Peter Francis Cheek (1922-2017) opened his first shop in Bowes Park, North London in 1949. He began his career in the antiques trade working for his father in 1947, who was a second-hand and antique furniture dealer trading under the name of 'W. Johnson', at Winchmore Hill from the 1930s. Peter's father has been a foreman at the furniture-making firm of Howard & Co. Peter trained as a carpenter before the outbreak of WWII, but was called up in 1941.
He purchased his father's shop at Winchmore Hill in 1951, before selling the shop and buying a lease on a shop at 37 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 in 1954, remaining at Beauchamp Place until 1979. He moved to 26 Museum Street in 1979, taking over the shop of the antique dealer 'Cameo Corner'. Peter retired in 1999 and sadly passed away in 2017.