Henri Argouarch’s career in onions started in Wales at the age of 14. It was interrupted only once by the French Algerian war in 1958. After serving in the army in some far-away desert, he went back to sell onions in Southampton.
That was 41 years ago. But it’s not Henri’s age– 67 – that makes him so special today, it’s his mode of transport. While the remaining dozen or so Onion Johnnies have adopted the White Van Man look, Henri still cycles to his customers! The practical reason is that he does not own a driving licence, but the truth is that he never contemplated dumping his bike because it is his way of life, like it was his father’s