Foreword

Summary

A former secretary once described W. & H. Peacock as, ‘the longest running show in town’, and to many a Bedfordian this still holds true. The weekly auction and associated estate agency, established in 1902, quickly became part of the fabric of Bedford and the surrounding area, and over its long history numerous properties have been purchased through, and furnished from, the business.

Keith Lazenby, who worked for Peacocks for nearly sixty years, and was a partner for twenty-four years, has the in-depth knowledge and understanding to be able to give a fascinating insight into the history of the firm. In the following chapters, Keith describes in vivid detail the family atmosphere of working at Peacocks, the characters and the unusual history behind the firm's formation. It was a time when you could lose your job for going to war for Queen and country. Keith recalls memories of working with Mr Walter and Mr Harry Peacock, the founders of the business, and some of the interesting anecdotes of days gone by.

With his immense knowledge of estate agency, Keith also describes the local property history of Bedford and the surrounding villages, and gives an insight into the time when a three-bedroomed town house could be purchased for £1,500.

I have also been privileged to be part of the Peacocks’ family, and to work with some of the interesting characters described. As a sixteen-year-old I was fascinated by the formal use of names, for example ‘Mr Robert’ and ‘Mr Dudley’. It was a time, long since gone, when colleagues as well as bosses were referred to by their title.

Like Keith, I also remember fondly the first office I worked in, although possibly through rose-tinted spectacles. It was a two-berth touring caravan, which as each year elapsed, slowly and quietly sunk into the mud of the Horne Lane sale yard. I was also pleased to read that some of the old Peacocks’ traditions Keith describes still exist to this day - such as buying cakes on birthdays.

To anyone with an interest in bygone Bedford, or an interest in the thrill of the auction, I thoroughly recommend Pride of Peacocks.

Mark Baker, W. & H PeacockJanuary 2014