Alan Thomerson passed away peacefully on December 2, aged 83.
Alan had been battling cancer for some months. He spent a 50-year career in Spitalfields Market (1941-1991) - the only break in this long service was from 1942-1946, when he was away in the Navy, fighting for his country in the last war.
He initially worked for his grandfather, Jonathan Hurst, who was a long established Spitalfields wholesaler proving himself to be a talented potato and vegetable salesman. After his grandfather’s retirement, he then worked for his uncles Jack & Charlie Hurst when they took over the business.
In 1966 Alan and business partner Alec Green took the reins and, over a 15-year period, expanded the company to comprise five separate entities (Jonathan Hurst Ltd (veg stand), Jonathan Hurst Ltd (salad stand), Bruce & Ewart Ltd., George Isles Jnr. Ltd. and also the High Beech Farm Produce Co. Ltd., based near Epping in Essex, before selling it to the expanding Starns Group in 1981.
Alan continued as managing director of these companies for the 10 years before he retired in 1991, just before the market relocated to Temple Mills in Leyton.
The market’s relocation was a subject Alan was passionate about - a passion that was to win him many friends (as well as some enemies) as negotiations for terms of the relocation played out during the late 1980s. He never felt the deal on the table was good enough for the traders of Spitalfields and spent a lot of his own time and money making this view known to all parties concerned.
A keen and competitive golfer, Alan was an active member of the Spitalfields Market Golfing Society for many years and was always ready to play whatever the weather and wherever the venue.
His son Jonathan (Jon) carries on the Spitalfields family tradition to this day with a 37-year career in Spitalfields to date. After starting out as a salesman at Jonathan Hurst Ltd. in the 1970s, Jon ran Geo. Isles Jnr. Ltd for 12 years before founding the very successful J.T.Produce Ltd. in 1992.
In addition to son Jonathan, Alan leaves Stella his wife, Sally his daughter and 4 grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are as follows:
2pm Monday December 15, 2008 at Thanet Crematorium, Manston Road, Margate, Kent CT9 4LY.
Afterwards at: Smiths Court Hotel, 21-27 Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville, CT9 2HL
No flowers please - any donations to Pilgrims Hospice c/o Gore Bros Ltd., Park View, Thanet Road, Margate CT9 1UB
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