"Malcolm Stewart" wrote:

When I was in my teens I used to get all my stuff from Flatters & Garnett
in
Oxford Road (Street ?) opposite Manchester University.
Nearly poisoned myself a few times (chromyl chloride production!) and had
numerous acid burns on hands and holes in trousers. Great fun, and of
course it eventually led to a position as H&S Advisor.

At the school I went to, I was fortunate enough to find books of the
"Experiments for Young Chemists" type ilk, written in the 1950's/60's, all
of which contained many interesting experiments that I would have liked to
perform (and sometimes did).

Typical instructions for obtaining supplies were "go to the chemists and ask
for 30% w/v ammonia solution". Of course, I did, and the chemists looked
at me very suspiciously, until I showed them the book, and they realised I
was just a naive optimist Then they said no anyway.

As a kid I was extremely annoyed that it was impossible to get hold of any
decent chemicals - you get a chemistry set for christmas, get into it,
become good at chemistry, run through all the experiments in the book and
then run into a brick wall because the only chemicals you get are the ones
that are practically inert and you can't do much with them

What I would have given for a big chemical supply store like that! But, I
didn't have one and got into astronomy instead, nobody to tell you what you
can and can't do....

I still have a few holes in my labcoat though, from where my experiments
proved more successful than anticipated

Phil