Happy days

IF you asked for a quarter of sherbet lemons, Bob would turn around and reach up and feel his way along the jars on the shelves and pick up the correct jar EVERY time. He would weigh the sweets in the scales and stop immediately the scales dropped. When you put the money in Bob's hand, he would quickly feel it and you knew he could check whether it was the right money immediately. He was very friendly and had a smile on his face."

IVAN COOPER

Henford Gardens, March

"HE was a very popular man and he ran his business very well. He always had a smile on his face and everyone respected him very much."

NEVILLE BLACKWELL

Collingwoods, March

"HE used to live in Creek Road, March, during his single days and lived next to my mother and father, Percy and Ivy Sutton. I have heard them tell the story of how he used to 'true' cycle wheels amongst his many talents and performed many other tasks not normally associated with blind people."

ALAN SUTTON

Green Park, Chatteris

"Inside the shop there was row upon row of old fashioned sweet jars and Bob always wore a smock dust jacket, either blue or grey. It was amazing to see this man with no sight pick out exactly the right jar to weigh out your chosen sweets. If an example to condemn the society we live in today were ever needed 'Blind Bob' is it. How would Bob fare in these days of 'me first' and 'grab all' anti-social behaviour? I think we all know the answer and that must make us all so much sadder as we enjoy the memory of a real March character. Thank you for reminding us."

JOHN ABBOTT

Nene Parade, March

"Every local person of a certain age must remember Blind Bob. He was a wonderful man. I remember going into his shop for some sweets, probably aniseed balls, and he just ran his hands along the jars and always selected the right one. When he was paid he felt around the coins and if change was needed it was always correct. It never ceased to amaze me and I don't remember him every making a mistake."

AUDREY HINDLE

Elm Road, March

"IN the 1930s, we travelled by train from Whittlesey to March to attend school and we had to walk down Station Road to what was then March Grammar School. We had to pass this parade of shops both from and to the station. Even then we marvelled at the way he was able to control his shop although completely blind. We used to go in for what was called a halfpenny drink, an aerated liquid flavoured with various fruits."

JACK PARKER

Old Market, Wisbech

"I spent my childhood living in North Street and all the kids used Bob's sweet shop regularly. He was a kind man and never made any mistakes, either with money or the sweets."

JOHN SAYWELL

via e-mail

"HIS shop was in Station Road opposite St John's Road. Other shops in that area were Knight's Fish Bar, Scotney's hairdressers, Hibbert's hairdressers and the Blue Bell bus depot."

E CLARK

Norwood Road, March