PROFILE
Philip Gaches - Past, Present & Future What are the chances of being approached by letters after the War for neighbours who were less able a stranger who identifies where a painting of to read and write. Not surprisingly the War affected him severely. His son, Philip’s father Gordon, was one your ancestor dating back to 1660 can be found? of 13 while Philip’s mother was one of 11, providing a Not very high! Unless, of course, your surname happens to be Gaches and your family of rich source of aunties and uncles! Huguenots came to the UK In 1948 Philip’s dad, Gordon, from Castres in the south started his own plastering of France following the business having worked persecution of Protestants for Peterborough plasterers there. The painting of Jack and Jock when he was Raymond Gaches hangs discharged from the army at in the Huguenot Museum the end of the War, aged 18. in Rochester, housing In 1959 the family moved the collection from the to the bungalow that he had French Hospital a few built with bricklayer Colin doors away, providing Gentleman at 52 Horsegate. accommodation for It was in the front bedroom descendants who are in here that Philip was delivered need of help to this day. into the world by Nurse Raymond’s son John went Aldridge who, on her arrival on to become the private in the middle of the night, chaplain to Charles II had fallen over the gatepost and his likeness was and gashed her leg badly. The captured by the royal John - Chaplian to Charles 2 family, Anton, Pam, Linda portrait painter of the and mother Edna and Gordon 17th century, Peter Lilly. His eventually moved up the road to Holly House. This features live on today in the faces of the Gaches then underwent the cringeworthy modernisation of the Deepings! popular in the 70s; the replacement of Collyweston The family came north to Peterborough and retained slates on the roof, beautifully panelled doors changed their place at the centre of local government, solicitor; to sapele ones and the removal of the flagstones from W.D. Gaches, born in 1821, was a coroner, Clerk of the kitchen to the patio, which all seems sacrilege the Court and ultimately Town Clerk of the city with today but at the time was very much the in thing! a son Louis who followed in his shoes and in 1905 Their next move was to a newly built bungalow on wrote The History of the Liberty of Peterborough and the the end of Bell Lane behind the Bell public house, and then the family moved into Dolly Spooncer’s Jurisdiction of the Justices of Goal Delivery for the Hundred cottage next to the building that is now Maharanis of Nassaburgh. During the war Philip’s grandfather was in Bridge Street. The Gaches were now neighbours a Batman to an Officer, reading and responding to 22
of Albert Moyse, the river bailiff who memorably and skilfully ‘played the bones’, the rib bones of a pig! A move to Maxey High Street followed but after just six months Gordon died prematurely at 63 in 1987. The Gaches family’s world was turned upside down; the business was closed down but reopened shortly after with Philip at the helm. Philip had early on decided to join the family business and had started an apprenticeship in 1979 with John Ford at Norwich City College, which he completed in 1982. Little did he realise that he would be jettisoned into running the business at this stage in his career at the grand old age of 23. Initially Philip and Andy Hill, an apprentice from Stamford, continued in the same vein as Gordon had done, largely with local plastering projects. Increasingly, though, Philip’s passion for working in historic buildings grew and after ten years the firm was exclusively focusing on this aspect of the business. Awards and accolades followed and now Philip is a Master Plasterer recognised by the New Guild of the Traditional Plastering Craft. It is true to say that Philip has worked on some of the most prestigious plastering projects of the day; the magnificent exterior
Claxby Hall - new staircase ceiling
