We used to roll our own pills and make all sorts of ‘bottles'.
Editor’s Note: Edna was born in 1932 in Wallsend and took part in the Hand in Hand Reminiscence project in 2008.
My first job was with T R Boon, the chemist on High Street East, Wallsend. It was a really traditional chemist’s shop with a very high counter, lots of mahogany wood drawers and sparkling glass. I was very young, probably about 15 years old and felt that I was very lucky to have such a responsible job. I did lots of things in the shop, which was very busy, and Mr Boon was very good at training me to do new things. He would say: “Miss Tennant, if I was to ask you how to do X or Y, how would you do it?” I was always nervous giving him an answer but finished by saying: “I would come and ask you if I wasn’t sure.” That was always the right thing to say!
The way chemists worked in those days were different to the way they do now. We would take delivery of all the medicines in bulk and then put them up in papers and bottles for the customers when they came in. We used to roll our own pills and make all sorts of ‘bottles’. I really enjoyed it.