Family Department Store

"My father was the junior partner in the firm of W.E. Pearkes & Sons, a firm which was started by my grandfather and my uncle, Walter Pearkes, was the elder son and my father was the next son, and it was formed as you'd call it a 'departmental store' today, but they described themselves as men's 'clothing, drapers and furniture'.  My father looked after the furniture side of the business.  They had quite an extensive business throughout Hertfordshire.  I can well recall their furniture vans moving across the country and they had quite a large stable of horse-drawn vehicles and vans in which they moved the furniture in various places in the neighbourhood of Watford."