Nigel Broackes

Born in Wakefield, Broackes was son of solicitor Donald Broackes and Nancy Rowland (née Tansley) Broackes. His father died in 1943 whilst serving in the Army, leaving only a small estate.[1] Broackes was educated at Brambletye School in Sussex and Stowe School, and joined Stewart & Hughman, a firm of Lloyd's underwriters on leaving school.[1] He then did national service and was commissioned into the Royal Armoured Corps in 1953.[2]

After completing his national service and with the support of Eastern International, a small finance house, he started buying up bomb sites in London.[1] Eastern International became Trafalgar House and Broackes took a 21% stake in the business when it was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1963.[1] In 1964 the Company took a 49% stake in Bridge Walker, a construction company owned by Victor Matthews.[1] After that Broackes and Matthews worked together to build Trafalgar House into one of the United Kingdom's largest contracting businesses.[1] Trafalgar House owned the Cunard Line from 1971 to 1998. Broackes resigned in 1992 following heavy losses associated with a diversification into offshore activities.[1]

In 1979 Broackes became chairman of the London Docklands Development Corporation, from which post he resigned in 1984.[1] He was knighted for his role at that organisation in 1984.[3]

He died in 1999 in Chelsea[1] and is buried in the St Peter and St Paul, Checkendon.[4]

He was married to Joyce Edith Horne; they had two sons and a daughter.[1]

• Broakes, Nigel (1979). A Growing Concern. Littlehampton Book Services. ISBN 978-0297776543.