Flashback: Chemists in Basingstoke over the decades

In the 18th century they were known as apothecaries, then later on as druggists. They prepared and sold drugs from small shops or stalls in the street.

Basingstoke in the 18th century was blessed with one apothecary who could help his customers with medicines. His name was John Covey, who was mentioned in the 1784 town directory when the town had a population of some 4,000 people.

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Boots the chemist in London Street in 1962 (Image: Contributed)

By 1828 there were three “druggists” and, in 1844, just one more. There were seven chemists in the town in 1952, but only one of those still exists, this being Boots the chemist.

In those days Boots was in London Street in an old building which was originally the Bell Inn. The cellar where various criminals were once imprisoned was the stock room, while the rear yard was used to keep the barrels of vinegar and distilled water which customers used to buy by the pint.

Boots first came to Basingstoke in 1925 and stayed at London Street until 1968, when the business was moved down to the first phase of the new shopping centre, at Westminster House.

In 1981, Boots moved to its present position in Old Basing Mall. The other chemists in 1952 included William Gittoes, whose shop was at 74 Church Street.

He had taken over the chemist business of Bernard Juke, who had moved to upper Wote Street, and over the years, Mr Gittoes set up an opticians and photographic studio as well as being a pharmacist.

When that side of the street was taken over for a new shopping centre, he moved to the New Market Square in 1966. When he died in June 1971, his wife later handed the business over to Superdrug.

In 1999, due to the demolition of the New Market Square, the shop moved to Paddington House in the new shopping centre, then later on to Hampstead House, opposite Woolworths.

In Upper Wote Street, Bernard Jukes had his chemist's shop in 1952. He had previously been in business with Mr G Saunders, but when the latter left Basingstoke, Mr Jukes ran it on his own.

He died in 1956 but the shop was taken over for some years until it closed down in 1996.

The pharmacy was moved to Essex House surgery, on the corner of Essex Road and Worting Road, while the shop was acquired for the British Red Cross charity shop.

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Tom Cooper’s chemists shop in upper Church Street (Image: Contributed)

In upper Church Street, there was Tom Cooper’s chemist shop in those days of the 1950s, who had taken over the business from Egbert Solomon in 1952. He closed down in 1978.

Kenneth Reed had his chemist's shop on the corner of New Street and Flaxfield Road between 1937 and 1978. He also had another shop in Winton Square and at Kings Road, on the South Ham estate.

The Portsea Co-operative Society had a chemist shop in New Street in the 1950s and this moved to Winchester Street when the large Co-op House was built in 1961. But the whole of the Co-operative business closed down in the town centre in the 1980s, and this included the chemists.

On the corner of London Street and Market Place was Timothy Whites and Taylors which, on the London Street side, had a chemists department.

It closed down in 1971 when the hardware section moved to the new shopping centre. Later on, Boots took over the business.

Also in the new shopping centre was Mr J Buchanan’s chemists at Hampstead House, but this later closed down.

Now there are just three chemists in the shopping area of the town, while outside, on housing estates, there are 11. So the town centre is back to the number that was there in 1828.

This article was written by Robert Brown and published in the Gazette on September 24, 2004