UNIFORM SHOP-FRONTS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sta,—The writer of A Spectator's Notebook in your issue of November 27th made some scathing comments on the architectural practice of certain multiple firms and mentioned
this company by name. The burden of his criticism was that these firms cultivate a resolute uniformity."
Since the facts, so far as this company is concerned, are entirely at variance with his statement, will you allow us to correct what is obviously a misapprehension on his part ? Where there is the least merit in the architecture of a street in which we are to establish a branch, we take the utmost pains, before altering or reconstructing a property,
to produce a scheme which will be closely. in keeping with neighbouring buildings. At this moment, for instance, we
are engaged on plans for rebuilding a property in Bath and are in communication with the Bath Preservation 'Society, to whom we have just sent coloured drawings showing our
pror otitis for the elevations. At Bristol also we are going to a great deal of trouble and expense in order to preserve. and embody in our new building certain .remains. of old Bristol Castle. These typical examples of fourteenth-century stonework are rather obscured at present, but when our rebuilding is completed they will be seen and appreciated more clearly by any members of the public who are interested. Instances could be multiplied in which we have been con- gratulated by civic authorities on our treatment of buildings, and we may perhaps quote, as an example of the tributes that have been paid to us, the concluding paragraph of an article published in the Surrey Times of October 10th last under the heading : "Public Spirited Action. Preservation of Historic Building " :
" Godalming people have reason to congratulate themselves that this interesting and valuable building is now in the possession of a company which has shown itself so ready to co-operate in the efforts which are being made all over the country to preserve the architectural glories of the past."
To give only a few examples, we would invite the writer of your Notebook to inspect our branches in any of the
following towns : Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Chester, Chichester, Edinburgh, Farnham, Glasgow, Godalming, King- ston-on-Thames, Lincoln, Ludlow, Stratford-on-Avon, Wind- sor, York. We do not fear his verdict as to their architectural propriety.—Yours faithfully, For Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd., , [Janus writes : "I did include Messrs. Boots' establishments
with those of two other multiple firms (in a note which could hardly be called scathing) suggesting that the firms in question might adapt their shops externally much more than they do to their varied surroundings in the different- towns to which they extend. I fully accept this letter as answering much of my criticism so far as Messrs. Boots are concerned."]
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