Closed but without closure for Thambi’s owner

Customers, old and new, had been arriving in droves to Thambi Magazine Store in Holland Village throughout last weekend.

Curious pedestrians were also seen slowing down to take a glimpse of the ongoings.

Many patrons expressed their endearment to the store in various ways: Some took photos with Mr Senthilmurugan, some asked for his autograph on magazines they bought from the stall, some hugged and offered comforting words to the distraught shop owners. There were also a handful who voiced their own indignation about his plight.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Mr Senthilmurugan’s late grandfather P. Govindasamy began distributing newspapers in Holland Village in the 1940s.

His father Govindasamy Periathambi then set up shop there in the late 70s. It sold sweets, knick-knacks and newspapers.

Business thrived early on as the Holland Village area was home to many British servicemen and their families, who often requested for magazines from their homeland.

In the early 90s, when his father fell ill, Mr Senthilmurugan took over the business. He renamed it Thambi Magazine Store in honour of his father.

At its peak, the store offered about 7,000 magazine titles. Over time, and with the advent of the Internet, the number dwindled to about 1,000.

Last weekend, he shut up shop for the final time after his landlords had asked him to remove the outdoor shelves and confine business activities to the shop interior – as part of plans to revamp the entire area.

Mr Senthilmurugan said doing so would defeat his shop’s tradition of having an open display or a “magazine cave”.

When asked what his plans were, he said: “I have spent more time with my magazines than with my family and my children. So this feels like my baby has died. (But) this is only a break until I set up the next place.”

In the meantime, Mr Senthilmurugan said he will continue to work as a vendor, distributing newspapers. If he does set up shop again, he hopes for a place that would at least allow for a display rack.

“My father used to put plastic sheets onto the racks. But I discontinued the practice as I wanted potential customers to feel and flip through the magazines.

“If you offer me a place in Orchard Road or Changi Airport, I would not want it. I’m a kampung boy, I’ve played with soil and sand, and this is where I have seen three generations of people.”