Former St Neots greengrocer Barry Hamilton, who served the town with a smile for nearly 50 years, has died peacefully at his home surrounded by family, aged 71.

Fondly known as "the man with the hat", Barry touched the lives of thousands of people in St Neots from his shop, Hamiltons Greengrocers in the Cross Keys, through his loyal service and friendly attitude.

Barry was very much the character of the town, and the incredible outpouring  of tributes on Facebook, surpassing 2,000 reactions and comments, demonstrates just how much he will be missed.

Born in Lewisham, Barry and his family moved to St Neots in 1967, where he began working at the Paper Mill in Little Paxton.

At the age of 20, Barry was soon encouraged by his father to join the family greengrocers business in the Old Arcade, known originally as Hamilton and Son, before eventually taking it over himself.

The Hunts Post: Barry Hamilton and his dad on the day they opened their greengrocers in the Cross Keys, St NeotsBarry Hamilton and his dad on the day they opened their greengrocers in the Cross Keys, St Neots (Image: Tina Craven)

Barry then moved the business and set up Hamiltons Greengrocers in Cross Key Mews, where he worked tirelessly before his retirement in 2018.

Speaking to The Hunts Post in 2018, Barry estimated he had sold millions of pieces of fruit and vegetables to the residents of St Neots across his 48 years of work.

Barry loved his customers and regulars and would never say 'no' to anybody or ever complain; he would get on with his business with a perpetual smile which his daughter, Tina Craven, said: "is the kind of character which is rare nowadays".

Barry even offered a local delivery service to residents free of charge, and some would even leave their doors unlocked to allow Barry to pop the groceries in the kitchen.

People would come to the greengrocers just to see Barry and socialise with him, and it was these customers who kept Barry and his business going.

Barry's funeral will take place on Friday, December 9, from 12pm at St Mary's Church, St Neots.

The hearse will pass through St Neots High Street at 11.45am and pause at the bottom of Cross Key Mews, where the store once was, to allow for a moment of reflection.

The family ask that any donations go towards the Revamp the Ramp project to ensure that any money goes back into the town that Tina said, "we as a family have loved for many years".