Indian-Origin Retailer In UK Retires After Working Non-Stop For 38 Years

An Indian-origin shopkeeper from the south-eastern coast of England has retired after working every single day at a local convenience store for 38 years, including official holidays such as Christmas Day.

Roy Kharbanda, 62, ran the store in Southampton and kept it open at least for an hour even on holidays, adding up to roughly 13,416 days' non-stop work over the years.

"People think I'm bonkers. I worked every day for 38 years. At first it was run down, it had no stock. I slowly built it up," he was quoted as saying in a series of UK media interviews.

"It's not a shop, it's a community shop. My only purpose was to help other people along with earning a little living as well," he says, with pride.

The father of three is now planning his first proper holiday with wife Shashi, whom he has been married to for 39 years.

"Me and my wife don't know each other. Since 1982 I've been at the shop and she's been at home. We're just going to live day by day. Time will tell," he said, on a lighter note.

Mr Kharbanda began work at the store in October 1982 and retired on July 16 - when a 150-strong local crowd gathered to applaud him, some of them teary-eyed.

The couple say they dedicated their lives to providing a good education for their three daughters and Mira, 34, is now a geneticist, Natasha, 33, an engineer, and 29-year-old Justine works as a lawyer for Microsoft.

"I have lived for my children. My view is that everything comes and goes. You can have holidays but they come and go. Education is forever. That is the mantra of my life," he said.

Mr Kharbanda took over Testwood Stores on Marchwood Road in Shirley when he was 24 and went on to work there every day until his retirement this month. The convenience store is now run by his nephew.

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