20 Facts About Frank Pullen

Francis Henry Pullen was an English businessperson and racehorse owner.

Frank Pullen was born, the youngest of four children, as Francis Henry Pullen to Arthur James and Alice Pullen at Catford, South London and great nephew to James Pullen.

Frank Pullen's father died while serving with the Royal Navy during World War I and Alice Pullen had to support her children during the Depression.

Young Frank Pullen found work feeding the local workhorses, earning a shilling a week, showing early entrepreneurial flair and sparking his love of horses.

Frank 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.

Frank Pullen became one of South London's leading property developers, and incorporated his business in 1962, using the slogan "We Build To Please".

Frank 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.

Frank Pullen moved on to housing estates, building over one hundred major developments.

Frank Pullen gained a reputation as a builder of innovative houses and luxury apartments, and examples of these buildings can be found at Florida Court in Bromley, with three blocks in a low-density, five-acre landscaped plot.

At Beulah Hill Frank Pullen built Tropicana, a groundbreaking block of flats to Lowmans design, climbing up Spurgeon Road with balconies having a grand view over southwest London.

Frank Pullen built the Parklands apartments, 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.

Frank Pullen developed extensively down Wells Park road, Sydenham and with Chevening Court built the whole of Brasted Close in Orpington, Kent.

Frank 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.

Frank Pullen went on to form Bromley Industrial Consultants, based in Pall Mall, London, with the purpose of helping Third World nations develop.

Frank Pullen opened a series of general hardware shops, selling a wide range of products.

Frank 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.

Frank Pullen was able to indulge in his lifelong passion of horse racing, training and breeding, adopting the colours Chocolate and Blue for his racing silks.

Frank Pullen's 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.

Former jockey Bob Champion bought racehorse "Just Martin" for Frank Pullen, who had built Champions yard and Frank Pullen became Champions first owner when he took up training.

Frank Pullen formally retired in 1988 and he died, aged 76, at his livery yard in Orpington, Kent, and is buried at London Road Cemetery, Bromley.