Vivian rolls up the shutters on 39th year

This morning when Vivian Clarke rolled up the shutter outside his menswear shop in Newbridge, he was opening up his 39th year in the business, writes Brian Byrne.

That's no mean achievement for any small business, but especially one for which Kilcullen man Vivian — previously along with his brother Brian before he retired in 2012 — has been the face and voice of welcome to customers for all that time.

He has seen recessions and booms come and go, and even the pandemic-enforced shutdown didn't have a lasting effect on an enterprise which has been underpinned by quality, an unerring eye for men's fashion needs, and the personal touch for almost four decades.

"I still love the business and meeting the people who are friends as much as longtime customers," he told the Diary this morning. "The only thing is, the shutter has gotten a little harder to raise in the mornings." 

We last wrote the full story of Clarke's Menswear back in 2014, when the business had just completed 30 years. 

Congratulations on the latest milestone, Viv. Keep it going.

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