Thomas Cromwell, the Muppets and me

If you’re not so much of a big kid as I am, then I apologise in advance for what follows.

But the fact is I love London. I’ve been painting and decorating all over the city from our Putney offices since 1997, and I continually find out wonderful facts about the place.

What, for instance, would you say is the connection between Thomas Cromwell and the Muppets? That’s not a political question.

I found out recently that Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, had a workshop just down the road from us, at Rotherwood Road. Not only that, but the Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson used the same workshop. Thomas Cromwell, meantime, was born just around the corner from us. He’s the odd man out as he never succeeded in developing a hit TV puppet show.

If that isn’t enough for you, Pierce Brosnan, Grace Jones and Sir Bobby Moore all lived round here as well. What more could you want?

To cap it all, Captain Lawrence Oates, the Antarctic explorer, was born and raised in Putney. When he said “I am just going outside and may be some time” perhaps he was thinking about a trip to Wimbledon.

All of them, however, had obvious good taste and I would have loved to be their decorator, particularly Gerry Anderson’s. Who wouldn’t want a chance to meet Lady Penelope?

But work calls. It’s starting to look like Spring, and perhaps you are thinking of sprucing up the old place. We’ll be happy to come and give you a quote, and if you’re very lucky I might come round in the new GD Parvin transport (below).

All the best

Geoff Parvin
GD Parvin Ltd.