Hyman Victor Behar began his career in the 1920s as a restaurant proprietor. In 1949, as the owner of the café Swifty’s, located at 173 Kingston Road, Buckland, he was fined for mice- and beetle-attracting filth and grease. In his defense, Behar said he was aware of the mice and employed a commercial firm the British Ratin Company to deal with it. He also mentioned that his wife, with whom he worked in the café, had been ill of late. At this time he lived at 10 Vernon Court, London Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth, in the County of Hants (72 miles southwest of London).

            By 1954, Behar was still living at 10 Vernon Court but was carrying on business at 71 Charlotte Street, Landport, Portsmouth as a carpet dealer. That year, he was fined 15 shillings for leaving his car without lights.[1] By 1958, he had failed to pay his national self-employment insurance contributions for a year due to business difficulties and was fined £1.[2] In 1959, while working as a carpet and bedding dealer, he was declared bankrupt.[3] In 1971, he lived at 48 Hambrook Street, Portsmouth, Hants and appeared on a list of people against whom divorce petitions had been filed.[4] He is an example of a carpet dealer who apparently struggled to make ends meet. Nothing further is known of him.

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[1] “Left Their Cars Without Lights,” Evenings New (April 17, 1954), 12.

[2] “Money Was Paid Just Too Late,” Portsmouth Evening News (September 26, 1958), 3.

[3] A. H. Horler, “The Bankruptcy Acts,” Portsmouth Evening News (September 4, 1959), 26.

[4] Compton Miller, “Legal Notice: Divorce Petitions Have Been Filed Against,” Daily Mirror (August 3, 1971), 19.