A much-loved Big Issue vendor, dubbed by his friends and regulars as ‘Belgium the Waffle’, has died.
Fabian Bayet became a fixture of life in Milton Keynes over 25 years, selling the magazine outside M&S with his beloved whippet Pippet, before moving on to a pitch on Stony Stratford high street.
Originally from Belgium, the nature-loving vendor earned his moniker through his love of chatting with his regulars. They’ve been inspired to rally round to raise funds for a memorial on his pitch, through a GoFundMe campaign.
Fabian was an ambitious man with lots of dreams he will surely be missed with his big smile and his big personality
Long-time friend Sally Luft said: “I used to spend my lunch breaks with Fabian when I met him 14 years ago and I even took him in one winter.
“He had a lot of people who really cared for him and he was a very special man, a real dreamer who wouldn’t let anyone past without a smile.”
Fabian joined the navy in his native Belgium as part of his national service before settling in the UK. He leaves behind a brother and a sister.
