Tributes have been paid to a Bath newsagent who started selling papers while he was still at school.
Nigel Chaplin had run the newsagents in Weston for the past 20 years and his sudden death has shocked the community.
The 66-year-old started his newspaper career as a schoolboy selling copies of the Evening Advertiser in Swindon.
He later trained as an accountant, but his love of papers meant he continued to set up shops around the region, opening Chaplins in Weston High Street in the early 1990s.
His daughter Holly, 23, said her father had loved the sociable aspect of the job and enjoyed seeing his regular customers and chatting to people about their lives.
She said: "He was really kind and had time for everyone.
"He had a really good sense of humour, always able to take a joke and laugh at himself and he always liked to make the best of every situation."
Councillor Colin Barrett (Con, Weston) also paid tribute to Mr Chaplin's sense of humour and said he would always do anything he could to help his customers.
He said: "He was very helpful to everybody and if he could do something to help people then he certainly would.
"He even delivered some people's newspapers himself.
"He was part of village life and he will be sadly missed."
Chaplins closed suddenly last month, although some customers continued to have their newspapers delivered with Mr Chaplin trying to run that part of the business from his home near Chippenham.
Holly thanked the people of Weston for remaining loyal customers of her father over the years.
Some of the smaller businesses in Weston High Street have struggled since the arrival of Tesco four years ago, and the planned expansion of the supermarket has also seen the loss of a Chinese takeaway and the relocation of a carpet shop.
Mr Chaplin's funeral is being held at Kingsdown Crematorium in Swindon at 12.30pm on Friday, December 13.
Anyone who knew him is welcome to attend and floral tributes are welcome.
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