We were young, starry-eyed thirty somethings who found ourselves playing explorer in the Mayfair District of London some 35 years ago. We were there on a work-related trip, but we had some free time, so my wife and I and a friend decided to see some sights. We were nervous and cautious, however, because two days earlier there had been a terrorist bombing at Harrods Department store a few blocks away and today there was a youth demonstration at Hyde Park, also close by.
All of London was on edge. When we saw purple- and green-haired youth dressed in black gothic outfits march past us heading for the park, we knew we were not in Kansas anymore because these things never happened in our little corner of the world. No worries we thought. This is the big city, but we could handle it.
I had no interest in visiting the normal tourist destinations. We had been to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the Tower of London, and visited the Cutty Sark clipper ship the day before on the wharf, so I felt I’d paid my dues. Now, I only had one thing on my mind: to find Audley House, located at 57-58 South Audley Street, which was the home of James Purdey & Sons, maker of the world’s finest sporting arms for kings and noblemen.
Noted firearms authority Michael McIntosh had once written that it was rumored that “God Almighty himself shot a James Purdey Hammer gun.” At the time, I was a novice in the world of fine, bespoke side-by-side shotguns, but I knew that I had to find this Audley House I’d read so much about.
Well, come to find out, Audley House was only a half-mile from our Grovener House hotel, so we had no excuses . . . we could not get lost. As we approached the corner entrance to the shop and opened the big double doors, a sense of awe and trepidation overcame us as we entered the hallowed grounds. I had read stories about how rude and condescending these London gun shops could be to common Yankees just stopping by for a casual look-see. After all, these folks had been taking gun orders for Royalty for hundreds of years. We barely knew the difference between a sidelock and a boxlock, and we were going to darken their doorway?
To our surprise, the folks at James Purdey and Sons were just as nice as they could be. A middle-aged gentleman, who we assumed was a shop foreman, dressed in his white shirt, necktie and stained work apron, came out from the back workshop, and greeted us from behind the counter in the lobby. (Later research would indicate this gentleman was a member of the Beaumont family). He was cordial, but had a suspicious smile on his face, indicating that he thought we must have taken a wrong turn or something before entering the shop. He relaxed once the conversation started and then proceeded to enlighten us about the fine world of Purdey and Sons.
We learned about the trademark “rose and scroll” engraving of a Purdey side-by-side. He schooled us on the man-hours required to make a custom gun and the many steps involved. He told us the history of the ‘Long Room” and the original order books that we had read about.
The highlight of the day came when he allowed us to handle (without donning white gloves) several 12-bore game guns that were awaiting customer pick-up. After opening the guns, we held the barrels up to the light so we could marvel at their mirror-smooth bores. As we gently shut the guns, we knew we were holding something special, though at the time, we didn’t realize how special.
After 45 minutes, we felt we had imposed enough on the shop foreman, so we genuinely thanked him and turned to leave the shop. On a small table by the counter sat a stack of product brochures, so I grabbed one as we left. Once outside the door of Audley House, I examined the brochure. Turns out, I held in my hands a 1993 price list for the guns we were just examining, with all the available options listed separately.
I knew these masterpieces were expensive, but I had no idea just how expensive. I will never forget my friend who, after calculating the British pound to U.S. dollar conversion rate, exclaimed that, “he could buy a small farm in Greenville, South Carolina for what one of these 12 bores cost.” We both laughed, but then came to the sober realization that there is a price for perfection, and that Purdey guns are significant not only for their cost, but for what they represent. Regardless of price, we all realized what a special day we had experienced.
No, I never bought a Purdey shotgun, but I have never forgotten the day we were treated like royalty at Audley House. Oh, and yes, I still have the 1993 price list.