Chapter Five - 6 Dame Alice Street, Bedford

Summary

A new estate agency office

The office at 6 Dame Alice Street, Bedford, was opened in 1928. It remained at the heart of the estate agency activities until January 1964, when the present office at 58 St Loyes Street opened. Conveniently located in a prominent position, a short distance from the High Street and near the General Post Office, 6 Dame Alice Street was the centre for house sales and lettings, valuations, surveys, rent collection, property management, insurance and arrangement of residential property auctions. The premises were formerly a public house, the Anchor Inn, and later became the Rosery Tea Rooms. The three-storey building was timber-framed with part stucco exterior and was probably of eighteenth century or earlier origin.

The property was owned by the late Cecil Clarabut, whose own business occupied the adjoining premises. Cecil Clarabut ran a very successful radio and electrical business, and as an expert in early radio had experience of working with the British Broadcasting Company.2 His extensive premises included a large shop and a recording studio at the rear. His outside broadcasting equipment provided audio services for most important local events such as the Bedford Regatta, Elstow May Festival and the sports days held by large local companies for employees and their families.

With the opening of 6 Dame Alice Street, Harry Peacock maintained a close interest in the estate agency activities, though his own office remained at 10 Lime Street. The Dame Alice Street office was first managed by Walter George Riddy, who is said to have been a hard taskmaster. His assistant was George Robinson who later became manager, and was subsequently a partner in the firm until his retirement at the end of 1963. Frank Jeffery joined the staff in 1935 as an assistant and sales negotiator.

Bedford's property market in the 1920s and 1930s

Between 1928 and the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the office dealt with a wide variety of properties for sale or to let by private treaty. Due to the depression, and the threat of war, the property market was slow. There was very little demand for the various large country houses, which remained on the market for several years. A number of large houses were eventually sold for demolition and redevelopment, a fate that resulted in the loss of Cranfield Court and Kempston Hoo. The materials were sold for salvage.