Here is a lovely piece of local journalism about a very special estate agent.

He is John Pocock, who at 72 has been a local estate agent since 1960 and still works two days a week.

Studying at night school, he qualified as a chartered surveyor at 21 and became a partner in his first firm, Januarys, within ten years.

When Januarys was sold he set up Pocock and Shaw with a former colleague. The business is still going strong today.

He dislikes today’s “absolutely crazy” house prices in Cambridge because of how they affect those people who have no hope of buying a home, and he worries about the public’s general negative view of estate agents.

“The majority of people I know in the business are very nice, caring people that are interested in helping. But there are those who aren’t. I do know that, and I’ve met them, and they don’t appeal to me any more than they appeal to the majority of the population,” he says.

But the really special thing about John is that he is a talented and prolific artist, and every single penny he makes from selling his pictures goes to charity – mainly related to children, and mainly in the third world.

“I’ve been to various parts of Africa, and I have seen some of the difficulties and suffering, and I would like whatever I can afford to give to help relieve that suffering wherever I can.

“It’s difficult for people to understand but (a) I don’t need the money and (b) I want to paint what I want to paint, and if people want to buy it, that’s fine.”

A very special man indeed. We salute him.

The article is here