“Seventy-six was obviously a great year,” founder Bennie Gray said, recalling that it was the year Abba topped the charts and Steve Jobs launched Apple. But with many of the once-ubiquitous London centres new closed he added about Alfies, “I hope it goes on forever and ever and ever.”
Gray reminisced about the centre’s early days recalling how, when it started Alfies was meant to be just one floor open on Saturdays. Before long it had stretched out to five days a week and filled the building – the rooftop restaurant and bar are a later addition.
Neil Jackson, operations manager at the centre, was in lively form ushering guests into the party and putting out logistical fires, glass of wine in hand, before taking the stage to introduce Gray.
Later, Gray insisted that he hates public speaking and reflected that years of navigating through the warren-like centre required a certain degree of fitness.
But he was clearly in his element. At one point in the evening he introduced himself as Bennie to a guest at the party. When they congratulated him he came back with: “Don’t know why I should be congratulated for Being Bennie. I have been all my life.”
