Princess Alice, the Dutchess of Glouster meets Servicemen
The recent death of Princess Alice, -the Duchess of Gloucester, prompted Heritage to look into the day that hundreds of Croydon residents lined the streets to welcome her when she officially opened a centre for service women.
Princess Alice, who died on October 29 aged 102, was one of the oldest surviving members of the royal family and was famed for her dedication to her official engagements, even continuing some royal duties past her 100th birthday.
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Crowds waiting in the cold and rain for her arrival. |
On 19th January 1943, Princess Alice officially opened Croydon's Britannia Club for Women's Services, a centre for servicewomen during World War Two. Despite it being a cold, wet, winter day, hundreds of people lined the street to catch a glimpse of the princess when she arrived in Surrey Street with Croydon's then mayor, to officially open the club. Chris Bennett, archivist at Croydon Local Studies Library and Archives Service, said: "You can see from the many pictures that it was a miserable, cold day but the amount of people that turned out to see her shows just how significant the event was.". The local studies library holds the Britannia Club's original visitors' book, which Princess Alice was the first to sign. The site of the Britannia Club was formerly a derelict pub in Surrey Street which was repaired and the walls were painted, each to represent a part of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. |
The refurbishment also included a canteen service, sitting rooms, a library and sleeping accommodation for about 40 girls.
It was particularly useful for service girls who came from overseas or who had no home of their own and the club was run by a team of volunteers. The Britannia Club was believed to be one of the most popular and charitable institutions of its time.
The club is thought to have closed in 1946 after the war finished but it was used by other ex-servicemen after that.
The 1955 street directory, held at the local studies library, lists the building as the Britannia Club (RAF Association). Up until 2003, it was a Jim Thompson's restaurant.