Brand names continued...

So who were the personalities behind Davis Langdon and Faithful+Gould?

Davis Langdon:
WHO: Owen Davis & Horace Langdon & Bobbie Everest

FAMOUS FOR: Horace W Langdon set up a single office in Holborn, London. He was soon joined in 1921 by Tom Every to form Langdon and Every. In 1931 Owen Davis set up a neighbouring practice nearby in Red Lion Square, Holborn and by 1934 the business had a pleasing profit of £600. In the same building was John Belfield, a Cambridge graduate, who was also working as a QS and it seemed natural for them to turn their mutual interest into partnership as Davis & Belfield in 1935. Bobbie Everest was the grandson of George Everest - a surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843 and the first man to measure the height of Mount Everest. Taking after his grandfather in arithmetical speed and accuracy he became successful QS and developed a close working relationship with Owen Davis & John Belfield. Delayed by the war years they eventually formed the partnership Davis Belfied & Everest in 1944.

Langdon & Every and Davis Belfield & Everest expanded rapidly during the post war reconstruction programme and both firms established offices worldwide. Similar business ambitions and experience eventually led to the formation of the worldwide practice Davis Langdon & Seah International.

Did you know? George Everest was one of three men due to climb Mount Everest however the other two became embroiled in a dual that ended in them killing each other. It was up George to complete the task whose measurement was so accurate, Bobbie decided to use the mountain as the initial logo for the business to symbolise the accuracy with figures.

Faithful+Gould:
WHO: Eric Faithful & Leonard Gould

EARLY PROJECTS: ICI at Avonmouth. QS on a number of projects at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (early 1960s) and at the old children's local hospital on St Michael's Hill. They also advised on a major extension to the former GB Britton footwear factory at Kingswood in Bristol and Birmingham New Street.

FAMOUS FOR: Major construction contracts in Bristol following war damage

The firm is now an amalgamation of many businesses, ranging from Silk & Frazier (founded back in 1902) to Yeoman & Edwards, born in 1951, and Hanscomb, founded four years later.

The core F&G business has its roots in post war Bristol. It is believed that Eric Faithful and Leonard Gould had worked quite separately as quantity surveyors in Bristol prior to the war. They served together in the RAF and, after peace was declared, they recognised the opportunities to re-build parts of Bristol that had collapsed from bombings. Little detail of Eric Faithful's background is known but Leonard was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Bristol and served as president

In 1947 Eric Faithful & Gould opened for business in Pipe Lane, Bristol - a road which still remains today just off the city centre. However, the initial partnership was short-lived when Eric decided to leave the company to pursue other interests. The name was the only remaining sign of their partnership and Leonard continued to steer the company forwards taking on two other partners - George Palmer and Herbert Gooding.

Did you know? It is known that the when the business began it had no duplicating facilitates and it was the job of certain company each day to travel across the city in an old bubble car or on motorbikes with sidecars to one of the few locations that did have such equipment.