory. I don't know if this should land squarely at Stern's the Chemist.
By the way the greedy Landlord of the old 'Walk in Surgery,' a few doors up, (which was brilliant for those not registered at a doctors surgery,) still has the NHS paying rent for an empty store, he isn't interested in Selling or renting, to release the NHS.
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