12th January 2013 - O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick.

Seems that January 12th is National Pharmacist day. This has certain interests as after starting to clear the basement - we came upon a number of old documents that have been held in a box over a couple of house moves -one of which was the birth certificate of my paternal grandfather. Following some searches using google and some history we discover that my Great Grandfather was a Chemist - in Fulham - London, not so far from where Susie's ancestors plied their wares.

Of course, in my family I have discovered more about my paternal side of the family through research rather than direct information. I remember my Grandmother, a Grandma rather than a Nanny, from Scotland, and she baked Grandma's special biscuits - coconut and chocolate.  I remember Grandpa, he sat in the corner and smoked his pipe, but he wasn't my Grandfather I found out later .. he was my grandmother's brother - a Grand uncle I think.  My father did not speak of his father, some complication about running off with another woman and marrying her without divorcing his current wife, but rumour tells me that he was in the Merchant Navy, and was an electrician - and was responsible for bringing the "talkies" into Scottish Cinema - but that may be a story for another day. I never claimed that my ancestors had a simple life....

But now, through the certificates, we can trace his father back to the apothecary business in Fulham. And Google allows us to find the actual house that he was born in - and that business strangely is still a Chemist.

So, after all these years, the Pharmacist Day, brings me a small insight into the past and the present.

Personally, I do not like to take pills. 

But history is never bitter sweet .....unless writ by Shakespear