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TAKEN FROM: HACKNEY GAZETTE  29TH  JULY 1969.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR ARRIVES AT CLAPTON.

Hundreds of people crowded the Pedro Youth Club, Rushmore-road, Clapton, on Thursday, when Elizabeth Taylor came to officially open the club's new £40,000 headquarters. Miss Taylor is Vice-President of the club and for the opening she arrived in true film star-style in a chauffeur-driven snow-white Rolls-Royce, and in rewarding appreciation, as she stepped from the car a gasp went up from the crowd, followed by a silence broken only by a woman's murmur of  "ain't she lovely."

Miss Taylor, every inch the glamorous star in a white mini dress with a flower in her hair, walked to the reception room, chatting to leather-jacketed youths. in the reception room it was the girls turn, they warmed to Miss Taylor who, four year's ago, with her husband, Richard Burton, donated the £5,000 premiere proceeds of there film " The Sandpiper " to the club. Ever smiling, ever shaking hands and ever saying " thank you " for the countless number of compliments she received, Liz went on to perform a brick-laying ceremony, with the ease of a professional  "brickie " - or one who has performed a like ceremony many times before.

Her association with the Pedro Club began  when she was a girl living in Hampstead. She grew up with the club's present chairman, Mrs Simon Hornby.  sitting with Mrs Hornby, Liz told  me; " she is my oldest and dearest friend".

Club leader Jim Sutherland, had planned on taking Liz on a tour of the club premises- but this had to be cancelled, on advice, because there was a fear that she might crushed by her appreciative crowd. The new headquaters contains a carpentry workshop, big enough to house a 30ft boat, when told about it, Miss Taylor said; "you should have aimed  at something a bit bigger, then you  could have been able to build me and Richard another Yacht !"

She stayed at the club for nearly an hour, when she left the crowd gave her a tremendous cheer with again one woman summing up the thoughts of all by shouting - " thanks Liz ".  

TAKEN FROM: SPOTLIGHT ON YOUTH  By Geoffrey Smith  Hackney Gazette August 1st  1969.

DAY I MET MY FIRST FILM STAR.

I had a nice little chat with Elizabeth Taylor, when she came to officially open the new headquarters of the Pedro Club, Rushmore-road, Clapton.

Miss Taylor is the most beautiful film star I have ever met, but I must admit- she is the only film star I have ever met.  she did not strike me as the usual "run-of-the-mill" Millionairess, but more down to earth and almost, believe it or not, shy. She told me that there was no truth in the rumour that she was born in the east end, she was infact, born in Hampstead where she grew up with Pedro's Chaiman, Mrs Simon Hornby, a niece of the club founder, Mrs Hornby spent most of the afternoon as Liz's guide. It is  hoped that Miss Taylor, (Mrs Burton as she likes to be called) will make many more visits to the club, but with somebody as busy as Liz it is merely a hope, however, people at the club are grateful enough that she accepted the Vice-Presidency...

UNIQUE

If club leader, Jim Sutherland has his way, the Pedro Club will be unique, already, it is the only local club that I know that has regular forestry trips to Marlow Buck's and to Snowdonia North Wales, along with other activities like motor mechanics, woodwork, canoe building, and indoor sports, I must say that the club has progressed marvellously since I attended it years ago.

The new £40'000 building will house the only youth workshop in England; as far as I know, where one will be able to build a car , motor cycle, scooter, etc almost from scratch, the money people will be able to save by fixing there own machinery and not, going to a garage will amount to a tidy sum over the year.  but the club will not merely cater for the mechanical-minded, there will be a vast range of other activities, something for every taste. regular dances will be held and Jim tells me that they will be ,"as good as Tottenham Royal". Jim hopes the club will attract people from all walks of life including, "the lazy teenager," whose weekend diary, Jim says, goes something like this;

Friday- out to the pub or late party.

Saturday- get up at 3.30pm mooch around for the remainder of the afternoon, evening out to the pub or late party.

Sunday- get up at 4 pm watch telly until 7 pm- then out to the pictures.

"I find it amazing," said Jim, "the number of teenagers who have never seen the beautiful sight of the sun rising over a mountain, some of them  have never even seen a mountain. if the number of club members is sufficient then a weekly football team will be started, this should appeal to the more energetic youngsters around. The new building will be ready for occupation in October, then we shall see if the Pedro Club will live up to what is expected of it. With Liz Taylor as vice president it cannot miss.

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