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Gordon Dummer left school at the age of 14 and started work as a mechanic at Gillhams garage in Easebourne Lane – where the COOK shop is today.

He then moved to Russells Garage, which was where Russell House now stands in Bepton Road.

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While working as a mechanic at Russells he started helping Dorothy Etherington – who operated newspaper sales and rounds from her Cowdray Estate cottage in Easebourne – at the weekends, maintaining her car and delivering newspapers.

After several years of weekend deliveries, he took over the newspaper rounds from Miss Etherington seven days a week while still working at Russells Garage.

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In 1970 Gordon and his wife, Brenda, moved to Eastbourne and bought a shop – but returned to Midhurst 18 months later when the opportunity to take over Styles and Potts, in West Street, which then become Dummers Newsagents.

He built up the business over the years to include five large van rounds and 21 paper boys, covering as far north as Kingsley Green and Blackdown, south as far as Singleton, west out to the A3 and east as far as Sutton.

For 36 years Gordon would get up at 3am seven days a week and never stopped for a holiday.

Gordon’s son and daughter-in-law, Ian and Jackie Dummer, said: “We nicknamed him Arkwright, after Ronnie Barker from the programme Open All Hours, as he would always be sweeping outside the shop before it closed, every evening, checking for any last-minute customers.”

With Ian, Gordon later added The Tuck Shop, in North Street, and Easebourne Post Office to the family portfolio.

Gordon retired in 2006 and sold Dummers, as it is still known, to Vinay Patel, whose family still run the shop today.

Gordon was happily married to Brenda for 60 years before she passed away in August 2016.

They had two children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

All are welcome to pay their respects at his funeral next Friday (March 11), at 2pm at Chichester Crematorium.

A young Gordon Dummer outside Gillhams garage

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Midhurst newsagent who served town for nearly 40 years passes away