Happy Memories Of Maritime House

A Memory of Clapham.

Maritime House used to house the National Union of Seamen but I believe it is now occupied by the Railway Union. My grandfather Sir Thomas Yates was the General Secretary of the Seamen's Union until he retired around 1960. He had been a seaman himself for a number of years before becoming a Branch Secretary to the Union in a number of different locations and working his way up to become the General Secretary. He was knighted by the Queen some time in the mid 1950s for his service to both the Union and for his work as the Leader of the Trades Union Congress also.  

My mother, my sister and myself worked in the offices there for some years and thoroughly enjoyed it and made many good friends there.

My father became the Caretaker there in 1948 and we as a family lived in an adjoining flat to the main building. We grew up and went to school in Clapham at Clapham Manor School, which used to be called Stonhouse Street School then.

My sister and her husband emigrated to Australia around 1962 and I emigrated with my daughter to join her in 1970. Both of my parents emigrated in 1971 also. My grandfather had retired in 1962/63 and some years later he also came out to Australia to live. He died here in 1978 at the age of 82. He was a good and fair man who had worked hard all his life to achieve what he did and we are very proud to be part of his family.

I had the good fortune to be able to go to London this year (2009) and visit Clapham and the surrounding areas. Maritime House is still there although it is looking rather shabby these days in comparison to how it used to look. I walked around Grafton Square where we used to play as children and even had a go on the swings. I took my son and his wife along with me. He and his wife have been living and working over there for a time although they don't live in Clapham. We took a walk across Clapham Common which is pretty much the same as it was when I left 39 years ago but brought back many childhood memories. The bandstand had been refurbished and looked great. When we were children they would often have a band playing there in the summer evenings and people would dance around the bandstand to the music. It was a great place for families to enjoy. Oh, how times have changed, I can't see that happening today.

Grafton Square has all been modernised and looks so much better now.  
We used to shop at 'Wildey's' which was on the corner of the Polygon and opposite was 'Birt's paper shop', which was owned and run by my best friend Pamela's father.  We regularly went to the Majestic Cinema and shopped along Clapham High Street. The shops are still in the same place but have changed hands and are run by different businesses now.  

I doubt I shall ever get back to Clapham again but it was wonderful to be able to go back there and remember the fun times we had growing up there. I would love to hear from anyone else with memories of Grafton Square.