April 7, 2015

Finest Hour 123, Summer 2004

Page 19

International Churchill Society of the United Kingdom


Welcome to a new FH feature on the Churchill Society UK, all of whose members are automatically members of The Churchill Centre. This section will appear frequently to keep all members advised of the activities of the Centre’s largest worldwide partner.

ICS (UK) was busy this Spring with the Churchill Memorial Concert at Blenheim Palace on March 6th and our Annual General Meeting at Harrow School on March 27th. We are now heavily involved in work on the Portsmouth Conference.

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The UK Society also reported on the refurbishment of the Havengore, which bore Churchill’s coffin up the Thames in 1965 and is now a charitable enterprise for youth programmes. In April the Havengore was made available to Churchill College for the 149th Oxford-Cambridge boat race, where the College used her to entertain and thank supporters. Havengore is also the official start vessel for the Watermen and Lightermen’s Barge Driving Race on the Thames. The HELM children’s programme has now taken over 1,000 young people between 9 and 13 years of age on the River Medway for local studies, history and citizenship activities.

Annual General Meeting

HARROW, MARCH 27TH— The Society aims to hold its AGM at a different Churchill venue each year. Meetings have taken place at the Cabinet War Rooms, the Churchill Archives Centre, Bletchley Park, Chartwell and Blenheim. This year we met at Harrow, where Winston Churchill spent four years (1888-92). A record attendance of eighty members and guests made it a doubly special occasion. It was a great pleasure to welcome seven members from the United States, including Bill and Virginia Ives, Chuck and Linda Platt and Dan Myers; and three members of the Churchill Society of Portugal.

Before the official business began, Harrow’s Head Master, Barnaby Lenon, spoke briefly on how Churchill would have fared at the school today, reflecting sadly that he would never have been accepted for entry! There were encouraging words from Bill Ives on the need for closer integration between all the Churchill groups. He expressed thanks to UK chairman Nigel Knocker for his work in furthering the aims of the Centre and Societies, and for welcoming the Churchill Centre members.

Over the past year many discussions have taken place on the organisation of the various Societies and other groups and the desirability of creating a cohesive whole. Mr. Ives stressed that The Churchill Centre was not solely an American body; that ICS (USA) no longer exists; and that all members of ICS (UK) automatically belong to the Centre. As evidence of closer integration he noted the role of Paul Courtenay as a senior editor of Finest Hour, and of Professor John Ramsden as cochairman of the Board of Academic Advisers. He added that Finest Hour would in future contain a page devoted to UK matters, replacing the UK’s separate Newsletter. The Churchill Centre is also keen to cooperate in furnishing ICS (UK)’s room, to be established at the new Churchill Museum in the extended Cabinet War Rooms.

The events of 11th September 2001 propelled Churchill forcefully into international consciousness. We have had frequent calls to verify alleged quotations, and the Library of Congress has staged an important exhibit on “Churchill and the Great Republic” in the first half of 2004. There is now a peak of interest and it is important to take advantage of this; it is up to all of us to realise the potential of this opportunity.

Professor Joao Carlos Espada gave details of plans to form an International Churchill Society of Portugal, headed by Professor Espada. “Portugal is proud of its British and American friendships and shares western traditions of liberty and law,” said Professor Espada, who was warmly congratulated.

Chairman’s Message at AGM

COL. NIGEL B. KNOCKER OBE

I assume that you are aware of activities during the past year; so I will make mention of one or two important matters and then turn to the future.

Our membership continues to remain at a steady level. Last year it was 374 and it is currently 390. We continue to maintain a tight grip on non-payers of subscriptions and have no hesitation in excluding them if they fail to renew. Sadly, owing to lack of financial support, we have had to discontinue the painting competitions; we would only be able to start this again if we were assured of a steady and regular source of prize money.

Although not directly connected with ICS (UK), one of the highlights of the year has been the exhibition “Churchill and the Great Republic” at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., jointly promoted to the Library by The Churchill Centre and the Churchill Archives Centre Cambridge under Allen Packwood. A few of us were lucky enough to be present at the opening ceremony with our Patron, Lady Soames. Prior to this we were addressed in a small group for twenty minutes by President Bush, who spoke of his admiration for Winston Churchill and all he stood for.

The Cabinet War Rooms extension is now open and the Churchill Museum will open in January 2005. Thanks to Phil Reed, director of the Cabinet War Rooms, we are to have our own room there. It measures only 12×7 feet, but is perfectly placed just off the Museum and will be of considerable benefit to the worldwide Churchill Centre organisation. We intend that it will become our main focal point in London for running the Society, and Centre members from around the world. We hope that it will attract new members to the organisation.

At the initiative of Lady Soames, on 4th February 2004, the Churchill Room in the Livadia Palace, Yalta (see page 7) was opened by the British Ambassador to Ukraine. Included are eighty-two Churchill-related books which were donated by members of The Churchill Centre, centralised and despatched by ICS (UK). The Churchill Room will no doubt develop as time passes. It would be interesting and worthwhile to run an event there in 2005 to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Yalta conference; this may be possible in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but travel is not easy.

Much time and effort is going into the planning and preparation for the 2004 International Churchill Conference, which marks the 60th year of D-Day, the Rhine crossing, and the drive to Berlin, and Churchill’s involvement in these climacterics. I will not dwell on this, other than to say that it is becoming heavily subscribed already; as of yesterday (26 March 2004), the number of registrants was nearly 100 for Phase I (Portsmouth, 23-26 September), eighty-five for Phase II (Normandy, 26-30 September), and seventy-five for Phase III (across northwest Europe to Berlin, 30September-6 October). So, if you intend to come, you would be well advised to book soon. (Editor’s note: Phases II and III are now sold out and Phase I is nearing capacity.)

For some time now, Bill Ives and I have been pressing for the worldwide Churchill organisation to be a single, properly unified body. At the moment we are several separate organisations, but we would be much more efficient, cost-effective and better understood if we were unified. This has been vigorously taken up, and together we are making steady progress. As a first step in the United Kingdom, we shall add to our title the words, “Part of the Worldwide Churchill Centre.” This does not sound like anything great, but it is significant—as Bill will describe. Later, we may consider modifying our own name to fit developments, but do not let us run before we can walk.

Finally, on behalf of you all, I would like to thank the members of the Committee—all volunteers—for all their hard work during the year: Geoffrey Fletcher, Brian Singleton, Derek Greenwell, Robert Courts, Tony Woodhead, Michael Kelion, Paul Courtenay Rafal HeydelMankoo, John Glanvill Smith, Eric Bingham; and two absent members, John Crookshank and Wylma Wayne.

Bletchley Park Weekend

September 11th-12th commemorates Churchill and his links with Bletchley Park; features include special displays, lectures and films on the great man. Opening times: 10.30 am to 5.00 pm (last admission 3.30 pm). Adults £14, concessions £10, under 8 free. For details call 01908640404 or www.bletchleypark.org.uk

Blenheim Tercentenary

The 300th Anniversary of the Battle of Blenheim is being marked by numerous events at Blenheim Palace. Still current by the time this issue appears are the John Churchill special exhibition (through 12 September), CLA Game Fair (23-25 July, www.gamefair.co.uk), the SSAFA military display and Beating Retreat (13 August; for details telephone 08700-602080), Classical Proms with Fireworks (27 August, evening event; details at www.performingarts.co.uk); and International Horse Trials (9-12 September (details: 01564-796200).

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