Tony Magdi: An Obituary

I didn’t think I’d ever be posting an obituary on this blog, but sadly, the community in Hove has just lost one of its real characters, Tony Magdi. Tony ran a greengrocers shop on Portland Road, and was injured during an altercation with cyclists. Reports allege that he opened his car door and hit a cyclist. Things escalated and Tony ended up taking a punch from another cyclist. He fell, sustaining severe injuries, and died in hospital last Sunday. Tony’s shop on Portland Road wasn’t just any old greengrocers (although there aren’t many of those left now, thanks to the relentless march of the supermarket chains). Tony sold fruit and veg at incredibly low prices, with a business model based on selling by the £1 rather than the pound (or the kilo). This meant that you would get you a large bowl of tasty tomatoes, a punnet of fruit, a cauliflower or whatever was in season. Nearly always for £1. His low prices didn’t mean low quality: his bananas were frequently Fairtrade, and Tony often sold things that most supermarkets seem not to supply anymore, or, if they do, sell at premium prices – things like peas in the pod. And best of all, once you’d paid for your shopping, Tony would often say something like “Do you like tomatoes? Do you make soup? Have some more.” Or he’d give you a bowl of bananas, or a couple of avocados. He’d often give you fruit to taste, and was always giving bits of fruit to mums and their kids.  Tony was a one-off and now he has gone. He was everything that Tesco wasn’t, and his death is a great sadness for our community.