Wandsworth Town Hall

By The River Thames c1955
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My great-grandfather was the Wandsworth Town Hall Keeper at the old Town Hall until about 1929, and my mother was born in the building. Later they moved to the Municipal Buildings where my grandfather took over the role from his father and continued the family tradition of Town Hall Keeper. They lived in an apartment at the top of the Municipal Buildings with a large balcony area we used to play out on. I remember the wonderful smell of wood and polish through the corridors (which were all angled like the sides of a threepenny bit) as we had to go through the building to get to the flat. Great-grandfather was Walter Henry Clarke and grandfather was Walden Clarke (better known as Bill). Great-grandfather retired to Somerset in 1929 and Bill died in 1958. My grandmother, Peggy Clarke, moved across the road to the flats on Fairfield Drive opposite the Municipal Buildings. I have wonderful memories of the old swimming pool and the brewery and the smell of hops in the high street. Wonderful days. My mother was Noreen Clarke, later Noreen Roddis, she is still alive and pretty amazing at 87 years old.