A fisherman “with more than nine lives” has been remembered fondly ahead of a memorial service next week.
Mark Hamilton, of Faversham, died on July 26 after a battle with cancer, aged 53.
He was best known for his presence on market days, selling oysters from his vintage Pashley bicycle.
Mark joined Hollowshore Fisheries, based in the town, as a teenager and remained there throughout the rest of his life.
He originally began as a fisherman before going on to do odd jobs for the family firm.
He also once famously found himself on the wrong side of the law when his collection of live explosives, which he called his “souvenirs”, was blown up by the army.
His boss and long-time friend Barry Walpole, known as Wink, reflected on Mark’s loyal service lasting more than three decades and how he was never too far from trouble.
“He was ever so well-known and liked; he used to love getting up the town and selling fish,” said Barry.
“Mark was a big part of the community; he never did anyone any harm.
“We’ve all got so many stories – most of them quite entertaining, and quite a few of them are inappropriate.
“Me and his mum were talking the other day and we sort of described him as having had the life of a cat, because he certainly had more than nine lives.”
Describing Mark as “accident-prone”, Mr Walpole reminisced about how, when painting a fish shed roof, drama quickly unfolded.
“He was up there painting away.
“But some of the panels were Perspex, he painted over all of them and forgot which one was the Perspex one.
“Next thing you know, he’s come through the roof and landed on his feet, stood upright with the paint and the roller in his hands, he didn’t even spill a drop.
“He was always happy and always pleased to be able to tell the tale of it.”
During his time fishing, Mark was an avid collector of live explosives he would call his “souvenirs”.
Aged 43, Mark called the police after he argued with his next-door neighbours.
But when officers arrived at his house, they noticed several bombs on the mantelpiece of his living room.
Within an hour, the army had been drafted in to take the bombs to Harty Ferry nature reserve in Oare to be blown up.
Speaking to a reporter after the bizarre incident, he said: “The police came into my living room, where I have bombs on the mantelpiece.
“They are souvenirs I picked up from the sea.
“I guess they could be dangerous, but so could everything – knives in your kitchen drawers, but you don’t see the police taking them away.
“I was a bit annoyed, but I respect the fact that I had live bombs in the house so the police have got to do their job.”
Having started life on the Cordella boat, he was involved in a car accident in his mid-twenties, which stopped him from sailing commercially.
However, Mark did not let that stop him from living his life, and he was a popular figure in the town thanks to his love of beer and his outgoing, friendly demeanour.
He was also described as a family man who remained close to his mother and siblings, though he never married or had children.
His family have held a private cremation for him, though an open memorial service will be held on Monday at 1pm at The Castle in Oare.
A boat will later take his ashes to be spread in the estuary and along the creek.
A collection pot in Mark’s memory will raise funds for the local Fishermen’s Mission and the RNLI.
