Ruskin House, situated in its own grounds on Coombe Road,
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
,
South London, has been a centre of Britain's progressive movements for a century. It is the headquarters of the
Communist Party of Britain
The Communist Party of Britain (CPB) is a communist party in Great Britain which emerged from a dispute between Eurocommunists and Marxist-Leninists in the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1988. It follows Marxist-Leninist theory and s ...
and Croydon's
Labour,
Trade Union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
and
Co-operative movements and is itself a co-operative with shareholders from organisations across the four movements.
Ruskin House timeline
The first Ruskin House
In the nineteenth century, Croydon was a bustling commercial centre in Surrey but in close proximity to London. It was said that, at the turn of the twentieth century, approximately £10,000 was spent in Croydon's taverns and inns every week. For the early labour movement, then, it was natural to meet in the town's public houses, in this environment. However, the temperance movement was equally strong, and
Georgina King Lewis, a keen member of the
Croydon United Temperance Council, took it upon herself to establish a dry centre for the labour movement.
Named after
John Ruskin
John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and pol ...
, the first Ruskin House was highly successful. It was described as one of the greatest temperance achievements in the history of Croydon. Meetings took place every night wherever space was available. Indeed, requests for meeting space were frequently turned down. Many trade union branches, friendly societies and the
Labour Party all held their meetings here.
The second Ruskin House
By the end of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the local labour movement had far outgrown its main premises. Therefore, in 1919, a private residence named 'Netherton' on Wellesley Road was bought by the Ruskin House committee. In the 1920s, the
Labour Party employed full-time staff in the building. Later, in the 1930s and 1940s,
whist drive
Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play.
History
Whist is a descendant of the 16th-century game of ''trump'' ...
s, socials and dances, political rallies and meetings, and even a Ruskin Repertory Theatre were based in the building. The left-wing writer and translator
Eden Paul
Maurice Eden Paul (27 September 1865, Sturminster Marshall – 1 December 1944) was a British socialist activist, physician, writer and translator.'Paul, Maurice Eden' in ''Who Was Who''
Early life
Paul was the younger son of the publisher Charl ...
was a night warden at the premises in 1940.
The
Young Communist League
The Young Communist League (YCL) is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX (name of country) originates from the precedent established by the Communist Youth International.
Examples of Y ...
held its meetings in the building. In the 1960s, Croydon's centre underwent massive reconstruction, and the second Ruskin House was demolished.
The current Ruskin House
In 1966, a well-proportioned Georgian townhouse in Coombe Road was purchased by the Ruskin House committee. It had formerly been the home of an Italian vice-consul and a private prep school. It was officially opened in 1967 by the then
Labour Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
,
Harold Wilson. With a large, walled garden, the building is in pleasant surroundings. Far removed from the original dry Ruskin House, the current building has its own bar. Today, Ruskin House continues to serve as the headquarters of the
Communist Party of Britain
The Communist Party of Britain (CPB) is a communist party in Great Britain which emerged from a dispute between Eurocommunists and Marxist-Leninists in the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1988. It follows Marxist-Leninist theory and s ...
, Croydon Labour Party, and the local trade union movements and Co-operative movements.
Geraint Davies, the MP for
Croydon Central
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive ...
until 2005, also had offices in the building.
Other tenants
Ruskin House serves as a launchpad and maildrop for other businesses, if the aims of the owners coincide with the aims of the child organisation. Some of the other tenants have included:
* NEW RUSKIN HOUSE (CROYDON) CLUB LIMITED
* BCCM Ministries, a Baptist church
* Starfootball LTD - BTW-Zoeken.nl
* South Of The River Investments Limited
* IBFS Consulting Limited
* Brixton Splash Ltd
* Rise Up Group Ltd
* Walther W. Limited
* BR. Cranston Limited
* African Holocaust Foundation
* My Tribe Ltd
* Hatjab Ltd
* Starcricket Ltd
* Slavery Remembrance Ltd
* SKM Holdings Ltd
References
Much of this text was taken, with permission, from ''Ruskin House: A History'', M. Tiedemann & E. Daisley, 1999.
External links
*
History of Ruskin HouseCroydon Labour PartyGerry RyanCommunist Party of BritainCroydon Co-operative Party
{{Croydon B&S
Co-operatives in the United Kingdom
Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Croydon
Houses in the London Borough of Croydon
History of the London Borough of Croydon
John Ruskin
Grade II listed houses in London
Georgian architecture in London