'It's been a blast': pub legend Malcolm the Fish Man retires
He spent decades selling seafood from his iconic wicker basket
Pub legend Malcolm ‘the Fish Man’ Vials has officially retired – and he says selling seafood to late-night drinkers gave him some of life’s best days.
The 81-year-old spent almost 50 years going around Kettering and Corby’s pubs and clubs, becoming one of the best-known faces in the two towns.
He was forced to stop in 2020 because of the Covid lockdowns, but now he’s decided to hang up his white smock and iconic wicker basket for good.
Speaking at his Barton Seagrave home, he told the Northants Telegraph: “I’ve got no regrets. It’s been a blast.
"I’ve had the best life I could have ever dreamed of.”
Malcolm first sold cockles, prawns, mussels and more in the early 1970s and previously said it started as a joke.
He remembered wishing the floor would swallow him whole at the Midland Band Club the first time he did the rounds.
But he soon started to love it, visiting about 15 pubs every Friday and Saturday even in the rain, hail and snow after filling his basket with seafood from Lowestoft.
He said he enjoyed the banter – often being asked if he had crabs – and was occasionally asked if he had any eels by punters to which he responded “only on my shoes mate”.
The great-grandfather was named one of Corby’s ‘Living Legends’, was treated to bagpipes on his birthday in the Grampian club and was the subject of selfie requests in almost every pub he visited.
And he proved so popular that he topped our 2018 poll over who should turn on Kettering’s Christmas lights with a whopping 56 per cent of the vote, despite being a late addition to the options.
Malcolm said: “When they wanted me to switch on the lights it was an incredible feeling.
"I was in the Stirrup Cup in Barton Seagrave and they were all singing ‘Malcolm put the lights on’ and cheering. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
Malcolm was born and raised in Draughton before moving to Kettering at the age of 21.
He worked as a supervisor at T Groocock & Co for 48 years, often doing between 1,500 and 1,600 pairs of shoes a day on a toelaster.
The workaholic officially retired from his main job at the age of 63 but continued selling seafood until Covid forced him to take life at a slower pace.
He now enjoys going out for coffee and is spending more time caring for his wife Val, who used to help him prepare pots of prawn cocktail.
Malcolm said: “I get asked all the time when I’m coming back out again and I do really miss the people, but the body slows down.
“They really were the best times I’ve had. I’ve had some good days in life but some of those were better than anything.”
The keen gardener still has his smock and wicker basket – complete with salt, pepper, vinegar and chip forks from his last round – at home.
But could he be tempted out of retirement for one final round?
He said: “Everybody says to me ‘will you do it one more time?’
“Never say never, but I can’t see it happening.”