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Darlow still hitting the right notes

03 December 2008
Written by Rosalind Renshaw

Legendary Welsh estate agent Alan Darlow has been revealed as a backer of David Essex’s new musical, All The Fun Of The Fair.

Darlow, 57, who starred in his own TV adverts back in the 1980s, first met Essex at a charity auction some 15 years ago. The pair have been friends since and Darlow has helped Essex with his property portfolio.

It is understood that Darlow has been heavily involved behind the scenes with the new musical, which ends its 2008 national tour this week in Cardiff. It has received an enthusiastic press and there is a possibility it may transfer to the West End.

Darlow opened his own chain of estate agents at the age of 25. He sold that company to Halifax where he became a regional director, before opening Darlows in the 1990s and building it up as a 100-strong chain in Wales and the West Country. The brand is now part of the Spicerhaart group.

Darlow, who was made an MBE for his charity work, is still involved with property, owning Roberts and Co, an estate agency in and around Newport.

Comments

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    We just had dealings with roberts and co where they said we have an offer for your property from alan darlow and no mention said alan darlow owned roberts,
    he offered below the market price and wanted the keys before any contract was signed and deposit paid and said he wanted to remodel the house before the final contract was signed.
    (No Way)
    Any one else had the same offer.
    It seems very sharp practice to me.
    the worst was our solicitor was advising us to let him.
    In this case let the sellers beware of newport estate business

    • 26 August 2012 17:18 PM
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    ITS 2011 AND ROBERTS AND CO IS STILL RUNNING STRONG WELL DONE EVERYONE.

    • 30 May 2011 13:01 PM
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    two valuers from roberts & co recently,threatened to evict tenants in 48 hours,if they did not have immediate access,one was a pregnant lady and the other tenant had a heart condition,one is believed to be taking legal action and as they were appointed by the monmouthshire building society they may be involved,my advice is to have nothing to do with either party and do business with better companies.

    • 30 August 2009 21:03 PM
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    roberts estate agents run by mark roberts,denied for years that alan darlow had nothing to do with them.they have connections with the monmouthshire building society as marks father is a director,this is a conflict of interest, investors beware with the monmouthshire as roberts could go bust in the next 9 months.the monmouthshire should be carefull or perhaps they are desperate,i heard they recently appointed a receiver for an underpayment of less than 2% on a portfolio of £1.5 million pounds,my guess is they have problems.

    • 30 August 2009 20:51 PM
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    I hope Roberts and Co doesn’t go into liquidation on the 23rd December like Darlows did a few years ago – it wasn’t a very merry Christmas for all of the staff that year – I think big Al was in his Villa in Marbella at the time so he was ok!?

    • 04 December 2008 11:20 AM
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    Roberts and Co your moto is "over value and undercut"... good luck when the market gets tougher early 2009!!!

    • 04 December 2008 11:08 AM
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    Roberts of newport who's taking it from behind first???

    • 04 December 2008 10:57 AM
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    Big Al is the fat cat of estate agents

    • 03 December 2008 08:47 AM
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    Darlows is an anagram of robbing bastards.

    • 03 December 2008 08:38 AM
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    Darlow is a crook. Always has been, always will be.

    • 03 December 2008 06:55 AM
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    Roberts and co. be prepared to bend over and take it like a man.

    • 03 December 2008 06:04 AM
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    I remember Darlows, I think big Al made a shed load of cash off winterthur life by going on a spending spree with thier cash whilst renting offices to them that he owned.
    "Daarrlows da a arlows"

    • 03 December 2008 06:02 AM
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    Didnt I read somthing on the front page of the Argus about a £31,000,000
    debt/bankrupcy ??

    I suppose that is quite legendary.

    • 03 December 2008 05:14 AM
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    well well well, Alan darlows has certainly stirred a few emotions. Id be more concerened about the shower who are running it now.

    • 03 December 2008 05:02 AM
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    Sean I would like to know where your getting this inaccurate obscene information from, are you a jealous employee of 'Robbers' and Co??

    • 03 December 2008 02:50 AM
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    Thanks for pointing that out Nicholas but I still had a good experience buying and selling through them, wether he was there or not, they are a good firm and dealt with my legal and finance's very professionaly.

    • 03 December 2008 02:48 AM
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    Well Sean what can I say - he succeeds in making people unemployed yet again !!!where there's a Darlows there's a Roberts - does this mean more office closures ????

    • 03 December 2008 02:11 AM
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    I think you folks need to get your facts straight. Alan Darlows sold Darlows to Winterthur Life that put it into administration before the deal with Spicerhaart, who currently now own it.

    This news article above is obviously to bring Alan back to the limelight as the current owner of Roberts & Co and is, what I hear, going to puchase the Welsh Offices of Darlows from Spicehaart very shortly.

    Like him or now, Alan Darlow is still very much part of the estate agency world in Wales and you will see more of him.

    This makes other agents very nervous as they know what is on the way, cheap fees, over the top adverts, etc etc, 2009 will be more of an estate agency bloodbath than 2008 was.

    • 03 December 2008 01:49 AM
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    Just to let you know Patrick N, Mr Darlow no longer has any association with Darlows the Estate Agents, he is now Roberts and Co.

    • 03 December 2008 01:34 AM
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    Roberts will be going down the pan shortly how can they survive on 1% fees in this current climate. Alan Darlow productions lmao. Can it last??

    • 03 December 2008 01:22 AM
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    Darlows have been so good in the smooth transaction of my recent sale and purchase, would definitely use again. A total moving experience.

    • 03 December 2008 01:16 AM
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    My mother is going to this show tonight. If I had known Alan Darlow was behind it I would never have let her buy the tickets!!

    • 03 December 2008 01:10 AM
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    Mr Darlow is NO SAINT. No mention of his companies going into administration??... Perhaps musicals will be his vocation as running a business certainly isn't!!

    • 03 December 2008 01:01 AM
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    darlows bad service when he run it worse now. gone from bad to worse

    • 03 December 2008 01:00 AM
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    Thank you staff members that have written in. I am of a similar age to this man but have not acheived what this web site says he has.

    This helps me when I read such stories and feel inadequate if I compare what I have and what they say he has, but you tell me he has not!!

    • 03 December 2008 12:56 PM
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    Estate Agent Today should have done their homework....Alan Darlow is ruthless and Roberts staff need to be aware!!! if he's not making money he will declare Bankruptcy AGAIN!!!

    • 03 December 2008 12:41 PM
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    Is this yet another plan to keep him occupied ready for when Roberts goes into ADMINISTRATION ????

    • 03 December 2008 12:28 PM
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    yeah its gone from bad to worse

    • 03 December 2008 12:20 PM
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    Why do you not mention that Darlows went into administration instead of painting Alan Darlow as a saint?

    He is no saint to those who lost their jobs because of him, especially since it happened just before the Christmas season started that year!

    However, thanks for letting us know of his new estate agent company - forewarned is forearmed!

    • 03 December 2008 12:15 PM
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