I was really sad when Boots recently closed their in-store photo lab on the Strand in London. 
Their prints were always great and the service was excellent. But I guess not so many people are using film, and most of the people with digital cameras probably never bother to get nice prints made on photographic paper.
First they disconnected the Fuji processing and printing machines.
Today I went in there and the whole area had been cleared to make way for more shelves of cosmetics and toiletries.
I went and asked if they still took film for D&P – I’d taken a roll from Snappy Snaps across the road, and despite being able to score some rolls of Agfa Ultra, I’d been shocked by how dull – and expensive – their prints were.
Boots did indeed still take film. She asked me which service I wanted – the slowest and cheapest, I said. She invited me to look at the list of services and choose one. I did. She then asked for my phone number.
“7557…” I started.
She wrote down 775.
“No, 7 5 5 7…”
She wrote down 777.
“No, 7 5 5 7…” I said.
“You write it down” she said.
I wrote down my number and she looked at it as if it were written in an ancient and unknown alphabet.
“So, when will they be ready?” she asked.
Yes, she asked me when they’d be ready.
“In five days?” I ventured.
“When is five days from today?” she asked.
“Well, it’s Monday today…”
Then I asked for a Photo CD. She ran to get help. I know, it’s tricky working out that when someone asks for a Photo CD you put an X in the box marked ‘Photo CD’.
Thing is, this assistant – good-natured but untroubled by anything resembling grey matter – was working on the pharmacy counter. As a friend said to me when I told him the story – “People have probably died”.
Maybe they put her on Pharmacy to avoid the dangers of people getting the wrong shampoo for their hair type. Or spending �1000 on the wrong anti-ageing cream. At least all the drugs come with really clear directions about what they’re for.