Essential shopping

A story I missed earlier on in the month:
One of Plymouth's longest serving retailers has retired after spending 37 years in business at a city centre newsagents. Brian Mardon, 60, retired from Hooper's, in Cornwall Street, earlier this month and has been given a fond farewell by fellow West End retailers and city centre boss David Draffan. For the last 37 years, Brian has been opening the shop at 7.30am every morning. As well as selling the usual range of confectionery, newspapers and magazines, it has also carved out a reputation as a stockist of model kits and specialist military books and magazines.

The reason I post this here is to pay tribute to Brian and his little shop. The last line above (from This is Plymouth) is the reason why. As well as specialist military books - Hoopers was, and probably still is, just about the only bookshop in Plymouth where you could get specialist transport books and magazines. WH Smiths might pick a few titles it considered as regional - but more often than not the only place I could buy the books I wanted was Hoopers.

Of course these days the internet gives many of us full access to books that not even a specialist retailer could possibly stock but it remains the case that often you want to see a book before you decide to purchase it. Places like Hoopers are essential! I hope the new owners carry on the tradition. I dont suppose it is easy - especially down that part of town. Lets hope that Brian enjoys a long and happy retirement.