Taken from newspaper article dated: October 4th 1999

Brian Hayhurst popped a few bottles of champagne last Friday when he and 50 guests gathered for a special celebration at Hitchin's Priory. Mr Hayhurst was marking the 30th anniversary of plunging into his own business and creating one of the most respected house builders in the region, Court Homes. It was in 1969 that he left the plastics giant ICI after a change in their management policy and having looked after their house building Interests, decided to build a few homes of his own.

"I was just marking time until something else came along but I suddenly realised I was enjoying it, so started my own company"

said Mr Hayhurst, who lives near the company's headquarters in Preston and began life as a carpenter before qualifying as a chartered builder. He recalls with great clarity the first house he built in Ground Lane, Hatfield, it was detached, four bedroomed with a garage and sold for £7,850.

Since then he has built approaching 1,000 homes and has maintained the warmth of a family business with his son Robin, 32, and daughter Amanda, both playing their own important roles.

At 62 Mr Hayhurst has no plans to hand over the reins yet and retire, saying:

"I still enjoy working and, although it was a struggle in the beginning, I have always had very loyal staff. There have been the boom times in the 80s and the bad times at the end of them but we have more than survived and always provided a good service and product which we have become admired for.

When I left ICI I had no intention of starting my own business but after building one house I liked it and just carried on. We have maintained a steady building programme over the years and to celebrate 30 wonderful years is a great milestone for what we still see as a family run business. Although I have slowed down a bit I am not even considering retiring. I still love the business too much for that"