London newsstand closes after half a century

A London newsstand which had served Dustin Hoffman and Honor Blackman has shut down after more than 50 years.

Alan Brett ran the Kensington High Street stand for nearly three decades, acquiring it from his father-in-law who had held it for around 25 years before him.

Initially, Brett took on the stand for a week in the early Nineties while his father-in-law underwent an operation. This turned into a full-time job with Brett selling at the stand every weekday.

“What I will miss most of all is the social side of it. I’ve been sort of a fixture on this high street, everybody around here knows me,” commented Brett, 76.

“I’ve met some real characters down the years. There’s so many I can’t remember them all, some famous faces too. Benny Hill was a regular, Honor Blackman, she came over now and again, until about four or five years ago, Dave King the comedian, and I’ve served Dustin Hoffman here quite a few times — this was about 15 years ago. You sort of lose track over time. Every day’s been the same really, apart from the weather.”

He added: “The plan after this is to do nothing. I’ll be going on holiday to the Canaries this January for three weeks and that’s it, carry on with my life.”

He intends to buy and sell stocks and shares in his retirement, which he calls his “pension.”
Kensington and Chelsea Council is seeking for a new vendor to run the newsstand.