Posted by: Lois Lindemann on: April 26th, 2008 
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A selection of things that you can buy in St Pancras station at 9pm on a Friday night:
Expensive chocolates
A book about the station
Frilly underwear (handy for those who have pulled on the train)
Body lotion (ditto)
A mug (that’s as in drinking vessel, I didn’t see any gullible people for sale)
A jigsaw
10 000 different types of sandwich
A glass of champagne
A pint of beerElegant expensive clothes
A newspaper
A French dictionary
A cup of real coffee
This list is rather amazing. Sheffield to St Pancras used to be a regular journey for me, but this weekend was the first time I had made this trip since the grand re-opening. (Despite all the adverts for ridiculously cheap fares, it is still much cheaper to drive and pay for parking than it is to buy train tickets for the two of us.)
Had I been writing this around 5 years ago, the list of things that you could buy in St Pancras station at 9pm on a Friday night would have been exceptionally short. Because you couldn’t buy anything in St Pancras station at 9pm on any night. In fact for a long time you were hard pressed to purchase a cup of instant coffee and a newspaper during the day.
However, despite the fact that St Pancras has converted itself into a shopping arcade, there is something missing.
Things that you can’t buy in St Pancras station at 9pm on a Friday night. Not even for ready money:
A box of tissues
Beecham’s powders
During the train journey my sniffle had definitely decided to move up a gear and become a full-on cold. I discovered that I had forgotten to pack any tissues. Those of you who have met me will know that I always carry tissues. How had I forgotten? I raided the pile of paper serviettes that had been left behind by the drunk man who had got off the train earlier.
I looked for a chemist at St Pancras. I couldn’t find one. I couldn’t find any other shop that might sell this kind of thing.
In France there is a pharmacie on just about every street as far as I can tell. I would imagine that between the numerous French travellers and the sniffling Brits there would be plenty of business for a chemist.
Was I just being blind, or has someone missed a business opportunity here?
There is a Boots tucked away round the corber at the far end (near where the East Midlands Trains ticket office is). I missed it too and ended up at The Body Shop instead!
*corner
Ah, obviously I was being blind. Thanks – now I know where to look next time.
Perhaps I’d better look for an opticians now…