At 220-222 High Street, between By Design and the Raja, D.P. Mark is a bottle-green fronted dispensing chemist and 'health store' of the old school, filling prescriptions, selling a range of Scholl footware, an impressive selection of mouthwashes and dental care products, cosmetics and perfumes (including the usual Maybelinne and Rimmel ranges and the 'Yardley' which I used to give to my grandmother back in the 1970s). 'For hygiene reasons', customers are asked to 'Please use testers on the back of your hand, thank you'.
Other big lines are baby foods, huggies and pampers, cleaning materials, hair colourants, nicorrette patches, travel sweets, energy sweets, crisps and nuts, sugar free chocolate and confections for diabetics and 'u.v. wise' sunglasses on a revolving stand.
By the entrance, near the baby goods, is a dual purpose blood pressure and weight measuring machine (£1 for blood pressure, 20p for weight), which has a sign on it saying 'No Children Please'. It is out of order. In the window is a sticker saying 'Missed Pill - Oops. Emergency Contraception'. I hope for the sakes of those who need it, that this works.
Directly opposite the 'arcade site', and presumably likely to benefit from the increased trade from the new residents when it is built, D.P. Marks advertises its opposition with a poster calling on people to 'Demonstrate Against The Tower Block!'
They also advertise that "Our Skin Agony Is Over Now Thanks to 'Cure' From 1500BC." This comes courtesy of a product called 'ACCU-Chek Compact Plus', though what this involves is not immediately clear. Nor are the opening hours when this can be purchased, as there was no sign on the door with opening hours that I could discern. Should they be closed, there is also a dispensing chemist at the Co-Op Pharmacy at the other end of the High Street.
Tel. 020 8520 2684.
2008-06-11 @ 19:32