An untidy vista of dust ridden shelves, many still loaded with all manner of make me look good, smell good and feel good products. But, in amongst the neglected chaos of an abandoned, modern pharmacy, I couldn’t help but notice some beautiful, unique pieces of history. Old pharmaceutical bottles, antique weighing scales, hand bound prescription books, an old mahogany counter, dark wooden cornices with beautiful hand carved scrolls. And then, tucked around the corner in the back of the 80s consulting room, a set of old apothecary drawers with moulded glass knobs. Each drawer labelled with a gold leaf glass plate showing the name of the chemical or potion that they would have been tasked to contain.

A brief detour upstairs to the rented flat where the Victorian pharmacist would have resided. As if to underline the twist of fate and a new future beckoning as an art space, a captivating painting on an easel, created by the current tenant, an environmental scientist working at the University. There was an overwhelming sense that this was meant to be.  Art. Science. Health. Alchemy. I’d found exactly what I’d been looking for all along without even realizing it.