Bear grease for hair
This image from Alnwick Mercury in 1862 shows an advert for '˜Real Bear Grease' to be used on hair.
Before becoming Dryden’s, the Fenkle Street premises (pictured left) was Hunter’s hairdressers. They imported bears. Baby black bears would be kept in the cellar and when duly fattened, the bear was slaughtered to produce bear’s grease and pomade, supposed to improve the condition of the skin and encourage hair to grow.