Graham Kitchener Tribute Thread

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 01 Apr 2006, 08:22

As we all know, Graham Kitchener is leaving for a career in the movie business today, April 1st 2006.

I'd just like to wish him good luck, and I hope that the cheese standard in the deli doesn't drop.

Sock it to 'em Graham!

JP.

Dave Connelly · Post by **Dave Connelly** » 01 Apr 2006, 09:25

Good Luck

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 01 Apr 2006, 11:19

Graham, wishing you all the best. Giving up a successful business to follow your dream is a huge gamble and I hope it pays off for you.

But if you don't make it in Tinseltown, just remember that there is always a job for you at Portobelly Telly!

Good luck as well to the new owners - I'm sure you will do well.

Graham Kitchener · Post by **Graham Kitchener** » 01 Apr 2006, 19:17

Hi to all
Today was an emotional day. Lots of good omens have happened over the week. On Tuesday 4 April next week, when the new owners open the door, it will be exactly 15 years since 4 April 1991 when I opened the deli.
I was also fortunate to witness the solar eclipse in Turkey during the week, which I thought was a moving event right on the cusp of me changing my path in life.

In 1996 it grew into what it is now with the addition of a coffee shop.

My thanks go to all me customers over the years, and to my loyal staff. I have been very lucky in business to have had such wonderfull customers and staff. The deli is all of you, and will continue to be so.

Appropriately it is April fools day today. I lovely lady came in to the deli today to wish me luck, as many of you did, but in addition she remarked "oh what a shame the trees have gone. Why did they cut them down?" she asked. The real reason is of course they were deceased, but my reply was "Oh, they belong to me and I'm taking them with me". She bought it just for a moment!

I have left to pursue a dream, and I have spent the last 5 years making small building blocks toward that. As of tomorrow the hard work starts to expand on that. I am taking a big gamble but I don't want to live my life with any regrets, and so I'd rather fail having tried than not having tried at all.

I'll continue to live in this vibrant community, and though my work may well take me away to foreign lands, Portobello will always be my home.

Thank you Portobello. You have made it possible for me to get this chance. I miss you all already.

Graham

ceejam · Post by **ceejam** » 03 Apr 2006, 10:44

I was wondering if in fact the whole thing was an elaborate April fool Graham! That would have been quite funny!

But I realised today when I passed and there were things happening and it wasn't you, that it probably wasn't

Jamie

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 03 Apr 2006, 14:14

All the very best Graham - see you at the Oscars!

Brenda · Post by **Brenda** » 03 Apr 2006, 17:07

Best wishes Graham, once again, from me and from 'The Portobello Reporter'. We've featured your successes over the years with the deli and your film making, and now hope to see you mentioned favourably in the bigger (though not, of course, better!) papers.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 10 Apr 2006, 20:00

From the EN recently:

Deli owner tastes career as filmmaker

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Graham Kitchener Tribute Thread

Graham Kitchener Tribute Thread

Ta ta

The deli

Graham Kitchener