John K. Watkins, RIBA, Chartered Architect

I wish to tell you what a delight it was to know and work with Tom Manning and his enlightened architectural design machine.

FIRST ENCOUNTER
It was the end of my first year of college, a part time day course at Hammersmith College of Art, Building & Architecture. It was located in Lime Grove opposite the BBC studios, next door to the Lime Grove slipper baths, Shepherd's Bush. Made famous in programmes by Kenneth Williams and Hancock.

Mr Nightingale, the tutor, said - Do you intend to get qualified? I said rather indignantly - yes of course! Well I suggest that you move as soon as possible to a decent Architecural Practise!

I was at the time with Uncle George Wimpey short for - We Import Millions of Paddys Every Year. I was in an office of approx 60 persons all with drawing boards set out in regimental rows with only one qualified person in control!

Mr Nightingale pointed me to a young practise making headline news by winning the Carnatic Halls of Residence competition for Liverpool University.

I applied and was invited to an interview one July evening in 1963 by Mr Tom Manning.

My dream began with the journey to Richmond and the walk to the office via the The Green. The buildings were fine Georgian terraces occupied by Solicitors and Architects. A big difference from Hammersmith - no smog or traffic!

At 19 The Green I was met by Tom Manning who conducted me to the top of the building to the front room overlooking the Green. The room was magic - lots of perspectives, drawings and books. We sat and discussed my sketches of Trafalgar Square with icicles formed on the fountains - it was a very cold winter '62-'63. I joined the firm in August 1963 at the sum of £10 per week - the going rate for an erk!

THE OFFICE

I soon realised everyone in the firm was good company, friendly and very talented. The work was varied and enjoyable. Afternoon tea was taken together in the library where we all chatted about current topics. If it was a hot day - suddenly icecreams appeared. The office had a cricket team and matches were played on the Green. All quite delightful. I was a medium left hand bowler - the quality was reported by one opponent as - I don't know who he is but he an't 'arf chucking down some rubbish! There were ernest tennis matches, at lunch time, between the lads & Trevor Freeman, a Middlesex County player. Strangly he got all returned.

We were regularly featured in the Architects Journal. We won numerous competitions, gathered numerous awards and commendations. Most success was in the field of community care and housing. Tom supported entrys to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. They were quite magnificient and were displayed in the office.

In retrospect the secret was all staff were selected by Tom so the common base resulted in harmony. The formula worked well upto Tom's retirement from the practise.

Tom was always the last one to leave in the evening. In all the time I worked with him I never heard him raise his voice or loose his temper. In fact I believe he maintained control by making all listen very carefully to his clear but delicate delivery.

The office moved and expanded into 31 & 32 The Green. The Drawing Office was top floor of 31. It gave excellent views of the mini skirts dicing with open sports cars. There was Mr Clamp gently finding a car space by pushing two cars apart with his MGA and every one enjoyed me hopping between parking meters, one morning, after breaking my ankle.

Work for the Special Services Group of the PSA was an interesting gap filling set of projects covering the Royal Palaces and Museums. My favourite memory was the relandscaping at Vrow Walk, outside Hampton Court Palace. The Palace decided to return the Walk to the Crown Estate for operation & maintanence for this an Act of Parliament was required. The Walk was laid out with a gravel path, a double avenue of horse chestnuts and post & rail fence. It still looks gorgeous! I decided to paint the GPO phone box, outside the Hampton Court front entrance, in dark green - It lasted about 10 days until a passing PO Director decided it was to be grey!

Conservation and restoration works became important projects with the Restoration of the Temperate House at Kew Gardens to be followed by a competion winner for a new GREEN building at Kew - The Sir Joseph Banks Building, an exhibition, education centre with archive storage facilities. Sited in an unused part of the RBG gardens adjacent to the Herberium one side and Kew Palace the other. The area was within the Thames flood plain - so it was a rather special solution. Heated and cooled by a heat pump using the hidden river Thames water.

Fame at last - we had a postage stamp, issued by the Post Office, in commemoration of this unique Building.