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financial burden; thus in 1997 he sent a questionnaire to members to obtain
feedback as to what they thought should be the future of the clubroom, with
the result that it was resolved at an SGM on the 19th December 2002, that
the clubhouse be sold. That, of course, is what happened.

Don was the only child of Henry and Ida White and was born on the 29th
March 1927 at No 102 Camberwell New Road. He was educated at Archbishop
Tennyson’s School at the Oval, Kennington (he spent some time at Reading
Grammar School when his school was evacuated in the war). On leaving school
in 1943 at the age of 16 he joined Lloyds Bank and began his banking career
at Streatham High Street branch in October of that year, earning £100 per
annum! In 1945 at the age of 18 he was called up for military service with the
Welsh Guards. Having completed his training at Caterham Barracks he was
expecting to be posted to the regiment who were serving in Palestine but
instead he spent his three years in the Officers’ mess at Hotel Grand Central
in London, mainly involved in clerical and administrative duties and where he
attained the rank of Sergeant. He spent most of the time at home in
Camberwell!

He was demobbed in 1948 and returned to Lloyds Bank, serving at the Brixton
branch for a year before being transferred to the Stock Exchange branch;
however, he found the work so boring, he resigned in 1950. He then applied
and was accepted for a job with Martins Bank and after serving at various
London branches, was transferred to Africa House. It was here that he was
to meet his future wife, Beryl. They were married in 1958 (interestingly, up
until 1965 it was the policy of Martins Bank that male staff were not allowed
to get married until their salary reached a prescribed level and female staff
had to leave when they married). Don and Beryl had two children, Ian and
Linda.

In 1969 Martins Bank was bought by Barclays Bank and Don remained with
them, serving at various branches as Manager, including Hayes, Kent (where
he also became Chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce), Forest Hill,
North Sutton and finally, New Cross, from where he retired in 1986.

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