End of an era as Eugene announces retirement
A stalwart of the newsagents’ industry, Eugene Diamond’s announcement that he will retire at the end of August was met with sadness and marks the end of an era as his shop will also close at the same time.
Throughout the last 47 years, Eugene has witnessed some historic events unfold across the world, all covered inside the numerous newspapers he sold in-store.
First opening the doors to his shop on 8th August 1979, Eugene has witnessed a swathe of local and national events and thanks to his much-loved shop in Ballymena, he has helped keep thousands of people informed of these events also.
News of his retirement and the shop closure was a blow to the local community and the wider Northern Ireland public, who have come to rely on Eugene’s daily social media updates and photos of the main newspaper headlines of the day.
While the decision has been driven by health concerns and Eugene is looking forward to having some more time to himself, he told NR he will miss the daily routine and the people he has met along the way.
“My health is good compared to what it was last year and surgery has helped me greatly, but generally my health is not what it once was,” said Eugene.
“It has been a lifetime, but it’s one of those things. My energy levels do not allow for working seven days a week, and that’s what the job demands. I like the job, but I’m not up to doing the work, so I’m stepping off the roundabout.”
