 "Peter Grimes" opened in June 1945 and was hailed by public and critics.Most of the extensive press coverage was to do with the work, but there was also high praise for the performances of Pears and Cross.Dismayed by the in-fighting among the company, Cross, Britten and Pears severed their ties with Sadler's Wells in December 1945, going on to found what was to become the English Opera Group.