▁for ▁£ 5 . 6 3 ▁million ), ▁G idd y ▁& ▁G idd y ▁( 2 4 ▁branches ▁across ▁Ber k shire , ▁Sur rey , ▁Oxford shire ▁and ▁Buck ingham shire , ▁purchased ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁for ▁£ 7 . 5 ▁million ), ▁Dennis ▁P oc ock ▁& ▁D rew ett , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁independent ▁estate ▁agents ▁in ▁W ilt shire ▁for ▁£ 4 ▁million ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Taylor ▁D ixon ▁Por ter ▁( wh ose ▁seven ▁offices ▁in ▁West ▁London ▁were ▁purchased ▁for ▁£ 3 . 5 ▁million ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 7 ) ▁and ▁WH ▁Robinson ▁of ▁Manchester ▁just ▁a ▁day ▁later ▁for ▁£ 3 . 4 ▁million . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁Ab aco ▁held ▁ 1 1 0 ▁estate ▁ag ency ▁branches . ▁Further ▁ac quis itions ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁Anthony ▁Brown ▁Stewart ▁and ▁E ad on ▁Lock wood ▁& ▁R iddle . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁Lam bert ▁Smith ▁and ▁Part ners ▁was ▁re brand ed ▁and ▁rela unch ed ▁to ▁become ▁Lam bert ▁Smith ▁Ham pton . ▁ ▁After ▁an ▁ab orted ▁bid ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁part ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁which ▁was ▁cancel led ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁stock ▁market ▁collapse , ▁British ▁and ▁Commonwealth ▁Hold ings ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 0 . 1 % ▁of ▁Ab aco ▁In vest ments ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁already ▁own ▁in ▁