More than 60 people have shared their stories, memories and old photographs with Jim and contributors are still coming forward, such is the affection and respect for Maurice.
The storytellers include:
Members of Maurice’s sailing club in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s
Ex-servicemen who shared their memories of National Service at RAF West Malling at the time when Maurice was posted there (1950-1953)
A work colleague from the 1970s when Maurice was a cutter at the dressmaker ‘Dolly Day of London’
The daughter of Maurice’s girlfriend in the 1960s
One of Maurice’s shop assistants in the 1980s and 1990s
Members of Jeanette’s (Maurice’s Australian mother) family
Clapham High Street retailers, including several who rented number 20 from Maurice, the shop next to Jeannette Fashions
The owner of the MacAlpine ballet school who sent parents to Jeannette Fashions to buy the fabrics they needed to make their children’s ballet costumes in the 1970s and 1980s
And numerous customers of Jeannette Fashions over the decades
In addition, and especially precious, are three audio-recordings of conversations with Maurice that the photographer, Jim Grover, recorded back in 2016.
The 230 page book that accompanies the exhibition contains some 50 pages of memories and stories (including the conversations with Maurice); they are organised into chapters (you can see the chapter listing here). 6 sample pages are reproduced in this section of the website.