First to decorate

The tell-tale tinsel appeared at the bottom of the tall glass frontage well before any of the other shops had begun to think about Christmas. For some reason, chemists' shops in Scotland have always been at the forefront of decorating for Christmas. Perhaps because in the not-so-distant past they cornered the market in Christmas gifts. Flowery talcum powder. Bath cubes (whatever happened to bath cubes?). Boxed sets of handkerchiefs. Old Spice aftershave. I wonder if much has changed?


Paton and Finlay chemist's is in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh - a 'village' within the city reminiscent of a Parisien 'quartier'.