Smell of the acid

“Accumulators today take the form of a punt at the bookies,” says a Craigie reader, “but back in the late 1940s I used to deliver papers for Abby McKenzie who had a paper shop in Watson Street. “A couple of shops down from Abby’s there was a shop where an old man (well, he seemed that old to me) recharged accumulators.

“I think he lived in the back shop as he looked like he couldn’t move from his seat where he presumably recharged the accumulators.

“I had occasion to take our accumulator to him and this I hated – the smell of the acid and the rest of the shop used to turn my stomach. I remember, too, that there were no real washing facilities there at that time, just a well in a black sink. The old man’s face was like parchment and he always had the same clothes on.

“On reflection now, it must have been a very meagre living for him. I think he lived alone and probably couldn’t move. Accumulators were very heavy and it must have been hard for him.

“I had forgotten all about accumulators – times change and we recharge batteries easily ourselves these days.

“I don’t know what happened to the old man as we moved away, but Tom Reid’s letter brought it all back to me. I even imagined I could still smell the old shop in Watson Street.” with regrets, Simon Bandy from Health Plus tells us how to move the potential hangover along quicker.

“When a person has been drinking – and not consuming enough water – their bodies become dehydrated,” he says. “If you wake in the morning with a dry mouth, queasiness, and a headache, the best thing to do is try to realign your blood sugar levels.

“Grab some breakfast like jam on toast and get a dose of vitamin C through a glass of fresh orange juice. If your head is thumping reach for some painkillers from the kitchen cupboard.

“One thing you shouldn’t do in this situation is to go for the ‘hair of the dog’ option as it just delays the possible hangover,” he advises. “For the best cure, aim not to drink again for at least 48 hours.”

“Dunkeld Cathedral was surrounded by lovely autumn colours when I was out for a walk recently,” says Eric Niven of Dundee.

“Pictured are a group of three wigeon foraging at low tide on Easthaven beach,” says Harry Greig of Coupar Angus. “Perhaps a reader could confirm if my identification is correct. My research indicates they will have come from Scandinavia, Finland or Russia to overwinter in the UK.”