Rimmington's historic pharmacy has been in Bradford 180 years

“Rimmington’s has been going since 1842 and on its current site since 1875; it has a long history – and we’re not going anywhere,” says Sajid.

“But that’s not the only reason people can rely on us. We’re keen for people to know that there’s more to us than our history, even though we’re immensely proud of it.

“As a business, we’re moving forward all the time and we want our customers to know that we’re continually striving to improve our services, from providing flu jabs to our new “One Step” free electronic prescription process which is bang up to date.”

Bradford BID’s Trader of the Week, in Bridge Street, certainly proved customers could rely on them during the pandemic lockdown, staying open throughout, even on Bank Holidays, and giving away 12,000 free face masks to help protect both customers and passers-by, who could call in and request one “no questions asked.”

“We stayed open in case they needed us,” says Sajid. “We kept doing deliveries. We supported our customers and they supported us. If you look at the cards we have up around the shop you’ll see all the messages just saying ‘Thank you for being there.’”

He’s full of praise for their staff, who didn’t miss a beat during lockdown: “They have been brilliant throughout. They’ve turned up every day, they’ve been brave and brilliant because they didn’t want to let our customers down. The staff really make Rimmington’s.”

One of them, pharmacy manager Nazia Habib, even took home the Team Member of the Year trophy at the T&A’s Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Awards last year.

It’s all part of the friendly nature of the business which they’ve tried to maintain so that the founder, Felix Marsh Rimmington, along with the Hirst family who took it over in 1940, would still recognise it if they were around today.

“Rimmington’s in 2020 is standing on the shoulders of giants,” says Qaisar. “We took over in 2009 and the history before us was bigger and better but I think we’ve come to a point now, after 10 years in business at the same establishment, that I think we’ve created a family-orientated business, knowing our customers, knowing our patients and what they want.

“I think it’s safe to say we would class ourselves as the best pharmacy in Bradford city centre – but that’s for customers to judge!”

Sajid adds: “We’re both from Bradford. I worked here as a pharmacist and before that I remember coming to Rimmington’s as a child, and so does Qaiser, before we were owners.

“We’ve learned and understood the ethos of Rimmington’s, what it was about and what the Hirst family was about.

“It’s about making time for customers, not just about delivering prescriptions; we promise if you come to Rimmingtons you will get the time, you will get a consultation.

“Why? Because we always keep fully staffed which allows us the time to talk to people, to listen. And we’re really proud of being able to do that for customers, many of whom we know by name. Even though we’re in the city centre, there’s a real community spirit here.”

It’s clearly a philosophy that works as they have customers from all over Bradford, from BD1 to BD18: “People come here from as far as Keighley, Cullingworth, Bingley and so on. Some of our customers are sixth generation,” says Sajid.

“Part of it is down to the name and reputation, part to the level of service we provide. People like the nostalgia and the history and they want to help keep alive a business that’s been going for 180 years.”

For those who have never visited the pharmacy, there’s a sense of history and nostalgia everywhere, from the magnificent backdrop of original Victorian pharmacy counters, shelving, labelled drawers and signage, to displays of old artefacts, books, catalogues and specially-commissioned panels telling some of the story of the city’s oldest pharmacy. Even the shop frontage on the Ivegate side is decorated with artwork reflecting its illustrious past.

Much of it relates to the achievements of Felix Rimmington (1818-1897), sometimes dubbed the “Sherlock Homes of forensic science”, who was the official Analytical Chemist for the city of Bradford for 25 years.

He was one of a few expert chemists involved in trying to solve London's 'Jack The Ripper' murders in 1888 and he investigated many instances of poisoning, including the infamous “Humbug Billy” case of 1858, when more than 200 people suffered after sweets accidentally made with arsenic were sold from a market stall. Twenty-one victims died as a result.

Rimmington, who at one time also worked with Queen Victoria’s personal chemist, identified that 14 grains of arsenic had been added to each sweet and his work was instrumental in the passing of the Adulteration of Food Act in 1860.

Towards the end of his career he solved the “Ice Cream Mystery” of 1896. At the inquiry into the death of 14-year-old Joseph Rose, supposedly from eating ice cream, Rimmington gave evidence of finding a small quantity of dark watery fluid swarming with microbes in the boy’s stomach, identified as a bacteria which caused a lethal condition.

He died in 1897 and is buried in Undercliffe Cemetery. A blue plaque provided by Bradford Civic Society was installed at the pharmacy last year to commemorate Rimmington.

Much of the current day pharmacy would have been familiar to Felix Rimmington but it has certainly not become a time capsule. And the array of services on offer now might well have been bewildering to him, from the medicine review service to blood pressure and blood sugar testing, to travel vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis treatments, from nursing home medicine management, to the weight management service, among many others.

Heaven knows what he would have made of the more modern area of the shop, where Sajid and Qaisar have expanded into gift items and home décor products.

“The space is too big for just a pharmacy,” says Sajid. “But we don’t want to move anywhere smaller because we can’t take all this history with us, so we decided to branch out a little and it’s going really well. New customers are surprised it’s here but it’s proving really popular.”

The pair, who both trained as pharmacists at the University of Bradford, would love more people to come and see their unique business for themselves.

“We’re easy to get to with great access to bus routes and people really enjoy the nostalgia and the history when they come here, they say what a wonderful feel it has,” says Qaisar. “But we’re about more than just history and more young people now are starting to visit and see just how much we have to offer.”

Sajid adds: “A key message for people is that we deliver prescriptions for free, unlike with the big chain pharmacies where customers have to pay a monthly charge. If people support their local independents, that’s the kind of service we can provide.

“And if people have the confidence to take that step and come to us they can also help preserve a really long-standing independent Bradford business for future generations.”

* Rimmington’s Pharmacy, 9 Bridge Street, Bradford. Tel: (01274) 726611.