A Burnham-On-Sea business owner who has worked at a family-run newsagent in the town since he was a child has celebrated his 80th birthday this week.
Colin Morris started working as a paper delivery boy at GW Hurley Newsagents in Burnham-On-Sea High Street when he was just eight years old.
He took over the shop, which his grandparents opened in 1919, just over 50 years ago and is the third generation to run the family business.
Mr Morris celebrated his birthday on Thursday (May 1st) by sharing 80 doughnuts with his customers.
“They had all gone by noon!” he told Burnham-On-Sea.com. “I’ve had so many warm messages of support – it’s been a bit overwhelming. I’m getting lots of kisses from the women in town as well, so I can’t complain!”
Colin was born in the building upstairs and it was his grandmother, Florence Gilbert Wesley Hurley, who started GW Hurley back in 1919.
“It initially opened as a bric-a-brac shop until someone came in and asked if she’d consider selling newspapers, and she agreed to take it on,” he recalls.
He admitted it was very hard work to keep the business going alongside a changing High Street and shopping habits as more people purchase items online but despite becoming an octogenarian, he says he has no plans to retire. Since taking over the business he has got up at 4.30am to open the shop and he now runs it with the help of Monika, his wife.
Burnham-On-Sea’s GW Hurley newsagents celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019.
