Confessional

What the newsagent really thinks about you

MOST days I’m up at 4.30am to sort out the newspaper delivery but the customers don’t start arriving until 7.30am.

My shop is in a fairly well-to-do area, and I’ve had to stock foods such as hummus and pesto. People moan about my prices, but I can’t compete with supermarkets.

One man comes in regularly just to complain: about the music — Radio 2 — the prices, and my range. He seems to think this should be a deli.

I’ve been here for 30 years and have seen competitors close down one after another. I think I keep going because I offer a personal touch.

I should consider keeping recipes behind the counter. Some people will buy pasta, a leek, and rice for dinner. I feel like asking: ‘What do you think you’ll make with that?’

Apart from the long hours I really like my job. You see all walks of life and I’m always interested in what people buy.

I like it at Christmas. Kids come in to buy gifts for their parents — often boxes of chocolates, but one boy bought salami because his dad liked it. I smile when I think about it.