The name of Stebbing is well-known in Lundin LInks, particularly in relation to the Pharmacy which has stood at the corner of Emsdorf Street and Links Road for more than a century. In the early decades of its existence the Pharmacy traded under the name of A. Hogg. Although Andrew Hogg died in 1937, the shop retained his name until 1947. It was in December 1947 that William McAllan Stebbing took over the Lundin Links Pharmacy - moving from Bo'ness, where he had been in business for sixteen years. A splendid series of adverts ran in the Bo'ness Journal during the 1940s for the shops he had there - many focussing on the optician part of the business. The artwork reflects the era and makes reference to popular pastimes such as dancing, tennis and visiting the cinema or theatre.
The move from Bo'ness to Lundin Links was an opportunity to move from an industrial area to the cleaner seaside air of a popular holiday destination. As the Bo'ness Journal of 17 October 1947 noted, the new business was "in a delightful corner of the Kingdom" and offered a "change of air" to their young son. A keen golfer, William had played at Lundin Links representing West Lothian Golf Club. And so the name of W.M. Stebbing went up above the Lundin Links Pharmacy, beginning a new era - more of which to come in the next post.
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