Old Boots sign is indispensable for Monica

IT'S an advertising boarding like many others but it's certainly not a sign of the times.

A century-old shop front rescued from a Marchmont skip could be among the oldest of its kind in Britain.

The Boots Chemist boarding, which pre-dates the First World War, had been concealed beneath the Argyle Bar's fascia for the last 50 years before a external revamp exposed the high street relic.

Eagle-eyed Monica Higgins, 40, salvaged the historic sign in 2005 and had been keeping it in her nearby shop. She decided to contact Boots archivists at the chemist's HQ in Nottingham last week after selling the business.

Elated researchers say the sign - which dates from 1912 and was broken down into pieces by workmen - will be among the oldest Boots fasciae in their collection.

Judith Wright, an archivist with the chemists, said: "We are really keen to see it and are really quite excited because we haven't had something like this for a very long time.

"There are not many store fasciae in our collection because many end up in the skip.

It's in relatively good condition, we have been told, and while we have seen black and white images of store fronts like this we've never seen a Boots fascia from that era in all it's glory.

"On a scale of uniqueness, it ranks very high. It's very rare for us and possibly one of the oldest Boots signs we have come across."

The chronicler heaped praise on Mrs Higgins for saving the remarkable item from the scrap heap.

She said: "We are grateful to Monica for rescuing it from whatever destiny it was heading for."

The ten-metre long vintage shop sign is emblazoned with distinctive gold lettering which has been hand chiselled from an American hardwood base.

The eye-catching characters of the Boots insignia and slogan stand out against the ox blood red background.

In bold letters it reads: Boots Cash Chemists, which is flanked by a side-bar bearing the words Prescription Dispenser, and its pre-1971 slogan,, Pure Drugs and Chemicals.

Mrs Higgins, who owned a nearby florists for more than decade, said it was her hoarding instincts which helped to preserve the sign.

She added: "I suppose I have always been a magpie but when you have a shop, as I did round the corner, you have plenty of space to store things and that's what I did with the Boots sign.

"When I sold my business I had to find homes for all the things I had been hoarding. I thought it was quite beautiful. Thought maybe I should return it to its rightful home.

"I just wish I could have got to the sign earlier so it was cut up more appropriately."

Mrs Higgins said archivists scoured their database and concluded that a Boots store did exist in Argyle Place from about 1912-1953.