The Grave Maurice

One of the Krays favourite pubs.

Location: 269 Whitechapel High Street, Whitechapel

Description: The Grave Maurice is a distinguished old London pub dating from 1874 (and prviously from 1723) celebrating the Prince of Orange (the Graf Moritz) who helped the English to defeat the Spanish in 1600.

It was a favourite in the early 1960s of the gangsters the Kray Twins. When the Met's Inspector Leonard Nipper Read learned that Ronnie Kray was to be interviewed here for TV he visited the pub incognito, sat by the window and saw a flash American car draw up outside, a smartly dressed man get out, feel in his pocket for his gun, and enter the pub.

The man looked carefully around, went back outside, looked up and down the road to make sure that the pavement was clear and then opened the back door of the car in a grand manner. From the vehicle stepped Ronnie Kray, dressed like Al Capone, his cashmere coat nattily tied at the waist reaching down to his ankles. Flanked by minders, Kray made a suitably grand entrance while his entourage frisked the interviewer, even though the latter was in a neck brace. When the interview finished Kray left as ostentatiously as he had arrived, with the minder visually sweeping the street before allowing his charge outside.

Themes: Pub Pub Theme