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THE CLUB
The Whitsters Club was founded in 1924. The decision to form a club followed a meeting of two gentlemen, one an Englishman, Charles Henry Brown from London and an American, Henry Herbertson Brownlee from New York City. Both gentlemen were keen to meet up with senior people from the Laundry, Dry Cleaning and Associated Industries
Having decided to go ahead, the next question was what to call the club. Having looked through the Oxford Dictionary they opted for the name ‘Whitsters’
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘Whitster’ and offers eight different spellings! The impression is sometimes given even in Whitsters Club communications, that Shakespeare coined the word solely for his play ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ where an important feature of the plot is the soiled
linen basket in which the amorous Sir John Fallstaff
allows himself to be hidden to escape the wrath of the two merry wive’s husbands and having been carried in it to the washing grounds in Datchet Mead is dumped into the reedy waters, like so much dirty linen.
Membership of the Whitsters Club allows representatives from the various industries to meet on a number of occasions during the year. The Club considers Luncheon Meetings to be an opportunity for former and current colleagues to meet together, It is also an opportunity to welcome new Members and Friends to the Club. One long established event is the Ladies Luncheon which is usually held in November. There is also the more recent ‘Special Luncheon’ which takes place in early summer. Since this was introduced, members have enjoyed venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, HMS Belfast and other places of interest