EXTRACT FROM BOOK WRITTEN BY IAN LESLIE, OLD WYKEHAMIST, ON THE HISTORY OF THE CROWN AND MANOR.
We thought this part of Ian’s book would be pertinent at the time when we are remembering the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
“THE CROWN AND MANOR
IS BORN
The origins of the Club go back to 1903, when The New North Road Boys’ Club started life just round the corner from the Club’s present premises in Wiltshire Row.
In 1926 the Llewellyn Smith brothers, Arthur (who was also born in 1903) and Harold, and a number of fellow Old Wykehamists established another boys’ club in premises at the back of The Crown Inn, off Kingsland Road; this they called The Crown Club.
By this time, The New North Road Club was operating as ‘Hoxton Manor’ from the premises in WiltshireRow.
After the outbreak of war in 1939, the Hoxton Manor premises came on the market, and the Llewellyn Smiths were able to
effect a reverse take-over. The two clubs merged, and moved to Wiltshire Row together, into what were then still relatively new purpose
built club premises.
The Club has been there ever since, and has now had an unbroken association with Winchester College for over 80 years.
The Club itself is now established as a limited company and a registered charity: its board of directors – or Council – comprises several Club ‘old boys’ and locals, but also a larger number of Wykehamists.
The Club’s senior serving Wykehamist has now notched up over half a century of service to the Club. It is a strong and enduring connection.
One of the greatest achievements
of the Club in recent years, in the field of youth work, has been the US Scholarship Programme. Currently the Club has six boys playing
football and studying at US universities, in what is only the second year of a programme to assist boys into such US university places.
