Goodbye, Thambi Magazine Store: Teary 3rd-Gen Owner Kisses Framed Article Of Father As He Closes For The Last Time
But tonight (May 5) will be the last time that he is doing this, at least for now. Since news broke that he decided to close his store after being asked to reduce his display area, there had been an outpouring of grief from his customers, the public, and most of all, Sam and his family.
After all, they had to watch a Holland Village icon — one that three generations of their clan poured blood, sweat and tears into building — become history. Situated at a corner of Lorong Liput, the newsstand is a heritage spot that almost every Singaporean knows. “Meet at the magazine stand” is a common phrase among folks gathering at Holland V, and there is no mistaking which shop, ’cos Sam’s biz is just one of a kind.
Cried as he closed store for the last time
Just after 9pm tonight, 8days.sg witnessed a visibly emotional Sam in the process of closing up shop. He sniffled as he worked, while a group of photographers and reporters watched solemnly. “Do you have anything to say to your loyal customers,” our colleague asked. “Thank you, thank you for your support, thank you,” said Sam, as he clasped his palms together.
Our colleague would later tell us: “It felt like a wake, sending someone off. Everyone was sombre and tearful and standing around in respect.”
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Kissed framed article of shop
It was especially poignant to see Sam gazing at a shelf dedicated to framed news articles of his shop. Some had dated back decades, as his late grandfather, P Govindasamy, had started Thambi Magazine Store as a newspaper distributor in the 1940s before Sam’s father, and later Sam, transformed their business into an iconic magazine purveyor.
Picking up a particularly vintage article featuring his late father, Sam kissed it tenderly, as though saying goodbye to a loved one. Onlookers spontaneously broke into applause as he turned around to address them and thanked them again.
Declined to reveal person who asked him to reduce display
When CNA Lifestyle first broke the news that Sam was closing his stall as he was asked to reduce his display area by half, the question that many people asked was: who did that?
Perhaps mindful about the ramifications of naming, Sam has steadfastly refused to divulge the asker’s identity. He is aware of the reason why his shop space was halved (we hear from another source that the attached Holland Road Shopping Centre might undergo a revamp), but focused more on expressing his hope for finding another good spot to reopen when talking to the press.
After Sam pulled down the last of his metal shutters, he strolled off into the night, down a road that led to One Holland Village, an ambitious new open-air mall that opened late last year. It’s a huge contrast to his old-school magazine stand, which had been stoically supplying customers with the latest news, rain or shine, at the corner of Lorong Liput.
Video: Florence Fong
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
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