One of Medway's longest-established independent shops is to close.

Nimbus Lighting, which has been in Rochester High Street for 42 years, is finally switching off.

Daniel Firth, who describes the quirky showroom as an "Aladdin's Cave", is retiring - and has launched a closing down sale.

Thought to be Kent's largest lighting store, it also sells a variety of unusual items - from vintage, retro telephones to Betty Boop figurines.

But it is for its extensive range of thousands of lights and shades - from table lamps to chandeliers - the company has earned its glowing reputation.

Daniel, a former hairdresser who had four salons in south-east London, first moved to a premises at number 140 High Street.

But as word got round and his business flourished, he soon moved to a bigger unit two doors along at number 144.

The 81-year-old has never been a fan of online shopping and encourages customers to come in and see what he has to offer.

Goods are double checked when orders arrive so customers are ensured there are no breakages or bits missing.

He also carries out a repairs and key cutting service.

The great grandfather says his type of business is different from any other in the retail industry.

He said: "When you buy a light you have it for 25 years and you may well not see that person again until then.

"It's for that reason you see people in £1m houses but they still have the same paper shades they bought all those years ago."

Daniel got into the telephone line when the General Post Office lost its state monopoly to BT.

He said: "Instead of a GPO engineer coming in and installing your phone, sockets were put into homes and you just plugged it in.

"We were the first phone shop in Medway."

Unsurprisingly, there's not much he does not know about lighting - he boasts 1,500 different types of bulb on his shelves and can talk at length about special purpose Pygmy lights used in appliances such as fridges and freezers.

After working six days a week from 9am to 5.30pm, Daniel is looking to switch off when he retires at his bungalow home near Strood.

He intends to get out his golf clubs, take up bowling and spend more time in the garden and with his large family.

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