A while ago now when I moved to the area I went into Caledonia on Brockley Rise to see if I could find anything of use to me among all the old video tapes, knives, forks and other quite random, miscellaneous items for sale. Whilst I was in there the old chap walked in from his little back room wearing his old school shop overalls (prompted by the bell that rang as I walked into his shop) where he sat most of the time I think, and walked behind his counter waiting for me to buy something.

'ARE YOU GOING TO BUY ANYTHING THEN???' he shouted (he was very hard of hearing), a very direct question I thought but a fair enough one. This directness initiated a conversation of sorts (mostly one which consisted of him telling me to 'SPEAK UP' as he 'COULDN'T HEAR VERY WELL!!!!'). In response to my question, he told me (as he had told many others prior to me as 'THAT WAS THE QUESTION HE GET'S ASKED MOST BY PEOPLE') that he had been there for over 50 years (52 I think it was). Looking round, I could easily see that not much had changed for him in those 52 years.

I left the shop having purchased a door handle and 2 candle holders if memory serves me correctly, 2 things which I think I may have had a use for somewhere down the line. His direct sales approach had paid off.

I haven't seen this old man in a good couple of years now but the shop is still there with all the same paraphernalia sat in the windows and on the shelves as they were, and have been for quite a while, gathering dust.

My question is, does anybody know what's happened to the old man, maybe what his name was/is, is he still around? It's as if everything just stopped for him one day as nothing has moved in there for years now. Same 'old' video tapes sat in the window display, same books stacked in a box under the same trolley of trinkets.