2013 Pharmacy

History:

•  FISHMONGER  Mrs Martha Farden  1870

The first fishmonger in Primrose Hill was at 46 Chalcot Road from 1868, but this was the first one in Regent’s Park Road. Both shops would probably have bought their fish wholesale from Billingsgate Fish Market near the London docks.

St George’s Dairy, 1972

It was the (Christian) tradition, to eat fish on Fridays. Fish was cheaper than meat. Haddock and kippers were eaten for breakfast. In middle-class families a little fish was sometimes served before the meat course to take the edge off people’s appetites.

In the 1950s there was some local fish-related industry in Dumpton Place, off Gloucester Avenue by the Lansdowne Pub: MacFisheries had Scottish herrings delivered by long-distance lorries and smoked them to make kippers.

• DAIRY  George Arthur 1875-85
• ”  Mrs Annie Satterthwaite   1890-1900
• ”  David Davies 1905-10
• ”  Clement McNeale  1915
• ”  David Morgan Edwards 1920-35
• ” Gerwyn Evans 1940-45
• ”  William Griffiths 1950-70

An elderly resident remembers this dairy having cows’ heads on the wall, and taking a jug in there to be filled with a pint of milk for about twopence. 

Several of these names sound Welsh, and ‘Welsh dairies’ were a tradition in London. (Until about 1987 there was a dairy run by Welsh Mrs Davies at 25 Princess Road.)

• MINIMARKETalso called St George’s Dairy 1972-85

In its last years this dairy was run by a Mr & Mrs Patel.

• PHARMACY          Primrose Pharmacy       1996-present

From 1985 until 1996, when the NHS Surgery expanded from 99 into 97, this pharmacy was in 97.