Bromsgrove's Vic the fish hangs up his hooks

Buy photos » Vic Darbon is retiring after 32 years in Bromsgrove. Picture by Tristan Harris.

BROMSGROVE bid farewell on Saturday (January 28) to a much loved fishmonger, after 32 years.

Vic Darbon has been selling fish from the back of his van on Bromsgrove's High Street, since 1979, but now he has decided its time to hang up his hooks.

Vic will now spend more time with his wife and three daughters and one of his children has already lined up a new kitchen for him to install. The only fishing he says, from now on, will be for them.

Vic travelled to the town from Grimsby every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, clocking up 'over a million miles' during his 32 years.

He told The Standard: ''The fish job is very cold, wet and smelly, but the best part is the product and the people - I've met some lovely people in Bromsgrove and they've really made the job.''

The people will miss him too.

One of them, Mrs Myatt, has been buying her fish from Vic right from his first day in the town.

She said one thing his customers could always rely on was his reliability.

''He would get you anything you wanted and would come here through snow, ice and fog - he always turned up," she added.

And it is not just the end of an era for Vic. His long-term assistant Evelyn Brown, 76, has worked for him from the start.

She too is retiring.

Mr Darbon's best memory is his longest journey to Bromsgrove, which took him 36 hours. He was caught in snow on the M42, but found the then England football manager, Graham Taylor, and newsreader, Selina Scott, in the cars behind, which meant, he said, he spent the time in great company.

From next weekend, there will be some new faces selling fish on the High Street.

Owen's Fish is a family business run by Paul Owen, his wife Desney and his daughter Samantha.

Paul said: "We are hoping to keep Vic's tradition going by providing good quality fish.

"We know how popular he is in the town and wish him well in his retirement.''