Croydon International Language Club, East Croydon 1938 – 1966

Much of the information on this page comes from papers published by the late Sean Creighton, who died in the spring of 2024. His obituary can be read on the website of the Society for the Study of Labour History. Sean published many fascinating articles about the history of Croydon under his own History & Social Action Publications imprint, as well as in other journals.  He was also a committed social activist.  A resident of Norbury, he was active in many campaigns and published a regular blog full of useful and pertinent local information until December 2023. He is greatly missed.

This page on the Croydon International Language Club draws on three of Sean’s articles. Many of the documents he referenced are deposited in Croydon Archives. Many thanks to the staff there, particularly Mandy Smith, for making them available to study and providing copies of images for this webpage.

The Club deserves a more detailed study, perhaps by a student looking for a dissertation topic. There will be people who remember the Club or may even have stayed there. Some of the founder’s family may have further documents. Do you recognised the names of those who signed the panels commemorating the ninth anniversary of the International Language Club, February 1947? Do you know any of the people painted in the Club by (Albert) George Huie, a Jamaican artist, in 1948. They included Mrs Angela Aspinwall (wife of Donald Aspinall sic, manager of the British Ratin Company in Cherry Orchard Road), Sheila Derrick (a teacher at Croham Hurst School) and Mary Todd (a civil servant).  

Mr Terence Driscoll addressing English and foreign members (of the International Language Club) Evening Standard 25 Feb 1939.  

The International Language Club was set up February 1938 in a house in Addiscombe Grove by Terence Driscoll.  Then aged 26, he had wanted to become a missionary but was forbidden to do so by his father.  Instead he became an engineer and represented his firm all over Europe.  His experience of the hatred and suspicion sown by Nazi propaganda made him resolved to bring people of different nations together (Creighton 2019: 25).  By June 1939, the club occupied five houses 7 Altyre Road  and 13, 20, 22 & 24 Addiscombe Grove.  The motto of the club was “The Peace of the World” and the only rule  was “not to discuss politics or religion”.  Residents included people from Holland, Russia, Iceland, India, Czechoslovakia, Austria and England. The in-house magazine International News advertised classes in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Esperanto and events included an International Garden Party.

Hand painted & signed panels commemorating the ninth anniversary of the International Language Club, February 1947.

After World War Two, the Club attracted high profile visitors, such as Mr. Krishna Menon and Mr. Rahimtooola, the new High Commissioners for India and Pakistan, who were the guests of honour at a great rally of world students there on 15 September 1947.

Driscoll proposed an ambitious scheme to redevelop the area housing the club to provide homes for 1000 Croydon people and 2000 foreign students.  By this time he already owned 21 properties, including

  • Addiscombe Grove: 1, 5, 12, 13, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
  • Addiscombe Road: 34
  • Altyre Road: 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12
  • Hazeldean Road: Heather Court, Newton Regis, White House

The proposed New International Centre, 1947. Axionmetric projection by Anderson Forster & Wilcox Architects.

The new development would have occupied the area from the railway lines, along Addiscombe Road to almost opposite the entrance to Blake Road, then south to include Hazeldean Road.  Note that the south side of Addiscombe Road extended further north at the time, as the roundabout (that now houses One Croydon) had yet to be created.

However, in 1948, planning permission was refused on the grounds that the proposed scheme would result in a density of over 300 person per acre, whereas the Greater London Plan recommended a maximum of 75 person per acre for Croydon.

George Huie, a Jamaican artist, exhibited his paintings at the Club in July and August 1948.  He painted some of the residents of the clubs and as well as some local people, including Mrs Angela Aspinwall (wife of Donald Aspinall sic, manager of the British Ratin Company in Cherry Orchard Road, a pest control company later taken over by Rentokil),   Sheila Derrick (a teacher at Croham Hurst School) and Mary Todd (a civil servant).  The report in the Croydon Times on 14 August appears to be referring to Albert George Huie, regarded as the father of Jamaican painting, who was then studying at the Camberwell School of Art (Creighton 2021:6-7) 

The visit of King Uba Akenzua II of Benin and his wife to the International Language Club HQ, 16 September 1950. Photographs taken by the Croydon Times. Album of photographs presented by Terence Driscoll to the Deputy Mayor of Croydon, councillor & Mrs Gordon Stewart September 1950 of the visit of King Uba Akenzua II of Benin to the International Language Club HQ on 16 September 1950.

By 1953, the Club occupied over 30 houses, housing a maximum of 400 guests.  These included  

  • Addiscombe Grove: 1, 8, 10a, 12, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 
  • Addiscombe Road 34 
  • Altyre Road 2, 5, 8, 9, 12 
  • Hazeldean Road: Heather Court, Newton Regis, White House
  • Park Hill Road: 8
  • Fairfield Road: 19

Driscoll applied for planning permission to use more houses for the club.  This expansion was approved by the Ministry of Housing & Local Government on 27 April 1953, but challenged by Croydon Council on 21 July that year.  Complaints included the noise of “The coloured Club members playing table tennis.  Shrieks and screams of delight or woe which can be heard on Addiscombe Road.  Also the noise of the table tennis ball”.  The appeal was rejected by the Ministry “as the demand for student accommodation has greatly increased since 1947 and it is an entirely proper demand to be met in a residential area, and as the Club is doing valuable work” .

Between 1945 -1964 nearly 10,000 people had stayed at the Club, the countries best represented being

  • England 2789
  • India 1583
  • Nigeria 508
  • France 458
  • Germany 412
  • Ghana 324

On 15 March 1965, the 27th Anniversary of the International Language Club was marked by a banquet and ball at The Greyhound Hotel.  The introduction to the programme mentions that planning permission had now been received for a 300 room hostel .  However, the hostel was never built.   Reports in Hansard the following year stated that the leases of the houses occupied by the club were coming to an end and would not be renewed because the area was to be redeveloped by the East Croydon Estate Company, jointly owned by the Church Commissioners and Wates Ltd.  There had been mysterious fires in the Club’s properties and Driscoll had been badly beaten up while in bed.

Terence Driscoll soon moved the Club to Ada Lewis House at 172 Old Kent Road in Southwark, which he ran as a cheap hotel for foreign students until his death in 2007. His local MP, Simon Hughes, paid tribute, saying  “Terence Driscoll was a larger than life individual, who ran a unique sort of hotel for many years in our borough. Many people from all over the world will miss him and certainly there will not be his sort of gentleman active in public life in Southwark again”.    

No. 12 Altyre Road is the last remaining house formerly occupied by the International Language Club.

Sources