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Frank Pullen

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Frank Pullen
Frank Pullen
Born(1915-09-08)8 September 1915
London, England
Died17 January 1992(1992-01-17) (aged 76)
Resting placeLondon Road Cemetery Bromley, London
OccupationsBusinessman:
Property Developer
Racehorse owner/breeder

Francis Henry Pullen (8 September 1915 – 17 January 1992) was an English businessperson and racehorse owner.

Early life

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He was born, the youngest of four children, as Francis Henry Pullen to Arthur James and Alice Pullen (née Richards) [1] at Catford, south London. His father died while serving with the Royal Marines during World War I[2] and Alice Pullen had to support her children during the Depression. Young Pullen found work feeding the local workhorses, earning a shilling a week, showing early entrepreneurial flair and sparking his love of horses. Pullens first job was a cook and he later became a hotel chef[3]

English businessman Frank Pullen 1933

War years

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Pullen enlisted in the British Army at the start of World War II and was one of the survivors of D-Day, landing at Gold Beach. Later during the conflict he helped liberate the Belgian town of Lessines. The grateful town gave him the freedom of the city and he later named three of his homes (one in Bromley, south London, one in Lee, South London and one in Looe, Cornwall, where he would holiday) [4] in honour of this town.

Pullen Shops

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Pullen Brothers shop Catford Broadway circa 1950

After he was demobilised from the army in 1948, Pullen, along with his brothers Arthur[5] and Albert,[6] opened a series of general hardware shops, selling a wide range of products. These included his own brand of bleach "Pulbro", "Aladdin Pink" paraffin, wallpapers and paints, DIY and home appliances, cutlery and crockery, dustbins and ice-creams . Pullen also specialised in the supply and fitment of his own brand of fireplaces . Branches covered south London, the first of these being on Catford Broadway. Pullen also owned and rented out many lock-up garages. Pullen became a millionaire and he enjoyed his wealth, and by July 1965 had bought his first new Rolls-Royce - Silver Cloud III Coupe from James Young, a luxury coachbuilder located in Bromley.[7]

Pullen Estates

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Florida Court, Bromley
Tropicana, Beulah Hill
Gatcombe & Highgrove Courts, Beckenham
Chevening Court, Orpington

Pullen started a business as a builder in a war-torn South London and became a member of the National House Building Council. Pullen became one of South London's leading property developers, and incorporated his business in 1962, using the slogan "We Build To Please" . Pullen specialised at first in renovating houses, before concentrating on new builds; his first being "Karen Court", Blyth Road, Bromley, a block of three maisonettes.[8] Other early examples of Pullen's can be seen with the bungalows of Clarence Road, Croydon. Pullen began the process of buying up old Victorian houses in south London, demolishing them and building blocks of flats,[9] such as Tina Court, Knollys Road, Streatham[10] and at Ravensbourne Park Crescent, Catford,[11] along with Colin Court.[12]

Pullen moved on to housing estates, building over one hundred major developments. At Iona Close in Catford stands a type of Pullen's apartments that were purpose-built for Lewisham Council. In his later buildings, Pullen often employed the services of the architect and Le Corbusier admirer Joyce Lowman.[13] Pullen gained a reputation as a builder of innovative houses[14] and luxury apartments, and examples of these buildings can be found at Florida Court in Bromley,[15] with three blocks in a low-density, five-acre landscaped plot. At Beulah Hill Pullen built Tropicana, a groundbreaking block of flats to Lowmans design, climbing up Spurgeon Road with balconies having a grand view over southwest London. Seychelle Court and Montreux Court [16] in Beckenham continued his theme of building courts with exotic names.[17] Pullen also built the Parklands apartments (with roof gardens overlooking Kelsey Park), Parkwood court, Ingleside Close, Highgrove Court and Gatcombe Court again in Beckenham, the last three being the innovative "catslide" roof design, again by Joyce Lowman.[18]

Pullen developed extensively down Wells Park road, Sydenham and with Chevening Court built the whole of Brasted Close in Orpington, Kent.[19] This is one of Pullen's last estates, reviving his old practice of naming his structures after Royal Houses. Pullen was a frequent visitor to Kenya where he created a racing complex in Nairobi and embarked on an ambitious project there to build a township including schools and hospitals. Pullen went on to form Bromley Industrial Consultants, based in Pall Mall, London, with the purpose of helping developing nations[20][21][22]

Race horses

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Frank H Pullen leading in horse, showing his racing silk colours of chocolate and blue

Pullen was also able to indulge in his lifelong passion of horse racing, training and breeding, adopting the colours Chocolate and Blue for his racing silks. His friends included Peter Bromley, racing commentator, and Pullen went on to be a popular owner with a string of race horses, most famously at Josh Gifford's yard in Findon, Sussex.[23] It was as such that he was interviewed by the Radio Times magazine ("Six owners in search of a winner" by Russell Twisk) in 1972, having especially bought a horse on Josh Gifford's recommendation for that year's Grand National at Aintree.[24] Former jockey Bob Champion bought racehorse "Just Martin" for Pullen, who had built Champions yard[25] and Pullen became Champions first owner when he took up training.[26]

Personal life and death

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Pullen married Annie Lily (known as Poppy) Rudd-Burrows in 1933[27] and they had 3 children, Maureen Josephine,[28] Francis Arthur James (known as Frankie)[29] and Colin Patrick.[30] In 1953 he started a relationship with German emigre Erna Funk, and they went on to have 2 daughers Deirdre [31] and Alice.[32] Pullen formally retired in 1988 and he died, aged 76, at his livery yard in Orpington,[33] Kent, and is buried at London Road Cemetery, Bromley.[34] Racing enthusiast Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother sent Frank's widow a letter of condolence upon hearing of his death.[35]

References

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  1. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Private Arthur James Pullen".
  3. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  4. ^ Army Personnel Centre Historical Disclosures Section D/APC/HD/ABMO/164931
  5. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  7. ^ pullen, francis (8 June 2014), Rolls Royce James Young Receipt, retrieved 11 March 2021
  8. ^ "Karen Ct · Bromley, UK".
  9. ^ ukmodernhousefanatics/topic/joyce_lowman_frank_pullen
  10. ^ "Google Maps".
  11. ^ "Google Maps".
  12. ^ "Home | NHBC". www.nhbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  13. ^ Architectural Review 160:965.229 Corbusier as structural rationalist by Joyce Lowman
  14. ^ "White Lodge I, London SE19 | The Modern House". www.themodernhouse.com. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Florida Court · 76 Westmoreland Rd, Bromley BR2 0TR, UK".
  16. ^ "2 bedroom flat for sale, Albemarle Road, Beckenham, BR3 5HL".
  17. ^ web
  18. ^ "Geograph:: Roof Types". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Brasted Cl · Orpington BR6 9UR, UK".
  20. ^ https://www.flickr.com/photos/192304031@N07/54948120383/in/dateposted-public/
  21. ^ https://www.flickr.com/photos/192304031@N07/54947044007/in/dateposted-public/
  22. ^ https://www.flickr.com/photos/192304031@N07/54948231200/in/dateposted-public/
  23. ^ * Bob Champion; Jonathan Powell (1981). Champion’s story : a great human triumph. London: Gollancz. pp. 216p.,24p. of plates : ports.; 23 cm.. ISBN 0-575-03019-4.
  24. ^ The Radio Times, 8–14 April 1972
  25. ^ The Sporting Life (British newspaper), 24 January 1992
  26. ^ Bob Champion Facebook page 21/11.2020
  27. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  28. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  29. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  30. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  31. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  32. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  33. ^ https://www.equoevents.co.uk/Venues/View/320
  34. ^ Cemeteries.bromley@idverde.co.uk Plot number RB 15a
  35. ^ The Sporting Life, 24 January 1992
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